Written at 5:30 PM
Dec. 8, 1972 at the Makati
Official Gazette for December 7, 1972: ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT on the First Lady, Mrs. Imelda R. Marcos, was made at the Nayong Pilipino in Pasay City during the award ceremonies of the National Beautification and Cleanliness Contest. In an official statement issued following the attempt, Secretary of Public Information Francisco S. Tatad said: “There was an attempt on the life of the First Lady, Mrs. Imelda R. Marcos, this afternoon. Mrs. Marcos, who sustained wounds in the arms inflicted by the assassin, is now confined at the Makati Medical Center.
“The attempt on the life of Mrs. Marcos took place at the Nayong Pilipino where she was the guest of honor at the award ceremonies for the winners of the National Beautification Campaign. The incident happened in full view of television cameras.
“The First Lady was receiving the awardees one by one when suddenly a man in dark suit came up the stage and pulled out a bladed instrument as he came near her. Mrs. Marcos instinctively backed away, but the assailant managed to reach her with his weapon. Mrs. Marcos parried the thrust with both arms and she threw herself on the floor.
“The assailant hacked away at the people who immediately surrounded Mrs. Marcos, wounding some of them. Finally, he was killed by the security men.
“Mrs. Marcos was flown to the hospital by helicopter, where the President immediately joined her. The President was shocked beyond words at the news.
“An investigation is in progress. The identity and motive of the assailant will be made known after the proper investigation has been made.”
PHILIPPINE CONSTABULARY is in dire need of the services of 40 lawyers. Col. Hamilton Dimaya, PC judge advocate, said any lawyer who is not more than 45 years old may apply for commission with his office. The 40 lawyers to be commissioned will be assigned with the military law division, martial law affairs division and PC-wide legal service division of the office of the PC judge advocate.
SMUGGLING OF blue seal cigarettes abruptly declined last month as compared with previous months, according to Secretary of Finance Cesar E. A. Virata after receiving a report on smuggling operations for the month of November from the Anti-Smuggling Action Center. The Secretary said that in November, only P20,000 worth of blue seal cigarets were apprehended by anti-smuggling agencies as against P133,634 in October and P526,270 in September 1972. Other significant decreases were registered in illegal logging, post exchange and other commissary goods. Retired Gen. Pelagio A. Cruz, ASAC chairman, however reported that there is still a persistent active market in narcotics as evidenced by the fact that in November, about P140,000 worth of narcotics was seized by anti-smuggling government agencies as against P92,380 in October and P101,750 in September.
PRESIDENT MARCOS warned officials in charge of the construction of the country’s roads and bridges against sliding back into the practices of the Old Society which had caused the country the loss of millions of pesos. Addressing the regional directors and assistant regional directors of the Bureau of Public Highways, and newly-appointed city engineers during their oath-taking in Malacañang, the President pledged to support them when they perform their tasks correctly but “by the same token will enforce new standards of conduct with all the coercive powers of the government.”
AN INVIGORATED domiciliary service program, in response to President Marcos’ challenge to the doctors of the country to extend a helping hand to the underprivileged and the poor, was launched by the Philippine Tuberculosis Society. The program will bring the services of the PTS to the homes of indigent and bed-ridden TB patients. The PTS will provide these patients with physicians and nurses, including free medicines, injections, tuberculin tests and BCG and sputum examinations. The campaign will initially center on the slum areas where poverty breeds tuberculosis and tuberculosis breeds poverty in an endless cycle.
FURTHER STRENGTHENING of relationship between the Philippines and Indonesia was effected by making effective their border agreement on trade. The effectivity was implemented by an exchange of notes between the Department of Foreign Affairs and the local Indonesian embassy. Under the agreement, resident traders may engage in trading activities between Philippine ports, namely, Mabila in Balut Island and Bongao in the Tawi-Tawi Islands, and four Indonesian ports, namely, Tahuna, Marore, Miangas in Sangir-Talaud and Nunukan port in the Nunukan district.
Medical Center Room 904
where Imelda stays and where
I slept
We are all still in a state of benumbed shock and dismay. The nightmare is still in our minds and hearts.
I was at the 5th hole of [Bahay] Pangarap Golf Course at about 4:50 PM playing with Francis (Pat) Parker of Janesco [Genesco], Frankie Teodoro, Ricky Cu Unjieng and Rudy Cuenca; I had reached the Pergola after my second shot with a 3 wood when Fortuna and her children came running out of the Pangarap crying out in sobs that “Imelda had been stabbed in Nayon Pilipino” and that it had been clearly shown over TV which she had been watching. Our communications confirmed it (I always have a hand carried PT-400 (Motorola) beside me even on the golf course with a five mile range in open terrain given us by the American OSI (Office of Special Investigation U.S. Air Force) in 1966 after the training of my security.
After ordering the place at the Nayon Pllipino where the attack occurred to be sequestered and to apprehend all the participants (in the attack), I ran (golf shoes and all) to the garage with the security to take my car (the armored Buick) rushed to Makati Medical Center where they had brought Imelda by helicopter.
We were delayed by the afternoon traffic jams but with the Metrocom [Metropolitan Command] car ahead we managed to get to the operating room of the hospital in ten minutes. She was on the operating table with ugly lacerations in both arms still oozing blood and her right hand cut on the second joint of the fingers so deep that I could see the bone and the cartilage of the middle finger severed. The tendon of the right forearm was obviously cut. It was a white protrusion in the bloody muscles that were being cleaned.
