May 4, 1971

Tuesday

The political season has started Sen. [Sergio] Osmeña [Jr.] my erstwhile opponent for President has attacked me, my mother, and brother-in-law, Maj. Marcelino Barba, in a privilege speech in the Senate. What a waste of time for the Senate and me.

For I have had to get my press officer to issue an answer. I attach a copy of the statement of Sec. [Francisco] Tatad.

I talked to the officers involved in the shooting incident in Congress, with the sector commander, Col. Broisas and the Metrocom [Metropolitan Command] commander, Gen. [Mariano] Ordoñez. They swore to me that they did not fire at the crowd of demonstrators. Rather when Lt. Malinao and his 34 men of the 554 PC [Philippine Constabulary] Co. of the 50th PC Ranger Battalion was being briefed by the liaison officer, Lt. ______ at the lobby of the House of Representatives, the firing started from the security men of Congress who were on the lobby near the door. Four of the men of Lt. Malinao actually fired their guns but they were ordered to do so by the House Sergeant at arms, Ex-Gov. [Simeon] Salonga. Even then, they fired their guns into the air.

I have ordered their statements to be taken down under oath.

Then the officers and men are not raw recruits. They have been raiding the gambling casinos in Roxas Blvd. They have been on many missions including the safeguarding of the pope.

The officer’s also swore that there was firing of a carbine (automatic) and pistols from the demonstrators after the barrage of pill boxes that provoked the incident and wounded one of the Metrocom soldiers in the temple.

Sen. Salvador Laurel, chairman of the judiciary committee, started hearings on the

Golden Buddha case this afternoon.

Apparently he is going to subpoena Judge Pio Marcos—a brazen violation of the independence of the judiciary.

This should turn even the most rabid anti-administration man against him and the committee.

So we should let him do his worst.

12:00 PM May 5, 1971[1]

Wednesday

Delivered the inaugural speech at the Philippine Medical Convention at 10:00 AM.

Arrived at Malacañan at 12:15 AM. Certified the bill rehabilitating the PNR [Philippine National Railways] in the presence of management and labor.

I am slowly bringing into our political organization all the strong leaders of Iloilo, the home province of the Lopezes. This morning I inducted into the Nacionalista Party the Chairman of the Liberals in the 2nd District, Ex-Cong. Pascual Espinosa, the only Liberal with a following. This will bring in others.

Held a press conference on the May 1st shooting incident. The Buddha case came up and I demonstrated my outraged anger at the “cheap political stunt” of character assassination by innuendo.

I attach my notes and the newspapers today.

Tonight at 10:30 PM I met Lupiño Lazaro, President of Pasang Masda [Pangkalahatang Samahan ng Maynila at Suburbs Drivers Associations] (the association of jeepney drivers). He claims the jeepney drivers are beating up the student radicals who are conducting sit-ins. He farther claims that his association has separated from the KM [Kabataang Makabayan].

But he claims that the leaders—Cris Aranda, Baculinao, Julius Fortuna, Vic Clemente etc. have decided to rent a helicopter on the day of the indignation rally (Friday) and may drop bombs from it

We will not stop them from doing so, but we will alert our airforce helicopters.

11:20 PM May 6, 1971[2]

Thursday

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ford II gave me an old civil war breech-loading gun and Imelda a Steuben glass display. They were brought by Mr. and Mrs. Wills (He is the Vice President of the Ford Co.) and Mr. Foran, the local Ford executive.

The Ford Co. is pulling up an automobile factory of $28 million for the stamping of auto bodies. And they will tie up with another company for the engine block.

GM [General Motors] is also setting up a factory.

So is Toyota and Nissan.

This comes from my setting up the guidelines for automobile manufacture with BOI [Board of Investments] incentives. These include the requirement that an engine block and 50% of spare parts must be manufactured in 3 years.

I leave it to BOI to encourage either lateral or vertical integration.

On the IISMI [Iligan Integrated Steel Mills Inc.], the Jacintos with Sen. [Dominador] Aytona and Cong. [Mohamad] Ali Dimaporo came to see me. I had called [Leonides] Leo Virata, [Gregorio] Greg Licaros and [Vicente] Ting Paterno so we could finalize action.

The alternatives of action are:

Outright foreclosure for non-payment of amortization.

Conversion of preferred shares which is 30% of the equity and the outright loans for control of the majority of the stocks.

I gave them up to Monday to come to some kind of agreement.

We are also concerned about the news that both the German Reichmark [Deutsche Mark] and the Japanese Yen are due to be revalued. This will mean that our loans if in these currencies may be also revalued up. But we have loans in dollars so that we would not be too severely affected.

