Journal. [1966]

Mata recalls to their mother units some 600 AFP officers and men
performing non-essential duties with various civilian agencies.
Mondoneda states millions of pesos worth of RCA rice, stored
in warehouses in Q.ezon City, Pasig, Caloocan, and Mandaluyong,
have been lost through pilferage; the Rizal PC is investigating.
The Bureau of Customs announces it will exempt ordinary luggage
of travelers and tourists from routine examination.
Garcia clarifies his stand and states he has suggested that a panel
of Philippine and US army doctors be formed to work out measures to
prevent possible introduction of communicable diseases by servicemen
from Vietnam.
Rep. Carmelo Z. Barbero (L, Abra), chairman, national defense
committee, protests against a report that a large shipment of Philippine
artillery shells and rifle ammunition is pending shlipment to S Vietnam.
A US Embassy sp:kesman states it is normal practice in countries
receiving US military aid to declare as surplus ammunition in excess
of the needs or in danger of deteriorating, such a surplus then being
sent to other places where needed.
Reported from London there is a tug-of war between Mao TseTung and the army over China's military ability to face confrontation
with the US; the army has warned the country is unprepared and that
war should presently be avoided at any cost; the politicians reject this
argument on the principle that "war is decided primarily by man and
politics, not arms".
Feb. 12 - President and Mrs. Marcos tour the fire-ravaged area
in Iloilo, accompanied by Lopez; he directs government financial institutions to make loans available to the fire-sufferers on liberal terms.
Yulo instructs Teehankee to study whether government officials
may work for foreign espionage agencies, even those from friendly
countries, such as the US Central Intelligence Agency. without liability
for treason. Yulo reportedly was made aware of CIA activity here
during a recent trip to the US where he was shown the dossier of a
former Philippine President compiled by a local Filipino intelligence
officer.

Sen. Lorenzo Sumulong states in a UP speech that the Philippines,
as a SEATO member, is under obligation to send economic and technical
aid to S Vietnam in so far as its finances permit; he states S Vietnam
has not asked for combat troops. Rep. Aguedo Agbayani (N. Pangasinan) states the Philippines should offer the US opportunity to set up
recuiting stations here to enlist Filipino volunteers.
The Macapagals arrive in Lima, Peru, from La Paz. Bolivia.
Feb. 13- The President and his party leave Iloilo for Manila;
en route he tells newsmen that he has directed the National Civil Defense
Administration to mobilize a national effort to secure cities and towns
against fires; he states also that the recall of Lukban to the Army could
be part of a plan for a general reversion of military personnel to active
duty.
The Indonesian Embassy announces that Third Deputy Foreign
Minister Madame Supeni will come to Manila to confer with foreign
department officials.
Radio Jakarta reports that Sukarno said at a mass rally that the
Philippines has the diplomatic right to recognize Mvalaysia but that
this goes against the "anti-Malaysia solidarity" of Indonesia and the
Philippines; he said also that Indonesians consider the Vietnamese
"revolutionary struggle" their own and must oppose the sending of
Philippine troops there; he again appealed for national unity and praised
the Indonesian Communist Party for its "contribution to the struggle
for independence from the Dutch". Radio Jakarta further reports,
quoting Subandrio. that Indonesia has recalled its ambassador to Peking
because of the "unfriendly attitude adopted by China".
Prime Minister Indara Gandhi, following a meeting with the chief
ministers of India's 15 federated states, increases the rice ration in
impoverished Kerala state from 5 to 6 ounces a day.
Humphrey flies to Bangkok.
Feb. 14 - Te President and his party return from Iloilo early
in the morning. He confers with defense and military officials on the
procurement and disposal of ammunition; Arellano states that disposal
of excess or surplus equipment and materials. furnished by the US under
the Military Assistance Agreement of 1949, has been going on ever
since; the declaration of excess ammunition is done on initiative of the
AFP and is only concurred in by JUSMAG; the President asks for
circumspection in discussing publicly military affairs and defense plans,
lest the country's defense posture be prejuaiced or betrayed. He also
confers with Yulo and expresses agreement with him in ordering an
inquiry into reports of officials giving away secrets to foreign governments.
Supeni's arrival is delayed by lack of airplane connections.
Yulo confers with Lukban wao calls to say goodbye after 12 years
as FBI head; Lukban praises offic-r-in-charge Fausto; he states he is
going back to the armny.
Suspenaed Director of Prisons Dominador Danan, a prisoner-forger
Jose Ignacio, and another convicted criminal who was pardoned before
serving a day, are charged with falsification of public documents by
the Depa tment of Justice and the PC in a complaint filed in the Rizal
provincial fiscal's office.
Secretary of Labor Emilio Espinosa Jr. orders revocation of a labor
employment contract between the Department and an American labor
recruitment firm, involving thousands of local applicants for work on
US bases in Vietnam, stating the terms are 'iglhly discriminatory";
he has formed a committee to study the contract with a view to rewording it along the lines of Philippine labor laws.
National Treasurer Ubaldo Carbonnel confirms before a House
committee that the Macapagal administration withdrew some P22,000,000 from the Treasury in less than 2 months before the November
9 election; Sychangco states the Government is "in the red" by P430,
000,000.
Villegas, after a conference with Secretary of Education Carlos
P. Romulo, announces that 6th grade pupils will not graduate this
year with the projected restoration of the 7th grade which Romulo
approved in principle for all Manila schools; this will call for some 550
new classes and P5,000,000.
A Kuala Lumpur spokesman attacks the Indonesian government
for "interfering" in the Philippine move to recognize Malaysia.
The trial of Njono, top leader in the frustrated October coup, opens
in Jakarta before a military court.
Australia switches to a dollar and cents currency from pounds and
shillings.
Marshal Vassili Chuikov, who led the Soviet forces in Stalingrad
and into Berlin, now in charge of civil defense, warns against overconfidence in a Russian victory in event of a nuclear war.
Disclosed in Washington that the US has blacklisted 5 British,
Greek, and Cypriot vessels trading with N Vietnam; other ships from
the Free World and Poland will be blacklisted in the future,-that is
they will be denied US government-financed or sponsored cargoes.
February 15-The President meets with NP House members
and after a briefing by foreign affairs defense officials, they agree on a
party stand in favor of sending an engineering contingent to Vietnam
with adequate security support. He also receives Gen. Jesus Vargas,
SEATO secretary-general, and Ambas. de la Rora. He meets with
a4 number of Ilocos Sur congressmen and provincial officials on the
stabilization of peace and order in the province; they agree to stop their
groups from further belligerent actions.
Rasnos has a closed-door conference with Madame Supeni who
arrived earlier in the day with her husband; she asked for a suspension

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