My feeling was that I had felt in battle during the war—cold, deep, unabating fury. My mind was clear as I ticked off the things I had to do, the man who could be responsible.
At the back of my mind I kept blaming myself for not having gone with her as I had jokingly told her when I woke up from my nap at 3:30 PM that I should go along even if I am not in the program—for I woke up to her dressing up for the occasion. But she had in equal levity observed that she could take care of herself. Little did I know that she would bravely take care of herself in the next several hours and thus save her life.
For that is the verdict of everybody who saw the attack on her directly or on TV. The video tape was shown almost every five minutes over KBS [Kanlaon Broadcasting System]. The capitals of the world asked for a replay over satellite which I agreed to provided that the background of previous threats as well as the fact that the First Lady is safe be given.
For the first question I asked over our communications while in my car on the way to the hospital was what wounds she had suffered. The only answer we could get was there was blood in the front part of her terno. But I knew by sixth sense she was not fatally stabbed.
But in the hospital I was assured that she had no body wounds.
While the assailant—a Carlitos Dimalig [Carlito Dimahilig]geodetic engineer of Calaca, Batangas, working in Davao may have been alone in the attack I believe he was only an instrument of vengeance or assassination.
The operation took from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM with Dr. Yap directing surgery, Dr. Innocentes tendon repair and Dr. Neri (hand and plastic surgery) attending to the repair of the tendon of the forearm and the dorsal side of the right hand.
Drs. Mario Hufana, Don Magsino were first, Dr. Fores, Estrellado, de Jesus and Manahan were the first to attend to the left arm, Dr. Fores actually doing surgery. Our Surgeon Dr. Ruiz accompanied Dr. Casanova in the helicopter. They administered first aid.
Dr. Mercado started anesthesiologist and followed by Dr. Paz and Remedio [Lumitay?]. Of course Dra. [Paciencia] Disini was immediately there. Dits [Juanita] Zagala was among the first to receive her in the hospital. Dr. Mely Garcia, clinical pathologist of the Vets [Veterans] Memorial was there as well as allergist Dra. Cua Lim.
Dr. Bob Chase, an expert on plastic surgery and injuries of the hand of Stanford Hospital is arriving tomorrow—sent by President [Richard] Nixon.
Imelda saved herself as there were no security men or aide-de-camp on the front of the stage beside her by kicking at her assailant, stepping backwards and parrying the bolo—thrusts with her hands, thus her wounds in the arms and hands.
But the assailant was actually stopped by a running jump kick over the First Lady who was on the floor, by TSgt. Julio Jaymalin, Phil. Marines, who was knocked down losing balance after hitting the assassin and while he (Jaymalin) was sprawled on the floor, he turned to lie on his back and as the assassin slashed four times at the people around him, Jaymalin shot him twice which knocked him down.
TSgt. Clemente Tadena, PA [Philippine Army], shot him first before that did not seem to hurt him seriously. After Jaymalin had knocked him down with two shots, PO2 Bagnos Magno, Phil. Navy UOU (Underwater Operations Unit. He dove without lungs to 70 feet in Fuga and Baril Island to retrieve the things of Ising [Maria Luisa Madrigal-Vazquez] and the photographer [Marcelino] Roxas, when their boat turned turtle) gave him the coup de grace with a shot in the head as he (the assassin) tried to grab his bolo and rise.
Carlito Dimaila [Dimahilig] of Calaca, Batangas, the assassin was reported to have asked his sister “How is it to kill a President?”
So he must have been after me.
But Imelda parried the first stab with her hands as she fell down. This must have been the stab that cut her dress in front of the sternum and her left arm.
Mrs. Pepita Aquino, wife of Highway Com. Baltazar Aquino tried to pull at the assassin as he lunged a second time. And Imelda fell, kicking at the assassin. On TV replay you could see her yellow shoes which were lost when she ran to the back of the stage and to the helicopter, kicking at the assassin as he kept hacking at Imelda.
Incidentally, he hit, on the last blow at Imelda, Linda Robles, secretary of the National Beautification and Cleanliness Contest.
Sec. Juan Manuel and Under Sec. [Narciso] Albarracin also grabbed and pushed at the assassin to keep him off Imelda after she had fallen until Jaymalin jumped at him.
Then [Jose] Joe Aspiras grabbed him from behind. That is how he was wounded in the back of the head requiring nine stitches. He fell on his back and he would have been killed if Jaymalin had not shot the assassin from his lying position.
Gapol, UnSec. [Manuel] Collantes and Tadena helped the First Lady to the helicopter.
It was miraculous how Imelda escaped a body wound. The stabs (two to three times) were all aimed at her chest. And the two slashes from overhead were strong enough to have cut her neck or slashed her abdomen.
Today, Friday, Father Donelan said Thanksgiving Moss at 10:30 AM at the Makati Medical Center Chapel. He gave a touching sermon. The Waray girl at the office bragged “Imelda acted courageously like a Warray.” The Ilocano girl said God saved her. And Father Donelan quoted the Waray girl who said God helped her. “‘God helps those who help themselves,” he reminded.
We were a little delayed as I received the call of Imee. She was no longer crying like she as well [illegible], Bongbong were the first time I called the children at about 6:00 PM Thursday while Imelda was at the operating room