November 6—
PRESIDENT MARCOS continued his conferences in Baguio with various government leaders, some of them coming from the Visayas and Mindanao, and others from Luzon.
During such conferences, the President discussed projects which will be taken up after the election of Constitutional Convention delegates, and repeated1 his admonition to NPs to steer clear of the election campaign, and that if any NP wished to support any candidate, he should do it on his own as a constitutional right not in the name of the party.
And in consonance with the non-partisan and non-political election of delegates to the forthcoming Constitutional Convention, the Chief Executive also addressed a special appeal to all political parties to keep off the: elections as organized parties, and desist from exerting any “untoward pressures on our people in choosing—the right delegates to the Constitutional Convention.”
A ceremony honoring the President, initiated by local officials, which included a parade, was cancelled by him in deference to the election campaign.
He also conferred at length with Gov. Jose Evangelista of Ilocos Norte, where the President is expected to vote on election day, Tuesday. He disclosed that immediately after voting, he would fly back to Manila where he would keep tabs on the election returns.
Among the papers he scanned while working at his desk in the Mansion House was the report submitted by Secretary of Foreign Affairs Carlos P. Romulo on his stint at the United Nations, which pertained mostly td the proposed amendments to the UN charter and the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the world organization.
During the day, the President also named the members of the delegation of the Philippines to the 21st Colombo Plan Ministerial Meeting, scheduled to be held in Manila from November 24 to December 6, this year.
Secretary Romulo was named head of the delegation.
The delegation was invested by the President with full powers and the authority to meet and confer with their peers and negotiate, conclude and sign with them any acts or agreements adopted during the meeting.
November 7—
PRESIDENT MARCOS continued to have an active day in the Pines City, as he interspersed desk work with meetings with officials from all over the country showing up at the Mansion House.
The President broke off his desk work as often as officials arrived to consult on various problems. Among those he received were Rep. Frisco San Juan of Rizal and Mayor Osmundo de Guzman of Marikina, who came together; and Immigration Commissioner Edmundo Reyes.
Some of the President’s conferences were continuations of meetings he has held with officials coming from Mindanao, the Visayas and Luzon. As usual, the President sat down with newsmen for the daily informal press conference, which has become Dart of his work day in Baguio City.
While at work on official papers, the President issued a proclamation declaring the period from November 23 to 29, 1970 as National Papal Visit Week.
In issuing the proclamation, the President said that Filipinos are deeply grateful for the honor the Pope has bestowed on them, and their country with his visit.
The President enjoined all citizens and resident of the Philippines, regardless of faith, color or creed, to cooperate in making–the Papal visit a fruitful one “in the promotion of brotherhood among them.”
November 8—
PRESIDENT MARCOS spent most of his working hours in his study at the Mansion House going over the official papers brought up to the summer capital by Malacañang aides.
He only left his desk work a couple of times to meet with government officials, including local executives, who discussed with him matters affecting their respective agencies or constituencies.
The President also had a brief informal meeting with newsmen covering his trip to the Pines City.
November 9—
PRESIDENT MARCOS inspected the rabbitry, mushroom and silk culture projects of the Mountain Province Development Authority, the stock farm of the Bureau of Plant Industry, and the experimental fruit ‘orchards of the bureau.
Accompanied by Undersecretary of Agriculture Arturo Tanco, Jr., MPDA Chairman-Manager Sinai Hamada and BAI Director Pedro Refuerzo, the President first visited the state agricultural college in La Trinidad, where he looked into the progress of the rabbit raising and mushroom and silk culture projects and other projects of the MPDA.
The projects are designed to produce improved farm commodities in large quantities for export; provide additional sources of income for farmers and create a fairly prosperous farmer class in the four mountain provinces, namely: Kalinga-Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao and Mountain Province.
From the state college, the President proceeded to the Bureau of Plant Industry experimental station where improved, varieties of fruit trees are being developed for distribution to farmers. These fruit trees are apples, pears, chestnuts and other fruits which are in great demand locally and are imported in large quantities.
