[ LETTER OF INSTRUCTION NO. 84, May 29, 1973 ]

TO: The Secretary
Department of National Defense
Quezon City

In view of the need of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to concentrate on their primary mission, which is that of maintaining peace and order, and to avoid as much as possible unnecessary involvement in civilian functions and activities, and in view further of the Government's adherence to principles of private enterprise and pursuant to Proclamation No, 1081, dated September 21, 1972, and in my capacity as Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Letter of Instruction No. 2, dated September 225 1972, under which the Secretary of National Defense was directed to take over the management, control, and operation of, among others, Manila Electric Company, the National Waterworks and Sewerage Authority., the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, the Philippine National Railways, the Philippine Air Lines, Air Manila, Filipinas Orient Airways, is hereby amended as follows;

Henceforth, the phrase "management, control and operation" shall mean a delimited span of control directed mainly towards maintaining national security and ensuring the continued operation of these firms, Such control shall now apply primarily only to the airline industry.  With respect to the other utility firms covered by Letter of Instruction No. 2, the present system of military supervision over these firms is hereby terminated. However, the Department of National Defense shall 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.

In the implementation of this Letter of Instruction, the Secretary of National Defense is hereby authorized to issue the necessary guidelines for its effective implementation.

Done in the City of Manila, this 29th day of May, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-three.

(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President
Republic of the Philippines