April 1, 1971

Thursday

Father Mafalen, [Rev. Michael McPhelin, S.J] the Jesuit economist who is with us, when I asked him where he thought we were deficient in our economy, referred to two areas:

The absence of an export bank to facilitate credit for buyers of our exports.

The lack of planning and less implementation for our industrial estates.

He inquired of the development of the Free Trade Zone.

Speaker [Jose B.] Laurel was changed as speaker this morning replaced by Ex. Speaker Cornelio Villareal. The neophytes sparked it and seemed intractable on the matter because Speaker Laurel had publicly insulted them in the session hall. He had become a tyrant they could not tolerate any longer. Not only could he not account for the funds of the House. He was also arrogant and in the last minutes tried to coerce the members.

The new speaker and his supporter saw me at the boat when we arrived at 6:00 PM.[1]

______ him at 9:00 AM yesterday that the [hijacked PAL] plane which was at Canton would be released at 10:00 AM.

The crew and passengers were well treated. Even the Americans received nothing but a lecture on their being the enemies of the Chinese.

Sen. Pres. Gil Puyat called up telephone to inform me that the Senate was ready to cooperate with me fully. I had sent Jake Chung to see him on the blast against me the other day. He explained that the papers were promoting a fight.

The operations on the nose of Imee by Dr. Piamonte could not be done tonight as she had not been prepared for it. So I go by plane to San Fernando without being able to see to her operation. Then I go into retreat. Then the Seato [Southeast Asia Treaty Organization] exercise on the 5th.

But I leave Imelda and the other children to attend to her.

11:30 PM April 2, 1971[2]

At Mirador Retreat Friday

House in Baguio City

A fire broke up in Bankusay, Tondo yesterday as we were coming into Manila Bay.

Issued the standard instructions in case of calamities to the natural disaster center, the Red Cross, the SWD, Dept. of Health, National Housing Corp. and PHHC [People’s Homesite and Housing Corporation] and the Dept. of Public Works.

Visited the fire area this morning. What with the people still hungry from the wait for breakfast when I arrived at 9:00 AM, interviews and coordinating efforts, it was 9:45 when we took off from the airport at Manila and arrived at San Fernando, La Union at 10:30.

The peace conference, conference with the congressmen and senators took up to 12:30 AM. It took up to 1:00 PM to reach Santo Rosario, San Juan, La Union where I inaugurated the hot lunch program of Care and the Dept. of Education. Ambassador [Henry] and Mrs. [Jitka] Byroade as well as Dr. And Mrs. Kline were there.

I had to leave at 2:00 PM for the Baguio [Philippine] Military Academy graduation at 4:00 PM. And changed in the car into a suit with Vice Mayor Fangonil acting as valet and Captain (I promoted him to Commodore during the graduation exercise) at the front seat.

Spoke on the Communist Conspiracy.

Imee was to be operated on at 3:00 PM but they did not start until 5:00 PM so I called up as soon as I reached the Mansion at about 6:30 PM and they were through with the nose and starting on the chin.

Had a pleasant dinner at the Conference Hall at 8:00 PM. Even the Chief of Staff and chiefs of major services as well as Enrique Zobel and [Geronimo] Ronnie Velasco who are both Air Force Reserves the first in command of the RATS rendered songs. That is how hilarious it was.

Then I delivered a rather good and well-received speech on the retired officers and how [they] can be utilized.

Called up Imelda and received the call at about 10:15 PM when she told me Imee was awake and the operation was a success. Imelda was more excited than Imee to whom I also talked. I was surprised she could talk so clearly over the telephone when Imelda tells me that the bandage was all around her face.

Now to bed as we awake at 6:00 AM tomorrow.

7:00AM April 3, 1971[3]

Reflections

What is my central purpose in life?

I am President. I am the most powerful man in the Philippines. All that I have dreamt of I have. More accurately, I have all the material things I want of life—a wife who is loving and is a partner in the things I do, bright children who will carry my name, a life well lived—all.

But I feel a discontent.

Because I may not have done all that I can. Because I may have taken the easy and safer way out.

The lack of firmness which I call tolerance may not just be breadth of mind or compassion but borders on cowardice.

For what I may want may be safety for my family and myself.

I have a vague persistent feeling that I have not done my task well.

For the communists are slowly getting stronger and soon may be strong enough to start a violent revolution.

Then all the destruction and the killed—the suffering and devastation will be a curse on me.

For I could prevent this.

And I must.

But I have not.

However much we may deny it, the communists are gaining adherents among the young, the peasants, the intellectuals and worse yet in the media.

Their propaganda campaign has somehow succeeded because the pseudo­intellectuals, the reporters, commentators, editors, publishers and even the clergy and the affluent have willingly or unwillingly served their purpose.

