Today is a day of crucial decisions. Not only the Metro Manila primary but the last day for
filing the certificates of candidacy for the April 7 election but now I shall remember it as the day the American government tried to pressure me to change the National Security Council decision on the release of Ninoy [Benigno] Aquino [Jr.] so he can campaign and to allow the publication of an opposition paper like the “Confrontation” of S.P. [Salvador] Lopez.
After the call of Ex-Minority Leader [Hugh?] Scott of the U.S. House of Representatives, Amb. [David] Newsom stayed behind to tell me that he has been called to the U.S. for consultations on the status of U.S. proposals on the military bases and on the visit of U.S. VP Mandate. Then the suggestion that it would help change our image IF I 1. and 2. as stated above.
I explained that a decision has been made by the National Security Council and that if I changed the decision I would meet the opposition of the military and the defense establishment; that there is no way to distinguish between Aquino’s case and the communist leaders and that I would lose my credibility as a nationalist and leader if I submit to American pressure for everyone now knows the interest of the Americans is this; that we cannot trust Aquino not to use the NPA [New People’s Army] again; and worse I would lose my self-respect.
Official Gazette entry for February 17, 1978: THE PRESIDENT proclaimed the 21-man slate for Metro Manila of the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan for the Interim Batasang Pambansa elections. The proclamation capped whole-day primaries held in Metro Manila’s four cities and 13 towns that selected the KBL ticket. More than 11,800 delegates from Metro Manila’s 1,673 barangay participated in the primaries that also led to the drafting of Gov. Imelda Romualdez Marcos to head the KBL slate on the basis of a popular clamor among barangays, particularly those in disadvantaged areas.
THERE is going to be a major shift in Japanese capital assistance to the Philippines from economic to social-oriented projects and programs designed to contribute directly to the improvement of the living conditions of the people. This was jointly announced by Ambassador Toshio Urabe former Japanese envoy to the Philippines and Foreign Undersecretary Jose D. Ingles in a press conference at the Central Bank’s executive lounge.
DEPARTMENT of Education and Culture said fee increases approved by the department apply to the whole school year even if the increase was approved only during the second semester. Higher Education Director Antonio Dumlao made the statement in reaction to complaints of parents on the practice of some schools collecting fee increases retroactive to the first semester although the increase was approved during the second half of the year.
There was never a Minority Leader of the US House of Representatives with the last name Scott. There was, however, a Senator Hugh Doggett Scott Jr. from Pennsylvania who was US Senate Minority Leader from 1969 to 1977.