However, we are sure that the prices of our imports from these countries would go up if their currencies are revalued. So we are hurrying up all the projects in which the two countries are supplying equipment or machineries.

I met the leaders of the House for dinner tonight. Tomorrow we meet the senators (NP [Nacionalista Party]) at the Puyat penthouse at the Manila Banking. All the NP senators, including those who have been hostile are invited.

The move to oust Puyat is supposed to be led off by an anti-Marcos resolution to be signed by many of the NP senators.

These are same people who come begging for patronage and support during elections and whom we have spent both time and money.

They now keep attacking me in the Senate.

I attach the newspapers today.

2:00AM May 7, 1971[3]

Friday

Received letters from the children which I attach. The letter of Irene was the most touching and my eyes smarted from tears I felt welled up from my heart for my lovely 10 year old daughter.

Ambassador [Henry] Byroade who has been hospitalized for lumbar pneumonia came over to show he was fit and working. He gave me a letter which I attach on the additional material and equipment for our armed forces.

And informed me that the five UH-1H helicopters will come the first quarter of calendar year 72, not later than August.

Met the Nacionalista Senators at the Presidential room at Intercontinental Hotel with Sen. Pres. [Gil] Puyat playing host.

Out of the 19, the following were absent: Jose Roy (he asked to be excused as he wanted me to talk to Puyat on the Senate Presidency), [Dominador] Aytona who also has gone to see [Fernando] Nanding Jacinto in Honolulu, [Salvador] Laurel, [Jose] Diokno, [Eva Estrada] Kalaw, [Genaro] Magsaysay.

When I started talking to them after the dinner, I first impressed them with the fact that I was determined to campaign hard and win the elections. I revealed to them that I am releasing to each barrio P1,000 for the last quarter of 1971, another P1,000 for the first quarter of next year; for each municipality P10,000 for each of these quarters: for each governor P100,000, for each lieutenant governor P50,000, for each congressman P200,000 in addition to the highway special fund, the portworks special funds, calamity fund, irrigation fund etc.

I could see they were impressed that the party was going to win. They never expected that we could release so much money.

Then when they asked to be given some projects I said each senator gets P400,000 each.

Then they asked for patronage.

I do not believe they will be too obstreperous now.

8:40 PM May 8, 1971[4]

Saturday

I write this after my golf game with China Finance Minister K.T. Li, Ambassador Pichi Sun, [Gregorio] Greg Licaros and Bobby [Roberto] Bobby Benedicto and waiting for reports on the demonstration.

This morning we signed the agreement of the Philippines and Nationalist China for the loan by the latter of 50,000 metric tons of rice to be returned in ten years in cash or in kind.

Yesterday Sec. Bung Tanco signed the contract for the purchase of 50,000 tons of rice from the Thai at Bangkok.

Japan has donated 10,000 tons of rice intended for Pakistan.

With these infusions into our supply, we should be able to maintain the price of rice and generate funds for the RCA [Rice and Corn Administration] for the next several years. RCA, then, can do some trading.

The demonstration has been peaceful so far. There are about 3,000 demonstrators in Plaza Miranda. I have kept the Metrocom [Metropolitan Command] and other AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] units out of the city.

Minister K.T. Li says it took them several years to develop their export processing or free trade zone, Kao Shing. He says that 31% of their production is for export.

There is a shortage of ship-building facilities throughout the world. And we are encouraging the setting up of a shipbuilding complex in the Free Trade Zone.

I enclose the papers on the proposed joint venture for ship building between a Philippine company and a Japanese firm, Sumitomo.

And we are encouraging the development of the lands in the Penal Colonies. The contract of the Tadeco [Tagum Agricultural Development Company] corporation with the Davao Penal Colony is an example.[5]

I hope that the Iwahig Penal Colony in Palawan can be developed into a vegetable plantation because the soil is not fit for bananas that will be planted in Davao.

All kinds of agricultural products can be sold to Japan which buys $3 billion of food products annually.

Japan buys $350 million worth of Maize (corn). Palawan could be planted to corn.

A thousand hectares in Clark Air Force Base will be planted to vegetables for the U.S. Armed Forces. They are now bringing in vegetables from Taipeh.

Ever since I used the term “oligarch” for the economic pirates and the modern robber barons, it has been used both in derision, satire and in longing applause.

When the golden buddha case came up, it was contorted into Buddhagarch by [Eugenio] Iñing Lopez [Sr.] allegedly.

And I answered back, “By the time the people are through with them, they will be ‘wallagarchs.’”

7:30 AM May 9, 1971[6]

Sunday

The Vice President and the mayors of Davao del Sur—When the VP, in the gathering of the political leaders, started criticizing my administration for alleged inefficiency in the government, a lady mayor, ______ stood up and said that her experience when the VP was Secretary of Agriculture and whenever she went to the department, she was passed around from one office to another without any action and the office became more efficient when the VP was no longer there.

