12:00 PM
After the dinner for
Admiral and Mrs. Clarey
and son Christopher at the
State Dining Room.
June 6, 1973
Wednesday
June 7, 1973
Thursday
Malacañan Palace
Manila
Wednesday I spent on the problem of negotiations with the Malaysians on the conflict in the South which involves Sabah.
The morning I dedicated to reviewing the situation and the documents as well as dictating the briefing for the military (generals and colonels) whom I met from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM and the Foreign Policy Council whom I had invited at 8:30 PM. I had dinner with all of them at the Heroes Hall I attach the briefing papers.
After asking ex- Vice Pres. and Sen. Pelaez to submit his report (which I attach and which he read) I asked the observations of Sec. Romulo, Pres. Macapagal & Sen. Pres. Puyat, Speaker Villareal.
Then I decided:
- Since it was the Philippines that asked for the negotiations to gain time, we have already benefited from it because the threat to publicly expose the Malaysian intervention stopped the flow of arms, thus leaving us free to liquidate the insurgency which was not resupplied from Sabah.
- And so we must continue the negotiations so we can gain more time.
- But we should keep the negotiations going until September during which period we should liquidate the insurgency.
- We should study how we can adopt the suggestion of Ex-Pres. Macapagal which, of course, I have originally proposed that we tell the Malaysians that we will withdraw the claim to Sabah if it becomes an independent state. This, of course, the Malaysians will not like.
- By all means we should keep Indonesia on our side because if Indonesia starts supporting the Muslim rebels we would really be in trouble.
So since she is interested in playing mediator we should encourage her to do so.
Ex-Vice Pres. Pelaez will go to Indonesia to confer with Minister [illegible].
I noted the interest with which the generals and colonels listened to the documents involving Raschid Lucman and Ex- Sen. Domocao Alonto in the training of the insurgents in Malaysia and Sabah as well as the aid from Col. Kaddafi, Tungku Abdul Raman and Tun [illegible].
Then the letter of Credit guaranteed by Col. Kaddafi, opened against a California bank, in favor of men of Larry Tractman.
Today I spent working on the various economic areas, the Commission on Elections for the referendum next July, the public works program and the rice problem.
The KBS station at Roxas Blvd. completely burned last night. They will have to lease the ABS-CBN premises.
The National Defense Board met this noon at the Luna Hall in the Dept. of Foreign Affairs. I took advantage of the presence of Admiral Clarey, the CINCPAC to give them (he and Mrs. Taylor and son Christopher) souvenir.