The President was shown around the experimental station by Crispin Ancheta, local BPI assistant superintendent.
Then the President metered, down Sto. Tomas road on the opposite section of the city where he visited the Bureau of Animal Industry’s cattle breeding station. He was shown the big imported bulls, which are being kept at the station for breeding purposes in connection with the cattle dispersal program of the government.
The President left the guesthouse at 4 p.m. and was back at the Mansion House at about 6 p.m.
The President earlier worked on official papers brought up by aides from Malacañang.
He also issued the following message on the eve of election day: Tomorrow the Filipino nation goes to the polls to elect the men and women who will rewrite the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. The writing or rewriting of a Constitution is the ultimate, the highest .sovereign act of a people. For the Constitution is the framework, the skeleton of government, and it forecasts the future of a nation. We roust therefore all participate in this sovereign act.
I exhort each and everyone of you to go to the polls and vote tomorrow, I ask you to cast your vote on election day. In urging you to cast your vote, it is perhaps necessary to inform you and remind you that never again during the lifetime of our generation and perhaps the other generations that will follow, will our people he given an opportunity to re-cast and rewrite the Constitution of our country and of our people. It is therefore necessary that we seize and take advantage of this opportunity to mould our own future.
The government and 1 personally view with satisfaction the exemplary manner with which the campaign has been conducted and the way in which all the people and the government officials and employees have conducted themselves in order to maintain a free, open and unsullied expression of the popular will.
I congratulate and commend all those who have unceasingly and unstintingly labored in order that we may have a free and open election. Many have despaired and forecast apprehensions and misgivings on the manner in which this election would be conducted. But despite all of this, the campaign has been peaceful and free. It is my hope that the election on Tuesday—tomorrow—will be equally so. The fear that the campaign would be dominated by political parties or by the influential groups of men that may usually seek to pressure those who make decisions in our society, including the voters in airy election, has not come about. And we are witness to the large presence of many from all the classes of our society, whether rich or poor, big or small, strong or weak, who are candidates and who hope to participate in the proceedings of the constitutional convention. I have no reason to doubt that the general desire and wish of everyone that the constitutional convention will be composed of men who axe-not tied down by partisan interest or committed to any selfish groups, or be subjected to pressures of any kind, will be essentially attained.
But while we are pleased with this development, there remains the duty of government to appeal once more to all the people, and this appeal I make today. I appeal to each and everyone of you, the citizenry of our country, to maintain this election free. The whole world watches us.
It is not only the Filipino people that looks to you for this act of sovereignty to be attained and for this act of sovereignty to be done with purity and with sincerity. It is the world which watches us. It is a world of friends and of enemies alike, who speculate at the manner in which we will conduct ourselves.
I have trust and confidence in the capability of our people to maintain free and open election as we have done in the past. May we continue to do so tomorrow. Let there be a free and unsullied expression of we popular will.
But first of all, all those who are qualified to vote go to the polls and vote. And when you vote, vote not only for your candidates. Vote for the best qualified of all the candidates that they may truly express the genius, the talent, the patriotism of the people of the Philippines.
November 10—
PRESIDENT MARCOS left Baguio City early on a short flight to Laoag City, where he arrived at about 10 a.m. He was met by a large delegation of officials, including Gov. Jose Evangelista, Rep. Roque Ablan, Jr., Vice Gov. Elizabeth Keen, Mayor Eulalio Siason and other local officials.
From the airport, the President headed for the city cathedral where a Te Deum was sung for him. Then he drove to Batac, his hometown, arriving at about 11 a.m. He went straight to the public school where he voted at his old precinct.
He later presided at a conference with provincial and municipal officials at the Marcos residence. The officials reported on the conditions in their respective constituencies. All said that the situation was peaceful.
Brig. Gen. Felizardo Tanabe, 1st PC Zone commander, also saw the President to report on the peace and order situation. He said that Except for two shooting incidents all was peaceful in the 1st PC zone.