Indeed the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources has improved since VP Lopez resigned therefrom. The combination of Sec. [Arturo] Bung Tanco [Jr.] and UnderSec. [Jose] Drilon [Jr.] has systematized the organization and the procedures.

6:30 PM

On board the 777

The Muslims and the Ilongos.

What would the dead counsel us today? The libel, the slander, the slanted news and the fabricated story are all weapons in the arsenal of communism. And they are being used and employed by political upstarts who seek power no matter at what cost to the country.

Even pornography and drugs.

So there is a partnership of the cheap politician, the vicious newspaper and media crowd, the communists and the permissive society seeking to destroy our democratic institutions.

But the dead counsel patience and fortitude. If they could pay the ultimate price, we can pay less.

12:00 PM

After the trip to Corregidor, I played golf at [Bahay] Pangarap with Imelda joining my foursome of Neling Nieto, Ricky Cu-Unjieng and Rudy Cuenca for the full nine holes.

Then I had to forego my usual massage to hurry to the Palace for my appointment at 9:00 AM with Dir. Gen. Gideon Rafael of the Israel Foreign Ministry.

We talked of the Israel-Egypt war and its settlement. I told him we were sympathetic to the plight of Israel.

Then I attended to the airport development plan specially Laoag and Zamboanga (which I hope can accommodate jets, including DC-8’s and jet fighters soon).

And wrote the three children in England who are lonely. The youngest wrote of her crying herself to sleep and her hunger as she is not given dinner as we know it here but only high tea at 5:00 PM.

12:25 PM May 10, 1971[7]

Monday

We had to postpone our trip to the Cagayan Valley because of the bad weather, to tomorrow.

I spent the day attending to the appointments to the rank of Colonel and General in the Armed forces. And I have to appoint the new judges of CFI [Court of First Instance].

The expenditures for infrastructure has been finalized.

We have exceeded the estimated revenues of government by about P192 million. But we are going to use this to fund our most urgent needs including a P100 million release of infrastructure every quarter which will give me reserve for impact projects of P45 million. This does not include another P50 million for highways to be obligated now but to be paid 1st quarter of next fiscal year.

And it does not include the P34 million for the barrios.

9:30 PM May 11, [8] 1971[9]

Tuesday

I write this at the beach house of Alfonso Lim at Barit, the second biggest island (about 600 hectares) of the three islands of Fuga (about 10,000 hectares) and Maaba (about 250 hectares). They are about fifty miles north north west of Aparri, Cagayan. Their dry season is the rainy season of the Ilocos coast (west northern Luzon). It starts to rain in November up to March.

As Imelda says happily, they are the most beautiful islands anywhere in the Philippines. They belong to Alfonso Lim owner of Taggatt Plywood at Claveria Cagayan, although they were bought by his father before the war.

White beaches, cool wind that blows continuously.

And tonight was full moon in a clear sky with the big dipper and the southern cross bright on the opposite horizons which I taught Imelda to identify.

We took light planes (I the PNB [Philippine National Bank] KingAir and Imelda the Soriano larger KingAir). Left Tuguegarao at 4:30 PM and landed in Fuga at 5:00 PM. We had left Manila at about 8:30 AM, arrived at Aparri for the PNB Bldg. inauguration, left Aparri by Fokker (Imelda in the PNB KingAir) for Tuguegarao at about 12:30 AM and arrived there at about 12:50 AM. We left for the archeological diggings at Liwan, Kalinga, Apayao by helicopter—UH-1H (a trip of only ten minutes). The archeological finds are astounding (elephas, estodons, pigmy elephant, rhinoceros) and confirm the mid-Pleistocene period when man (because of the flaked tools that abounds in the area some of which Imelda actually picked up) existed in this part of the country.

We were back at Tuguegarao by 3:00 PM and meeting the political leaders at 3:30 PM so that I could leave for the airport at 4:10 PM and take off at 4:30 PM.

Imelda, the sea girl, is very happy in the island. We walked the beach holding hands sat on the sand singing songs and looked at the moon.

So now I have ordered all my appointments including the military briefing at Cagayan, Isabela to be set back one day so that we can stay in Barit the whole day tomorrow!

10:15 PM May 12,[10] 1971[11]

Still at Barit Wednesday

Lost a big one meter and a half sailfish or swordfish at about 5:00 PM at the channel between Mabag and Fuga near the line of rocks as we were going northeast trolling at the current. Before that I lost another. And in the morning the fish just stole my bait.

So it has been a day of fishing disappointment. There seems to be more in this game fishing meets the eye.