Reform and change have been preempted by then pushing out the sincere and more effective efforts of organized but peaceful revolution.

Their successful take-over of barrios and even towns in Isabela was a warning. For that is part of Ilocandia where the farmers are supposed to be loyal men of firm and steadfast beliefs in our democratic way of life.

Only the Armed Forces (Task Force Lawin) and the mayors and governors’ determined action prevented the take-over of the province. Now they have been driven to the mountains.

And we now know the leaders, the apparatus and their hideouts. And yet I keep repeating that we must know all the big fellows supporting them.

There is actually a rebellion now more serious because more insidious than that of 1950.

And I hesitate to call it such and to take the necessary forceful steps because of timidity? Fear of a verdict of history? Fear of ultimate retaliation by the communists?

I have said we must wait for the commitments by the consultative group that meets in Paris on April 22-23 and give investors up to July to come in. Again this procrastination.

But the investors and creditors may find more inducement in a stable economy protected from the communists by a strong leadership.[4]

Father Jose Cruz, S.J., the retreat master in the conference at 10:15 AM from which I have just come opines that the balance has been tilted and the communists are losing out. He believes that one more year of growth pains, of patience and holding on will do the trick.

He quotes Eric Ericson [Erikson], a Jewish psychologist who had a Danish father whom he never came to know because his parents (Jewish mother) separated before he was born, who says an agitator has three basic characteristics: 1. Identify problems 2. Insecurity 3. Bored to death.

The Father believes that the NPA [New People’s Army] is losing steam, driven from Tarlac by social and economic development and the BSDU’s [Barrio Self-Defense Unit] into Isabela.

He speaks of the development of a child [using Eric Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development]:

1-3 – Trust

3-6 – Autonomy

6-12 – Task

12-18 – Intimacy (This is the dangerous age as sex may become a pseudo fulfillment. And he seeks to be superior to his peers in, of course, activities that are acceptable and important to his peers, and yet seeks acceptance in the adult world of which he hopes to be a member. Thus the split personality of the young man).

Of the modus operandi of the communists, he says that

They are engaged in a politization of the farmers in the barrios although they are frustrated as the farmers prefer a slow peaceful change. He refers to the parallelism by the farmers of their carabao and the bus.

Then they would bring about a social economy where the peasantry and the laborers would become independent of anyone and would have sufficient income.

Then a cultural revolution of their own brand based on nationalism where the government would be returned to the masses. And since the masses cannot run such a government, then they, the radials, would run it for them.

Then would follow the equalization of all people—the communization or communalism of the people.

But he feels that we are saved by the earthy wisdom of the farmers.

And of course the serious efforts at reforms to improve the lot of the people in both the public and the private sector.

As a Christian he is optimistic, he says.

He is trying to strengthen my confidence in myself and in our people. He speaks of the genius of our people of the alanganin, the capacity to survive the unpredictable.

I agree with him that we are winning the fight against communism but I do not agree that in a year we will be done with them. He may have referred to our growth pains in our economy is [sic] disappearing.

But the communists will not disappear. They will always be there. And if we are not on guard, they will always be threatening, intimidating, obstructing production and the growth of the economy. If we continue tolerating them, they will someday be able to mount a revolution that will hurt our people.

I agree with his analysis that the moderates have become leftists in one year and a half because they did not have an ideology. The communists did. It is easier to criticize and destroy.

And with his feeling that the SDK [Samahan ng Demokratikong Kabataan] is now more vital and active.

But I believe that the KM [Kabataang Makbayan] is the mother organization is a front of the Communist Party. In fact it is the student arm of the NCPP [New Communist Party of the Philippines]. Nito Tayag, the head of the KM is a member of the Politburo of the NCPP under Jose Maria Sison.

The reason the radicals are not succeeding in setting up violent demonstrations is:

The moderates are not joining them.

They finds violence antagonize the people.

12:35 PM (after lunch)

Actually right now there is a split even within the NCPP of Sison on the matter of policy. Sison is for as much violence as possible. His subordinates are for a more cautious and prudent course. Organize, strengthen and recruit first.

But they are all for ultimate violence. Knowing the communists, they will over­reach and underestimate the strength of government.

From the viewpoint of a Christian with compassion for his fellowmen, what is the only possible course.

It is a course that would mean the success and stability of our republic without bloodshed.

And the only course I can see now which satisfies their requirements is a proclamation of Martial Law, accompanied by a swift und quiet arrest of the communists before the public announcement of Martial Law.

The nagging thought that I am not doing everything to protect the Republic is but a manifestation of impatience. And this I must guard against.

Timing is of the essence!

Why should Martial Law be a Christian solution to our problem?

