The political season has started Sen. [Sergio] Osmeña [Jr.] my erstwhile opponent for President has attacked me, my mother, and brother-in-law, Maj. Marcelino Barba, in a privilege speech in the Senate. What a waste of time for the Senate and me.
For I have had to get my press officer to issue an answer. I attach a copy of the statement of Sec. [Francisco] Tatad.
I talked to the officers involved in the shooting incident in Congress, with the sector commander, Col. Broisas and the Metrocom [Metropolitan Command] commander, Gen. [Mariano] Ordoñez. They swore to me that they did not fire at the crowd of demonstrators. Rather when Lt. Malinao and his 34 men of the 554 PC [Philippine Constabulary] Co. of the 50th PC Ranger Battalion was being briefed by the liaison officer, Lt. ______ at the lobby of the House of Representatives, the firing started from the security men of Congress who were on the lobby near the door. Four of the men of Lt. Malinao actually fired their guns but they were ordered to do so by the House Sergeant at arms, Ex-Gov. [Simeon] Salonga. Even then, they fired their guns into the air.
I have ordered their statements to be taken down under oath.
Then the officers and men are not raw recruits. They have been raiding the gambling casinos in Roxas Blvd. They have been on many missions including the safeguarding of the pope.
The officer’s also swore that there was firing of a carbine (automatic) and pistols from the demonstrators after the barrage of pill boxes that provoked the incident and wounded one of the Metrocom soldiers in the temple.
Official Gazette for May 4, 1971: President Marcos received the feasibility study on the proposed Laguna de Bay development project designed to harness and accelerate the development of the Laguna lake region. The report was received by the President during a conference in the morning in Malacañang, attended by the members of the board of the Laguna Lake Development Authority. The LLDA board has Gov. Isidro Rodriguez of Rizal as chairman, and Sen. Helena Z. Benitez of the Senate Committee on Housing, Urban Development and Resettlement; William Harding of the UNDP; Robert H. Gedney, LLDA project manager; and representatives from Rizal and Laguna provinces, as members. The conference was called to discuss the initial phase of the development program.
The 8-volume report, a joint undertaking of the UNDP, LLDA, U.S. Federal Water Quality Administration and the NAWASA, synthesized the development plans for the region which will span the 70’s. The initial phase would center on water resource development, with the objective of providing enough water supply for Manila and suburbs, including for irrigation purposes. The President described the Laguna Lake Development Program as the most massive of the government’s projects, and crucial not only to Manila and its environs, but to the entire country.He added that the project, a top priority program of the government, underlines the determination of the government to accelerate the economic development of the country. I look forward to the implementation of the initial phase of the program during my administration,” the President said.
Sen. Salvador Laurel, chairman of the judiciary committee, started hearings on the
Golden Buddha case this afternoon.
Apparently he is going to subpoena Judge Pio Marcos—a brazen violation of the independence of the judiciary.
This should turn even the most rabid anti-administration man against him and the committee.
So we should let him do his worst.