I was using a handline in the morning and a fishing rod in the afternoon. We started to fish at 8:30 AM around Barit and after visiting Mabag, knocked out at about 12:00 AM.

The first fish was dragging the line when the line just went slack and when we pulled the bait in, the hook was all twisted.

The second I had been able to pull close to the boat when everybody started getting excited. Johnny [Juan] Ponce Enrile pulled at the string Larry Cruz started working on the spool or reel. Then he or I jammed the line on the reel or spool. Then when Cresencio, our pilot pulled at the line, the fish went under the boat, although we had stopped the propellers by this time. Then the line snapped. All confusion, shouts, then silence!

Too many cooks!

So we went around Barit. Imelda whom we had landed at Fuga had taken the Hughes 500 helicopter of Al Lim and gone around the island of Fuga. She was all excited about the beauty of the island. She flew low over us, hovering like a bumblebee then landed at the beach. We cast the small boat to pick her up and we went around the north side of Mabag.

By this time it was 6:20 PM and the wind had risen. The swells were high and the sea getting turbulent. She told us of a big 5,000 ton boat that was grounded on the rocks on the eastern part of the Fuga implying we should go back to calmer waters as fast as possible. And indeed the Barit was beginning to list 30 degrees. Johnny [Juan] Ponce Enrile who was in the flying bridge came down and commented that the boat was wigwagging like a flag up on the bridge.

As we fell we rounded the rocks at the eastern island of Mabag into calmer waters and headed for home.

Imelda cooked the banak that the boys had caught with a tabokul in shallow water—in tomatoes is my style of sinigang, I liked it (and so did everybody else was a favorite) and overate, as I also ate [bagnet?] prepared by Johnny Ponce Enrile and Teresita Dupaya, pinakbet, and the ear of the big lechon in sauce so well prepared I ate it with some rice.

Some of the boys are going fishing tonight. I go fishing at ______ AM tomorrow, leave for Cauayan at 8:00 AM.

Gen. ______ in his U-17 will reconnoiter Cauayan as the winds were 700 feet high this morning according to him.

There are great plans by everybody to develop Fuga into an international tourist spot with an international airport, hotels, casinos, nightclubs, fishing, golf, water-skiing, under water swimming etc.

This will depend on the feasibility study. I would welcome its development. But it will also make me sad as the coming in of many people will be the loss of its pristine quiet beauty.

12:20 PM May 13, 1971[12]

Thursday

This has been a busy day. I woke up at 3:20 AM, tried to sleep but finally stood up at 4:45 AM after waking up Imelda. Woke everybody up so we could go fishing. We were not going to leave Fuga without catching a fish.

So I caught my first game fish at 6:10 AM northeast of the northwestern point of Fuga. I was using a No. 9 fishing rod, Senator brand with a light line.

Then I caught a tuna at 7:45 AM as we were going buck to Barit, in the channel between Barit and Mabag.

Conrad Antonio helped me get used to the fishing rod, the reel, the line and the bait.

But before that we lost what could have been a record as the line ported on a badly fastened knot.

We have to go back to Fuga. Imelda and I are agreed to go back.

And I am now going to fish even in the 777.

We left at about 8:45 AM from Barit, walking up to the Airfield (I used the PNB [Philippine National Bank] King Air, Imelda used the Soriano King Air). We reached Cauayan, Isabela, flying at 8,200 ft. after 50 minutes.

Briefing on the military. The NPA [New People’s Army] seem to have transferred their operations to Isabela but the military have them under control although they number only 375 officers and men as against 100-150 NPA. I have ordered an increase by 100 more men, two helicopters to be based at Echague as well as a U-17, and new trucks to be sent with the men. Morale of the men is high and everybody spoiling for a fight.

Then met the local political leaders at 10:30 AM up to 11:00 AM when I left for the airport for Manila where we landed at 12:30 AM.

Mayor Dee [Faustino Dy Sr.] of Cauayan seems to head the NPA’s in Isabela.

Sen. Pres. [Gil] Puyat came to see me about the request of the senators.

Tonight I just met Sultan Ismail Kiram and Princess Tarhata on their wish to settle their rental money with Malaysia on a lump sum.

11:10 PM May 14, 1971[13]

Friday

We had just given a dinner and the Award of the Golden Heart at the Maharlika Hall to Gen. Charles Lindbergh for his passionate dedication to the conservation of wildlife and in the Philippines.

“If the airplane meant the death of the swallow, he would have preferred that the airplane had never been invented at all,” Lindbergh said notwithstanding his intimate participation in the history of a nation.

I also said:

“He has made it a port of his life as modern technology threatens to destroy nature, to speak for the ecological balance.