Because if the communists are allowed to grow as they are growing now, then if ultimately they use massive violence to seek to attain their ends, then this would mean the killing of communists, hard core and fashionable, our soldiers and innocent civilians.

It is to prevent such killing is well as the destruction and trauma that would accompany it that the fast counter-action of Martial Law is precisely provided for.

7:45 PM after dinner

“We must save lives, even the lives of the communists who may someday not follow communism,” I told Father Jose Cruz, S.J., my retreat muster us we talked before supper in my room.

I had told him I wanted to talk to him and he came to my room while I was exercising at the end of the hall where there is a slight breeze (it is actually warm in my room). I confessed to him informally. And then we talked of the problems our nations is facing.

He told me that there was no one except me who could lead the country now. I agreed with him saying, however, but I was trying to choose three men irrespective of party whom I could bring into the innermost councils and secrets of government and I could find none. Gerry [Gerardo] Roxas is lazy and weak, Ninoy [Benigno] Aquino [Jr.] is irresponsible, Doy [Salvador] Laurel is inexperienced, [Gil] Puyat is too old, [Arturo] Tolentino unpredictable.

But I told him, my value is my closeness to the army and my ability to restrain it so it becomes the balancing wheel of our confused times, that my purpose is to coalesce all groups, radical and conservative so that we may not divide our nation.[5]

My attention has been called to the possible verdict of history and even of my contemporaries. My answer is such verdicts do not really matter. What matters is what your conscience says. And my conscience says save lives, save the republic and save the constitutional convention.[6]

I am intrigued by the similarity of the situation in the Philippines and in France before the 1st and 2nd World Wars as explained by William L. Shirer in “The Collapse of the Third Republic.” (Note Permanent Political Crisis, pp. 96-104) See also pp. 194-196; 199-230 on the riots in Paris on Feb. 6, 1934 that toppled the Daladier government which resigned because it did not wish “to employ soldier against the demonstrators.” [7]

8:00 AM After April 4, 1971[8]

breakfast before Sunday

meditation at 8:45

In the meditation at the chapel from 6:30 AM to 7:30 AM, Father Cruz revealed that in Ateneo there have been instances where he has been publicly castigated by the students whom he had sacrificed for, encouraged and helped. He did not know when he went to a classroom whether he would be met with insults or at least indifference.

“In the last step in the SDK [Samahan ng Demokratikong Kabataan] training for leadership, the boys and girls are asked to strip naked to show their complete liberation from bourgeoisie mentality and ordered to engage in sexual relations. Pictures were then taken of them. Thus they were blackmailed into submission thereafter. They always seen to be close to each other, staying in each other’s company always, shying away from all the others.”

This is a graphic picture of the manner in which the communists are taking over the campuses. And this is Ateneo de Manila which is a Catholic University.

And the fathers says that the students come out of these teach-ins of the communist front organizations hating God, or so they said.

Anarchy is breaking out in the campuses. The school administrations have lost control. At this rate, the communists will have ready made common fodder for any street fighting and violence they have in mind.

With respect to the newspapers, the good father has said that he has to go to his former students to find out the truth as everything is distorted by the media.

And he had told me when we talked yesterday that the media did not give me a chance at all.

This reminds me of the observation of Shirer in his “The Collapse of the Third Republic” when he blamed the newspapers of that era in Paris for the Feb. 6 1934 riots.

“The military hierarchy and the world of big business and finance were not the only pillars of the nation whose leaders despaired of the Republic and, in some cases worked to undermine it. The free press, showing for the most part the views of the industrial and financial tycoons, many of whom financed the antiparliamentary leagues, bears a heavy responsibility for what took place on February 6. For nearly a decade the big-circulation dailies in Paris had been stirring up the public against the regime by their continual attacks on Parliament and the Radical governments which it from time to time spawned. By the beginning of 1934, they had prepared the ground for drastic action against the Chamber of Deputies. Their influence in helping to incite the riots may be gauged by the fact that in the provinces, where almost all the daily newspapers were solidly republican and opposed to the new wave of Fascism, the night of Feb. 6 passed quietly and the news of the attempt to storm the Chamber of Deputies came not only as a surprise but as a shock.”

“With such weeklies (offering to the “Cadide” founded in 1924 and “Gringoire” four years later) sowing their poison and the great daily newspapers contributing their fall share, it is little wonder that French public opinion was manipulated more and more to be so scornful of the Republic and so cynical about its policies that it cared less and less whether it survived. As the moderate historian Rene Reimonel has pointed out, these big circulation newspaper of general information ‘obeyed the same passions, supported the same prejudices, saw the world through the same spectacles as the avowed rightist political dailies.’ It is the press of the Right that formed public opinion, he adds. The average Frenchman, even if he voted Left, read most often a newspaper of the Right, whose inclination was more and more toward Fascism.”