The President left Laoag shortly after high noon, arriving in Malacañang at about 2 p.m.
For the rest of the day, the President worked on state matters.
In the evening, he followed the trend of the elections as reports began pouring into Malacañang.
At the night of election day, the President issued the following Post-Election message.
Our people have just gone to the polls to elect their delegates to the coming Constitutional Convention.
They have gone to the polls as a free and freedom-loving people should—with dignity, decorum and a high sense of intellectual and moral involvement.
The peaceful and orderly conduct of the ejections is an expression of the maturity of our people and a source of confidence and hope that those who will be elected to take part in the convention will represent the genuine popular will.
In the nationwide election, we have sought to elect men whose first and last aim is to be of service to our people. It is our earnest hope that the results of this election will guarantee a meaningful convention.
To all those who have worked for this peaceful and orderly election and to the entire Filipino nation, who deserves such an orderly election, I extend my deepest thanks and congratulations.
November 11—
PRESIDENT MARCOS spent a quiet day at work in his study, while occasionally scanning reports on the progress of the canvassing votes all over the country.
The President did not receive visitors, only public officials who call for consultations in the course of the day’s government business, an immediate aides in Malacanang.
In the afternoon, he endorsed the position taken by the committee of the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation (PAAF), the Philippine participation at the 1970 Bangkok Asia should be limited to that of a “performing delegation” of athletes who have been rigidly screened and qualified as having good chances to win.
The President made the endorsement after he was notified by PAAF president Felipe Monserrat, who is also chairman of the criteria, committee, that his committee was certifying only those athletes who had passed rigid screening.
He worked at his desk through the afternoon and early evening.
On the death of former President Charles de Gaulle of France, the President issued the following statement:
“The Filipino nation mourns with fraternal sorrow the death of General Charles de Gaulle, a great leader of men and a gift to the world of the twentieth century, who was not only a father to France but also a comrade to all those nations and peoples who needed a champion in their fight for freedom, independence, honor and dignity.
“In a world dominated, by mediocrity and endless compromise, he wakened men and nations anew to the truth that the most costly, the most ruinous policy is to small, to seek every favor from everybody and yet obtain nothing.
“As he restored to France her sense of grandeur and pride, he gave to other men a vision of greatness which only a high sense of freedom, independence, honor and courage might achieve.
“His passing is a profound loss to us all.”
November 12—
PRESIDENT MARCOS devoted most of his time to his desk, during which he officially designated Ambassador Luis Moreno Salcedo, Philippine envoy to France, as his official representative at the funeral services for Charles de Gaulle.
The President also studied the report and recommendation of Assistant Executive Secretary Roberto Reyes on the efforts toward the rehabilitation of the typhoon-stricken areas of the Bicol Region, which emphasized the facilitation of the replanting of damaged farms and the delivery of needed reconstruction materials and seeds. Another report studied by the President was that of Commerce and Industry Secretary Ernesto Maceda on the need for broader promotion of Philippine products in the U.S., as well as of the effort to project: a proper image of the country abroad.
The President did not receive any visitors, except for the officials of the National Development’ Corporation, whom he called in for a discussion of the immediate projects of the firm, particularly the development of export industries and the possible opening up of new investment areas.
Present at the meeting were Constando Fariñas, chairman of the NDC board; Demetrio Brillantes, general manager; and members Salvador Querubin, Taneredo Gurav, Protacio Licsi, and Margarito Duavit.
In the course of the day the President- signed into law House Rill No. 448, amending certain sections of Republic. Act No. 4860, known as the Foreign Borrowing Act, with instructions to Secretary of Finance Cesar E, A. Virata, to provide official interpretation on those provisions that are being debated upon as to their validity and constitutionality.
The President continued to work at his desk through the afternoon and early evening.
Source: University of the Philippines, College of Law Library
Office of the President of the Philippines. (1970). Official Week in Review. Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines, 66(46), cccxcix-cdiii.