“For if wildlife and nature cannot survive, neither can man survive.

“And to him conservation merely means that as man progresses, wildlife and the wilderness can survive.

“In all countries modern technology symbolizes progress and it needs a stout heart indeed to speak out against it as an evil. But this he has done when necessary.

“It is said that the test of courage is a double test, that of physical courage and spiritual courage.

“This test our awardee has passed well.”

Imelda and I also attended the 4-H Club rally at the Intercontinental. Imelda spoke of the Green Revolution as having been presaged by the 4-H Clubs.

I spoke of reform through peaceful means as against reform by revolution as espoused by the communists.

Ambassador [Henry] Byroade has asked that the matter of nuclear arms in the American bases in the Philippines be acted on at the highest possible level—meaning my level—and not at the level of the technical panels now meeting on the Military Bases Agreement.

He also said that the 155 tubes of our artillery have not been fired at the required rate of 100 rds. (training) per tube; that we have stored training ammunition at the risk of their spoiling from overage; that we have only one artillery company when we should have three for our 155’s.

We awarded the Legion of Honor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of Korea this morning.

We have decided to get all the nine second hand planes (Fokker) of PAL [Philippine Air Lines] for the Airforce, one for the CAA [Civil Aeronautics Administration] and one for the PNB [Philippine National Bank]—all at the cost of P31 million including spare parts. Since there are no funds, I have asked the PAL through Mr. [Rafael] Ygoa to borrow money from PNB with them paying the interest. Our government will pay a downpayment of P5 million and assume the obligation of paying the PNB loan over a period of several years.

The Post Office also owes PAL P21 million for mail service.

Incidentally the Airforce needs the planes as its 37 DC-3’s are immobilized and non-operational except for 7 and out of this only 4 are dependable.

So the air-lift capability of the Air Force is almost nil today.

At the same time I have asked Gen. [Jesus] Singson of the Air Force to order one jet F-28 for future procurement.

We are getting one YS-H through reparations from Japan for CAA.

The AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] is preparing for the opening of the Constitutional Convention on June 1, 1971. They expect some disorders from then on.

9:50PM May 15, 1971[14]

Saturday

Rice ______ and donations—This morning we signed the ______ of $ 1 million dollars worth of rice from Japan. Ambassador [Toshio] Urabe was present. This plus the 50,000 tons from Nationalist China and 50,000 tons from Thailand. Since then payable over 10 and 12 years with three years grace period shall have about P100 million for the funding of RCA [Rice and Corn Administration] ______ for agricultural recovery for at least 3 years.

Protein—IRRI [International Rice Research Institute] is trying to produce rice with protein in a new variety of miracle rice. For there is a grave deficiency of protein in the diet of the Filipino. This may be partially the cause of the national indolence.

This morning Imelda and I attended the Poultry, Hog and Cattle Production celebration at GMTFM [Greater Manila Food Terminal Market].

Steel—The Jacintos have been notified that there will be a foreclosure on IISMI [Iligan Integrated Steel Mills Inc.]. They probably will try to compromise. They have ______ the IISMI and the government long enough. In ______ alone the government paid P150 million of their indebtedness to ______ and interest on their loan.

Tourism—We should make Fuga an international tourist spot by ______ the construction of a jet airport and a hotel. The ______ and skin diving alone would attract the crowd from Hongkong and Japan or U.S. And if gambling is authorized, it could outbid Macao. Although Hongkong is planning to allow gambling next year.

The Tolentino speech—Sen. [Arturo] Tolentino, on the 12th questioned the constitutionality of the provision that allows the transfer of funds in the appropriation act. Apparently he is being asked by the Lopezes to do this. He is probably being paid for it as we had to when Kokoy [Benjamin Romualdez] was attending to him and keeping him on our side. Or he is complying with his commitment to the Liberals to attack me to gain their votes for the Presidency of the Senate. If the Congress can authorize the President to appropriate as in the case of President [Manuel] Quezon, then it can authorize a transfer.

The Constitutional Convention—I have decided not to attend the opening of the convention on June 1st. There does not seem to be much direction up to now in the convention.

Phil.-Japan Highway—I was told by Sec. Cesar Virata that in the Paris meetings, the Japanese delegates headed by Mr. Sawaki was not much help. They were critical of the Philippines and did not make any commitment as to any help for the Philippines. The Japanese feel that we have not complied with our part of the bargain in the Phil.-Japan Highway construction. And the 21 typhoons do not seem to impress them as capable of preventing work on the highway.[15]

11:05 PM—I write this May 16, 1971[16]

as we watch a war movie Sunday

in our receiving room.