Father Lilengco [Limlengco?] who is in charge of Catholic Retreat Promotions spoke to us at Meditation (8:45 AM) for ten minutes on what they are doing to propagate retreats which may be more effective than religious instruction.

They have followed Vatican II to not only save one’s soul as we declare in our Catechism but to save others’ souls. So they give emphasis on saving the country not just souls because this means our people. And preferences are given to:

Men not women, because men can save the country.

Closed not open retreats because more immediately effective.

Leaders not followers so as to give wider and more intense effect.

While the rich can afford it as the cost is P30 a day for 50 retreatants at P1,500 then the rich have to contribute to support retreats for the poor.

And they intend to go after the seniors of high school specially in such areas like Tondo before the KM [Kabataang Makabayan] get to them.

He has stopped the retreats for the poor from sheer lack of funds. He intends to raise P150,000 first, then invest and use the earnings for the retreats for the poor.

He would like to reach at least .01 % of the senior high school students. In Tondo there would be about 45,000 high school students. If he can get the leaders (of a number of 450 that would be much).

So he asked for help if we thought this project was good.

I think the project is good. And I intend to contribute P15,000 to it from the Marcos Foundation.

Father [Jose] Cruz during the Meditations, spoke of the requirements of leadership that he is trying to develop in the young. I felt he was talking to me.

He said that there are three things required of a leader:

Competence

Command of structure—Adeptness in the use of symbols

Value or meaning to life—the Christian purpose of life which for man himself

He feels that we have it within us to build a strong nation—a small independent country that is the only true Christian country in Asia.

That our salvation is in the inherent goodness of the Filipino. He gave examples—the chemical engineer working in the Atomic Center who feels that his salary of P380 a month is too much and gives P80 to the poor people of Sapang Palay in the form of seeds and the mechanic who refused to lie and put in his father’s tools as collateral and a DBP [Development Bank of the Philippines] man issuing his own personal check for P3,000 because otherwise the mechanic would not be able to get a loan.

11:20 AM After

Conference

Father Cruz spoke of the growth of a human being as passing through periods of transition which must be negotiated gracefully.

I can go through my work and its tensions, strain and problems for about a month. Then I must take off from it to be able to retain my freshness of spirit.

The maximum level of efficiency can be sustained in combat for 17 days, the U.S. Army found. Then the sharpness is lost and the soldier becomes lax and accident prone. So he is taken off combat to preserve him.

He spoke of the need to do this specially among men who occupy executive positions. There must be some period during which you stay to yourself away from everything so as to retain your vitality.

The process of the piling up of strain and tensions is known to the psychologist as escalation. And one must watch out for it us during the peak of escalation one may do something understandable.

In his experience this escalation is manifested by irritation, a tendency to fault­finding, narrowness of breath and impatience.

The continuous daily routine of doing the same thing spends a man’s spiritual or psychological reserves. And this must be replenished by a change of environment, of work or activities.

We again, took up filters.

He strongly recommends that, as he does, a man should do something that may be of no purpose but which he likes to do every day.

Women find loneliness unbearable more than men. Men can stay by himself obsessed with work or avocation but women find it strenuous to stay alone—in an atmosphere of emptiness as Eric Ericson puts it.

And we should make accommodation for this quality of the woman who attains maturity early as she discovers while young that her purpose in life is child-bearing.

We must so study ourselves so as to learn to make ourselves not merely body with a set of needs but a continuous source of energy—as Sigmund Freud puts it.

10:45 PM

Poro Point

Had our mass after meditation (3:00-3:45 PM) and was out of Mirador at 5:00 PM. Played golf with the reporters following me up to Hole No. 2. Finished 9 holes at 6:15 PM. Went up to Mansion to call up Imelda who was at mass. Talked to Imee who seemed well and who was not feeling any pain. Then talked to Imelda.

Showered, then took a snack. When I went down, I had to listen to Blas Ople, then to [Marcelino] Lening Veloso who wanted to be retained majority floor leader of the House, then to D[emocito].O. Plaza on a forest concession and to Cong. [Alfredo] Lamen and Mayor [Luis] Lardizabal, finally on the squatter problem by the Bureau of Lands people.

Finally started to come to Poro Point at 8:10 PM. Arrived at Bauang at 9:20 PM and Poro Point at about 10:00 PM. Met [Jose] Joe Aspiras, [Joaquin] Titing Ortega, Gov. [Juvenal] Guerrero and his provincial board.

Called up Imelda at 11:00 PM.

Actually written in April 5, 1971[9]

Malacañang at 11:00 PM Monday