I have just met with the Sol Gen. ([Felix] Antonio) Gen. [Manuel] Yan, [Romeo] Espino, [Rafael] Ileto, [Fidel] Ramos, [Fabian] Ver and Col’s. [Ignacio] Paz, [Prospero] Olivas and Uy on the order of the Supreme Court to submit the report of the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] on the State of Public Order, the AFP manpower strength and appropriations for the last ten years, the aid from the U.S. and the [Victor] de la Serna (Delegate) chairman of the Committee on Civil and Political Rights in the Concon [Constitutional Convention]).
And the two-year plan as well as the original plan to win me over insidiously to the communist infiltration of government has to be revealed.
I remember that as soon as I became President there were quiet and determined efforts to win me over to the communist cause. Since I am a liberal and a radical thinker, this was the entreé. “I should strengthen the liberals (thinkers) in government.”
Antonio Araneta, father of Radical delegate Antonio (Tonypet) Araneta, should be appointed to the Supreme Court.
[Jose B.] Laurel[, Jr.] should be Speaker. He should be allowed to create the Cepo [Congressional Economic Planning Office] with the known radical, [Jose?] Yap, as chairman.
I should eliminate the standing Army and put in a citizens army. I should remove all the U.S. Military bases in the Philippines.
We should not do anything to agitate the HMB’s [Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan] in Central Luzon. We should limit ourselves to economic development and avoid military
Official Gazette for September 5, 1971: President Marcos was closeted in his private study most of the morning and afternoon working on official papers and going over the final draft of his book entitled “Today’s Revolution: Democracy.”
At about 3 p.m., he disengaged from his paper work to receive the crew members of the London-Manila Pilipino Express, who called at Malacañang following the successful completion of their trip. The President told the 16-man crew that they had not only promoted tourist trade but had successfully demonstrated the road-worthiness of Philippine-assembly vehicles. The Express, composed of two teams, the Silangan (American) and Kanluran (Asian), each team with a crew of eight, used for the trip the typical jeep and the sakbayan assembled by local firms.
The crew members who called on the President were Loy Martinez captain; Fredie Masigan, co-captain; Boots Viola, Tom Boria Pilo Garcia, Gus Villanueva, and Apolinario Bagamaspad of the Silangan Team; and Romy Pasola, captain; Ramon Achero, co-captain; Willie Ingles, Benrus Pascual, Romy Riel, Enrique Gonzales, Willie Anla, and Tirso Aguilar of the Kanluran Team. They were accompanied to Malacañang by D. Guevara, Michael Poliakoff, local manager of Air France, one of the sponsors; and Salvador Peña, executive director of the Philippine Travel and Tourist Association.
operations.
These advices came from Sens. [Lorenzo] Tañada, [Jose] Diokno, [Salvador and Jose B.] Laurel (both Sen. and Speaker).
Even Jose Maria Sison and his group of Maoist spouting men came to see me.
But I was alarmed by their persistence. Even Joaquin (Chino) Roces, the publisher of the Manila Times followed the same line, although he was more subtle. He claimed to be a reformer, not a communist.
When the Constitution of the New Communist Party of the Philippines was being written, he would come to me with parts of the Constitution which I Transmitted to J-2 [Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence] and my intelligence net for analysis.
And Chino would alternate between being the innocent messenger and the all-knowing co-conspirator in the communist plot. He would inform me of the restlessness of the people, then put in some information about how strong the communists were becoming (he once said they were already 20,000 strong in the City of Manila). The implication was clear—that I should compromise with the communists.
Then he said the communists would burn Manila. At one time or twice his predictions came true. One was the burning of buses and gasoline stations during the jeepney strike and the other was the burning of Sta. Cruz district.
The same thing is true of Teodoro Locsin of the Free Press. His line was that it was unwise to use force or adopt a strong stand against the communists as the guerilla action in the provinces would spread to the city slums where it would be impossible to combat.
In short—do not combat communism. Let it grow.
Had dinner with Ka Erdi (Eraño Manalo head of the Iglesia Ni Cristo). He was convinced that there will ultimately be violent showdown with communism and he is openly against it. His men in Tarlac have been fighting the NPA [New People’s Army] and vice-versa.
He asked that Evangeline Cruz (Helen Marquez) be kept in the KM [Kabataang Makabayan] as an agent. Col. Mag ______ has asked her to testify against Luzvimindo David, Sec. Gen. of the KM but this would expose her and the Iglesia.
He is ready to support six of the Nacionalista senatorial candidates.
He informs me that according to Evangeline Cruz, the KMs, which she says is an openly subversive organization, say that while I am President they cannot mount a revolution but that when I have stepped down it will be easy to take over the government.