Mrs. Estefania Aldaba Lim fainted when taking her oath before me as Secretary of Social Welfare at the Reception Hall at 11:00 AM. She had to be revived before she could finally take her oath.

Mr. Wollahan [J. J. Wolohan] of Esso came with Francis Ablan to ask if government would help PAL [Philippine Air Lines] as PAL owes Esso P25 million in fuel and Esso is about to stop its supply of fuel. I advised them to continue supplying them as we cannot allow a major airline to stop operations.

Met the Congressman on House problems. Talked to Speaker [Cornelio] Villareal over the telephone.

Issued an order to confiscate all pornographic material and prosecute possessors, distributors and producers or printers.

This is a follow up of my attack on newspapers publishers, printers and other media distorting or even fabricating news.

We are next planning filing libel cases against Time Magazine, Manila Times, Taliba, Manila Chronicle, Graphic, Nation, etc.

Created the Education Task Force to prepare the project studies of the recommended projects to be funded with loans from the World Bank.

My press conference yesterday when I charged the press of publishing fabricated stories was headlined in today’s newspapers.

These charges have been well received by the public as the newspapers have been abusive and quite brazen about publishing false news.

I enclose the letters of Gen. [Eulogio] Balao on the Antonio Locsin case.

Talked to the children by long distance. They are at Mayfield but are going to Brighton after lunch.

Incidentally the gossip columnist, Amelita Reysio Cruz says that we bought the House of the Rothchild’s at Mayfields. Again a lie.

I write this on the evening May 17, 1971[17]

of May 19th at 10:00 PM Monday

I did not write anything as I was in bed from the injections given by Dr. W. Michel of the Neehans [Niehans][18] Clinic in Geneva, Switzerland.

I attach the brochure on cellular therapy.

The cells were brought here packed in dry ice and in special containers, frozen. Then in the morning at 11:00 AM, the doctor assisted by his daughter, a nurse (Laura Michel) defroze the cells with the most meticulous attention to prevent the breakage of the cells or escape from the fluid in which they were mixed. This was at Suite I, the Johnson and Nixon suite.

At 12:15 AM I was told to prepare at our bedroom.

I was injected at 12:50 AM and Imelda at 1:10 PM.

The needles used on me were size 15. They looked like needles used by veterinarians for horses—about six inches long. And the fluid was variable—5 or 10 cc depending on the cells.

I had 12 injections on the right buttock as I could rest on the left one to sleep.

Imelda had 10 on the left buttock. And we were ordered to stay prone on our stomachs for fifteen minutes to allow the cells a chance to circulate. I stayed in that position up to 1:30 PM to keep Imelda company.

Bobby [Roberto] Benedicto also had his injections in Suite I where he stays.

The injections were not as painful as a bullet wound but paralized [sic] my leg muscles for a while.

We all laughed when after my silent immobile and stoical reception of the injections, Dr. Michel commented of me: “Good character.”

In the afternoon I started to develop rashes or hives in the back and the upper arms. They treated me with an ointment Synopen. They disappeared the following day.

Slept after the injections as we are supposed to be in bed 3 to 4 days. Lunch at about 2:00 PM. Slept again up to 6:00 PM. Then dinner at 8:00 PM. Slept late (about 12:00 PM). Saw a television movie in bed before that.

Again written on the May 18, 1971[19]

evening of May 19th. Tuesday

Had a slight fever from 36.6 to 37.2 highering [sic] of the blood pressure from 120/80 in the morning to 128/88 in the late afternoon. And increase in pulse rate from 60 to 70-72 per minute.

Pain in the lumbar region when I woke up. Subsided to numbness when I sat up.

Dr. Michel says the pain in the lumber region is a result of the continued immobility in bed and has prescribed rolling up the body into a ball like a foetus in the mother’s womb to stretch the back muscles. This seems to work.

The other symptoms, he says are normal.

He has banned all toxic medicines including aspirin. No eggs, no pork, no coffee, chocolate or oily and spicy foods. No alcohol.

No sex for four days after the injection. I was surprised at the sense of humor of the doctor. I asked him point-blank when Imelda and I “could have contact” for our project of a baby, this in the presence of Drs. Yap, Sagala, Dicini, his daughter, the nurses and Imelda, this afternoon when they came in, for their last visit after their helicopter (the Sikorsky piloted by Col. ______) trip to Taal, Corregidor, Talaga and Bataan.

And with a straight face, he told everybody, “Now everybody get out, so they can start their project!” And he meant it. He said we could start right away. Although later he said it would be best if we waited four days from the injections.

He said the full effect of the injections will be felt in three to four months.

Could not sleep until 1:00 AM and woke up at about 6:00 AM.

