The Military Bases negotiating panel with Secs. [Carlos] Romulo and [Juan Ponce] Enrile and Sol. Gen. [Estelito] Mendoza, USec. [Amado] Inciong, BIR [Bureau of Internal Revenue] Com. [Efren] Plana and their staff reported to me at 1:00-1:30 that the Americans are reneging on their communique ([Gerald] Ford-Marcos communique on Pres. Ford’s visit of December 1975) that they recognize the bases as Philippine bases and will negotiate on the basis of the recognition of Philippine sovereignty over them.
The panel has been instructed to stand pat on the position that sovereignty and extraterritoriality are non-negotiable.
The Americans are also disturbed by the visit of the Vietnamese delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Phan Hien and the consequent establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Philippine. Although sometime in April I had pointedly told Amb. [William] Sullivan we would have to neutralize relations with Vietnam so we can settle our conflicts peaceably.
We must strengthen the resolve of the Vietnamese to stand up to the Russians and not to give the latter any bases. The Russians are interested in the [Corn?] Ranch Bay complex left by the Americans.
Any Russians bases in Vietnam would destabilize the region, entice China to start moving south because it feels threatened and give Russia a leverage to blackmail all of us.
We should encourage the Vietnamese to implement [Hochi Nemik’s?] political testament to turn Vietnam into an independent and uncommitted state—a buffer for us between China and Southeast Asia.
So we must help Vietnam rehabilitate. Otherwise, in desperation he turns to Russia.
But it is to the advantage of the United States that we strengthen the resolve of Vietnam to stand up to Russia.
We are doing the Americans a favor. And they may not appreciate it.
For the Americans are building up Japan as a surrogate and Indonesia as a leader of ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] which I presume they want converted into a political or security organization so as to take the burden off their backs.
No Official Gazette entry for this day.
It is unknown where this text comes from, because this entry is missing.
We should not allow these tendencies of the U.S. to go unchallenged and without a clarification of our own position in the scheme of things.
Imelda was touched to the heart by the case of a boy peddler from whom she bought some green mangoes (na tinalup).
The overall picture of the Americans engaging in destabilization procedures to weaken our stance seems to be appearing.
The Church leftists are funded from overseas. U.S. and Germany. Most of them are Americans.
Some of the newspapermen may be in the pay of the U.S. Embassy.
Amb. Sullivan is CIA [Central Intelligence Agency] trained and acts like a governor instead of ambassador, inviting our political enemies to his intimate parties and encouraging scathing attacks against us (personally and policy-wise). In fairness to Chino Roces, he stood up and asked to be allowed to leave when he realized in one party that he had been invited with the political opposition to castigate the Philippine government saying he would not participate in this in a foreign embassy. The ambassador does not miss a chance to say something against us personally to foreign newspapermen.
I hope [James] Carter can change this.