I could not write my diary on April 5, 1971 as we were on board the 777 on the way to Gaang Wharf, Currimao, Ilocos Norte and the ship was pitching and gaining deeply preventing any kind of writing.
We cast off from the pier at San Fernando, La Union at about 10:30 PM after I had gone back to Poro Point rest house after dinner at the ship. I went back to call up Imelda on the phone as she was out at 7:00 PM when I first called after a swim with Bongbong who is turning out to be a strong swimmer.
In the morning we saw the Seato exercise Subok at Caba beach where we saw no landing and no paradrop or airlanding at the airfield.
Then I went to Bued River (the boundary of La Union and Pangasinan) where I inaugurated the bridge which had been out for about thirty years.
We were given another tumult[u]ous welcome by the people and there was excitement specially among the young ladies when they realized that Bongbong was with me. They mobbed him.
I went back to Poro Point cancelling a visit by helicopter to the assault ship, the Iwajima, which is a helicopter carrier set for 10:30 AM.
Arrived at 11:00 AM at Poro where I awarded the Order of the Golden Heart to Bob Williams of AID [Agency for International Development] for his work on rural electrification.
Then met the congressmen led by Cong. now Speaker [Cornelio] Villareal who consulted me on basic policy. All I could tell them was that the main policy was to fight communism. I told them of the advances made by the NCPP [New Communist Party of the Philippines] and its student arm the KM [Kabataang Makabayan].
Time magazine came out today as reported by Manila Times with a statement that the KM has mushroomed to 30,000 members of the studentry in a year.
And that they should themselves choose their officers.
Then met the governors specially Gov. Carmeling Crisologo of Ilocos Sur who kept complaining about Capt. Relleve who had the bad luck of arresting some of her men in civilian clothes carrying unlicensed firearms.
The mayors are beginning to complain about her short-tempered character and her keeping to herself for allocation even municipal highway funds coming from the National government.
Worked out the releases for public works.
Ambassador [Luis] Gonzalez of Spain came and showed irritation that I could not have him assigned to Tokyo. So when he suggested that he would prefer to resign, I curtly told him that there seemed to be no other alternative.
Tried to settle the conflict between Gov. [Ignacio] Santiago and Cong. Rogaciano Mercado of Bulacan in the presence of the other congressman, Cong. [Teodulo] Teddy Natividad but the best we could do in the meantime was to stop public recriminations of the two.