12:10 PM May 19, 1971[20]

Wednesday

Was allowed to walk around a little to the bathroom and this evening at 5:30 PM. I had myself pushed in a wheelchair to the State Dining Room for a movie (indifferent) then walked back to the bedroom (with Imelda, Bobby and Julie).

Just talked to Irene at Hastings and to her head mistress. Irene has lost nine pounds and she has pains in the stomach. So I asked Sister Cuthman, the head mistress to give her some food before bedtime as she is used to dinner at 8:00 PM. And they will give her milk and biscuits before bed. It seems that they do not give the children dinner but only high tea at 5:00 PM which means soup or lettuce salad with tea.

Had to cancel my appointment with the Asst. Sec. of State of the U.S. because Dr. Michel would not allow me any visitors as yet today.

No more muscle pains except slight muscle spasm on the left waist and numbness on the left lumbar.

But I weigh 131½ pds. an increase of two and a half pounds.

And I cannot play golf for three weeks or fish for two weeks. Though I can putt around in the next several days.

Still a little light headed from the lying around.

I finally decided to write this diary not in bed but on a table (Imelda’s) because the airconditioning hits my table with an air blast squarely.

And yesterday and today I certified some bills for the sessions of Congress—among them the electoral reform bill.

I attach a letter (copy) of Kerima Patolan on Amelita Reyso Cruz which I particularly like.

11:30 PM May 20, 1971[21]

Thursday

I write this after the dinner given by us for the American ambassadors in Asia who have just finished their annual conference in Baguio. I am waiting for Imelda to go to the traditional dinner given by the congressmen at Savoy at the end of the regular session.

During the dinner, I offered a toast to President [Richard] Nixon and the good Samaritans.

“Americans are good at the exercise of self-flagellation as they call the U.S. the ‘cop of the world.’ Actually you could not be a good cop as you are too generous. Rather than a cop, you have been good Samaritans. After the second world war, you were the only nuclear power and yet you refused to use it to dominate the world. You gave your substance to save France (now your good friend) and other countries of Europe under the Marshall Aid Plan. Under the [Harry] Truman doctrine you saved Greece. You also saved Korea. These are few of the instances that history will record to substantiate my observation of the Good Samaritans.

“So let us drink a toast to the Good Samaritans and their leader, President Richard Nixon.”

We attended the Savoy affair of the House at 12:30 PM.

9:40 PM May 21, 1971[22]

Friday

After the busy day yesterday which exhausted me, I slept practically the whole morning then met some provincial delegations including Davao del Norte.

Yesterday while Imelda was waiting with Alex [Alejandro] Melchor [Jr.] for me to finish with Asst. Sec. of State for Far Eastern Affairs, Alex said that it would be best if I governed by edict and I should make my move now as my political enemies are succeeding in their propaganda campaign now against me. Imelda wanted to know if Alex was in on the contingency plan. He is. And he is correct. But there must be a cause. We must be patient.

Worked on “My Fighting Faith,” position papers on various issues, a libel case against “Time” magazine, the list of bills that should be taken up in the special session and the reappointment to be made since their appointments were bypassed or terminated with the regular session.

Spoke before the League of Puericulture Centers in the Philippines. Promised to certify the Population Commission Bill, HB [House Bill] No. 3044 and directed the 5 financing institutions to donate to them P50,000 each or a total of P250,000.

The other day, the Preparatory Committee of the Constitutional Convention, headed by Dr. Ciceron Calderon came to invite me to the opening ceremonies of the convention. They also asked for the certification of the change of site of the opening ceremonies to the Manila Hotel and additional funds for the delegates. I certified the first but not the second as it may be misinterpreted as some kind of a bribe to the delegates.

I am feeling some compression in the region of the sternum. When I have taken anti-histamines or had symptoms of hyperacidity I have felt this. This afternoon at the Maharlika Hall while waiting to speak I had hyperacidity from the rice cakes I ate for merienda.

Imelda is at the Cultural Center then at Tito Yulo’s for Japanese food with the Byroades and the Sheakespeares (Dir. of USIA [United States Information Agency]).

8:45PM May 22, 1971[23]

Saturday

Have a feeling of malaise. It seems as if the injections of such massive doses still cause some reaction in my system. I feel tired and my muscles seem a little sore. When I wiped my eyes this morning, I had some hemorrhage of the conjunction of the left eye. So I now have a bloodshot left eye.

Had a conference with Gens. [Manuel] Yan, [Romeo] Espino, [Fidel] Ramos and J-2 [Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence], Col. [Ignacio] Paz as well as Gen. [Fabian] Ver at the residence of Gen. Yan in Camp Aguinaldo at about 10:00 AM, late by one hour because last night I could not sleep before Imelda arrived at about 1:00 AM from the Cultural Center and Kimpura with the Shakespeares and the Lindy Locsins; so I awoke at 9:00 AM, then worked on the unfinished papers and the speech of Imelda for “Savings” celebration tonight.

