Letter of Instructions No. 634, issued on December 9, 1977, by President Ferdinand E. Marcos, outlines the military's role in managing and overseeing vital public utilities in the Philippines following the declaration of Martial Law. It modifies previous directives by limiting military involvement to monitoring operations and ensuring physical security, particularly for the airline industry, while establishing a collaborative framework with civilian entities. The Secretary of National Defense is empowered to adjust military personnel assignments based on prevailing peace and order conditions, affecting various public utilities and government offices, including the Board of Transportation and the Philippine Coconut and Sugar Industries. This directive reflects the government's aim to maintain operational stability and security in essential services during a tumultuous period in Philippine history.
December 9, 1977
LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS NO. 634
| TO | : | Secretary of National Defense |
| Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City |
WHEREAS, following the issuance of Proclamation No. 1081 dated September 21, 1972, which declared a state of Martial Law, and in order to achieve the objectives thereof, appropriate measures were adopted, including the takeover by the Armed Forces of the Philippines of the management, control and operation of vital public utilities pursuant to LOI No. 2 dated September 22, 1972;
WHEREAS, LOI No. 2 was amended by LOI No. 84 dated May 29, 1973, delimiting the military's span of control over said public utilities to monitoring the public utilities' operations and providing physical security to prevent disruption of their operations, except in respect to the airline industry where the military continues to have direct involvement in its management, control and operation;
WHEREAS, LOI No. 84 terminated the then existing system of military supervision of the above-mentioned firms and in lieu thereof the Secretary of National Defense was directed to establish a system/working relationship for monitoring the operations of these utility firms in matters relating to the physical security of plant facilities and personnel and for providing protection to these firms to prevent the disruption of vital public utility services;
WHEREAS, in the pursuance of the policy of insuring that efforts of the government machinery attain optimum results beneficial to the public interest, military personnel were designated as Representatives of the President of the Philippines to and Military Supervisors of certain entities/offices, to wit: the Board of Transportation, the Land Transportation Commission, the Offices of the City and District Engineers, and the offices of the City and Municipal Mayors pursuant to Presidential Order dated July 6, 1973; the Philippine Coconut Industry pursuant to Presidential Order dated August 16, 1973; and the Philippine Sugar Industry pursuant to Presidential Order dated August 16, 1973;
WHEREAS, the conditions which necessitate such details of military personnel to the public utilities mentioned and/or military supervision of the said entities/offices constantly change; casia
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution of the Philippines and pursuant to Proclamation No. 1081 dated September 21, 1972, do hereby authorize the Secretary of National Defense, under such rules and regulations that he may promulgate, in consideration of the prevailing peace and order condition, to terminate or cause the termination or the subsequent resumption of the services being provided by military personnel detailed/assigned with.
1. The utility firms and such other public utilities in the furtherance of the objectives of LOI No. 2 dated September 22, 1972, as amended, by LOI No. 84 dated May 29, 1973, except as they pertain to the airline industry the control of which shall continue as defined by and pursuant to LOI No. 84. aisa dc
2. The following civilian government entities/offices, to wit:
a. The Board of Transportation, the Land Transportation Commission, the Offices of the City and District Engineers, and the Offices of the City and Municipal Mayors;
b. The Philippine Coconut Industry; and
c. The Philippine Sugar Industry.
DONE in the City of Manila, this 9th day of December, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Seven.