1:15 AM
April 18th
Imee and Irene left by PAL [Philippine Airlines]-KLM [Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij – Royal Dutch Airlines] at 7:30 PM tonight. Bongbong will leave next Saturday as his classes start on the 24th.
Received the Turkish ambassador’s credentials.
Then met the Fiscal and Financial Policy Committee on:
- The retention by local governments of their share of the income tax totaling P212 million. Effect on our programs.
- The Progressive Car Manufacturing Decision of the BOI [Board of Investments]. Universal and Renault were excluded. The amount of dollar allocations to be decided later.
- The deficits
Official Gazette for April 17, 1972: THE PRESIDENT received the credentials of His Excellency Sukru Elektag, as non-resident ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Turkey to the Philippines.
The President said that the Filipinos as a people believe that their future basically lies in their hands, and to this end “will join forces with: all those who sincerely wish to create’ a better society by cooperating in efforts to uplift the dignity and stature of man.”
He stressed that “the seemingly elusive but universally cherished goal of world peace can be attained if only all nations and all peoples exert their utmost toward this end,” and added that “we in the Philippines attach great significance and value to our relationship with Turkey.” He expressed the fervent hope that “the existing goodwill and understanding between our two countries will increase in the coming years.”
The President assured Ambassador Elektag that the government will extend to him its fullest cooperation as it was so extended in the case of his predecessor, Ambassador Turgut Aytug.
Present at the presentation ceremony were Secretaries Manuel Collantes of the Department of Foreign Affairs Juan Ponce Enrile of the Department of National Defense, Vicente Abad Santos of the Department of Justice, and Constancio Casteñeda of the Department of General Services.
Following the presentation ceremonies, the President administered the oath to the newly-elected officers of the League of City Mayors’ of the Philippines.
Inducted were City Mayors Luis Lardizabal of Baguio, league chairman; Luis T. Santos of Davao, executive vice chairman; Gregorio S. Imperial of Legaspi, secretary-general; Cipriano M. Manaois of Dagupan, treasurer; Mario L. Tagarao of Lucena, vice chairman; Pedro S. Tolentino of Batangas, regional vice chairman for Luzon; Maximo Patalinjud, Jr. of Lapu-Lapu, regional vice chairman for the Visayas; Leroy S. Brown of Basilan, regional vice chairman for Mindanao; Eulalio F. Siazon of Laoag, regional director for Northern Luzon; Elpidio O. Cucio of Palayan, regional director for Central Luzon; Jose C. Villanueva of Iriga, regional director for Southern Luzon; Manuel Y. Torres of Bago, regional director for Western Visayas; Filemon D. Arteche, Jr. of Tacloban, regional director for Eastern Visayas; Germanico Carrion of Dapitan, regional director for Western Mindanao: and Pedro R. Espino of Surigao, regional director for Eastern Mindanao.
The President later conferred with the Mayors on problems of the cities.
The President did not receive callers in the afternoon. He devoted his time instead to urgent official papers.
4. The NASSCO [National Shipyards and Steel Corporation] sale
5. The BISUDECO [Bicol Sugar Development Corporation] and the promise to Sens. [Huey] Long and [Allen] Ellender
Also met Dr. and Mrs. Gemzel of Sweden an outstanding gynecologist.
Inducted the city mayors’ league officers and received their requests.
Lunch with the children, although Imee and Bongbong went with Kokoy [Benjamin Romualdez] to the Lighthouse, to the surprise of the two Lopez boys, [Eugenio Lopez Jr.] Heny and Oscar.
Merienda with Com. [Misael] Vera who reported on tax cases, smuggling of firearms and the possible intervention of the BIR [Bureau of Internal Revenue] in the Bureau of Customs where the collectors are brazenly pocketing tax collections.
Brought the girls to the airport where I also asked CAA [Civil Aeronautics Administration] Administrator, Gen. [Jesus] Singson, not to allow himself to be coerced by the politicians including the Ablans and the MIA [Manila International Airport] Acting Collector to stop the smuggling of firearms which have been allowed to come in when Sen. [Benigno] Aquino [Jr.] or [Ramon] Mitra personally come to collect the unopened baggages.
Worked on the report from Frank Starr on Vietnam. I attach the reports, as well as those of Singapore.
Frank Starr implicates Col. Lino Aragon Angara, nephew of the late Pres. [Manuel] Quezon, in a plot to assassinate me on July 17, 1972.
The sworn statement of Starr which is hereto attached is apparently credible and has the marks of authenticity.
What is disturbing is the supposed statement of Angara “Marcos must be killed x x x And when he is dead the Vice President will become President and then our group takes over control of the Philippines.”
Starr says: “He told me (Angara) of his contacts often with the Hon. Vice President Fernando Lopez and this report is made in sincere interest to in no manner and shape or form to breed distrust between the President and Vice President of the RP [Republic of the Philippines]. But in fairness to the Truth and Facts statements must be made accordingly.”
“I spoke to him (Angara) on at least 7 telephone calls and he said he had gone down to meet the Vice President Lopez in his home province.”
This is not the first time that the Lopezes have conspired against my life. Since 1969 they have done so at least three times.
Then the old plot of Eleuterio Adevoso under Osmeña was connected to the Lopezes.
And the Lopez financial and propaganda support for the NPA [New People’s Army] through [Eugenio] Heny Lopez [Jr.] and ABS-CBN included as one of the objectives my assassination. Thus Commander Melody [Benjamin Bie Jr.] of the NPA was assigned to this mission. Commander Melody confessed this.
On the Adevoso plot, our assets within the conspiracy, Joe ______, revealed that the Osmeña and Lopez camps were involved.
Then when on January 1970, Lopez and I parted ways, Serging Osmeña suggested to [Eugenio] Iñing Lopez [Sr.] my assassination and this idea was picked up and being implemented.
[Joaquin] Chino Roces had in 1970 repeatedly voiced his demand that I be liquidated as this was the only way for them (the activists) to take over.
And Roces and Iñing Lopez have joined in partnership against me.
They have also join [sic] hands to blacken my character. Thus they contrived the Dovie Boehms [Beams] case. The funds sent to her in California have been traced as coming from the Lopez camp.
Then the escalating demonstrations, mobs and riots, all supported by the Lopezes.
And now the Lopezes have joined up with [Gerardo] Roxas and his father-in-law, Amading [J. Amado] Araneta.
But apparently they are desperate and may be planning assassination to prevent my declaring Martial Law!