“Individuals like governments must live within their means and save, so they will end up in the poor house.”

“The only kind of borrowing that is justified is borrowing that is for production and is self-paying. Thus when a Green Revolutionist borrows from you P20 to produce P100 then the borrowing is justified. But if he borrows P500 for a TV or to go to the strip at Roxas Boulevard, then this kind of borrowing is unjustified and unpardonable.

“The same thing is true for government. It can borrow money for roads and irrigation systems but it should not borrow for the salaries of its employees.”

I pointed out deficiencies of the contingency plans OPLAN IISMA and OPLAN Enforcer. We enlarged the scope of OPLAN Enforcer, created additional arrest teams for additional targets. We mapped out expected trouble areas, possible counter-reaction and added some more security measures on media, air and water travel and civil government.

Had a press conference at 4:00 PM. Then met Mr. Harrison of the Washington Post at 6:00 PM on Japan-Philippine relationship: My feelings about the Japanese now. I told him about the death of Father in their hands[24]; how our bitterness and hatred turned into plain anxiety about war when the communist rebellion of 1947 and the 50’s showed that Filipinos could be just as vicious, blood-thirsty and cruel as the Japanese even when fighting their own people.

Then we talked of the Phil.-Jap. Treaty of Commerce and Navigation: the alternatives (an executive agreement that it does not affect our territorial waters or fishing nor require the most favored nation clause implementation, to pave the way to ratification.

Even in the distant future, we could not imagine any Japanese soldiery based on Philippine soil. “We are not against the development of Japanese military strength if the U.S. is around but Japanese soldiers on Philippine soil; that is unthinkable.” This was a query by him “in case Japan in some distant future should take over some of the burdens of the U.S. even in security of the area.

Tonight I worked on some papers (Forest concession appeals; horseracing rules, etc.) and the projects on shipbuilding and car manufacturing).

I hope to go to bed by 10:00 PM.

9:30PM May 23, 1971[25]

Sunday

Left with Imelda by helicopter for the Marking’s Fil-American Troops and Veterans Organization of the Philippines at the Rizal Agricultural School at Sampaloc, Tanay, Rizal, right beside the 2nd Inf. Division Hdq. about 2,000 ft. above sea level.

Delivered a 1½ hr. speech thanking them for their help in the elections and their presence in the Jan. 25, 1971 opening of Congress, prepared to confront the communists and the radicals.

Returned at 12:00 AM [sic] to administer the oath of office to the officers of the Provincial Assistance City Engineers and Public Works Supervisors.

This afternoon I delivered a speech before the opening session of the Tripartite Congress of labor, management and government.

Have now broken up into an itchy rash and tonight am feeling feverish. Have taken at the assistance of Dra. Kua Lim, one milligram of Polaramine which is making me sleepy.

11:15 PM May 24, 1971[26]

Monday

Am suffering from severe hives (rashes all over the body) that are exquisitely itchy, fever 37.4 degrees this morning, general body malaise and a feeling of heaviness.

While Imelda and Bobby [Roberto Benedicto] have no reaction whatsoever to the injections, I am going through what Dra. Kua Lim calls “serum sickness”—very irritating (literally) but otherwise not fatal.

They gave me some histamines so that I run drowsy all the time. So I had to cancel my appointments and slept.

Except for the merienda for the historians of Asia who are in the Philippines on their annual conference. I spoke to them in a light view: “When a leader of government is subject to the accusations and criticisms that are often false, the leader finds consolation in a peaceful conscience but also in the hope that history will put things aright.

“Winston Churchill cut the Gordian knot that ties down the hopes of the leader by himself writing of the history he had helped to make.

“But now history also seeks to judge the writings of Churchill.

“History does help in the arduous task of nation building.

“For when history creates an image of strength and discipline of a people, the people seeks to line to this image. Thus they find confidence in themselves and in their country—a confidence that breeds success.

“And so while this empirical and practical concept of history may offend the time historian, it does present one of the reasons for our efforts—the First Lady and I—to revive interest in our history and the achievements of our past.”

Then I told them of the true Yamashita surrender as against the story of the Americans—the American sergeant whom we turned into a colonel in a few minutes by the simple expedient of pinning a colonels eagle on his lapel—all because the Tiger of Malaya refused to surrender to anyone except to a ranking American officer.

I am disturbed by the insistence of [Antonio] Tony Raquiza that Gen. [Manuel] Yan, the Chief of Staff, cannot be depended upon. He recalls that at the start of the demonstrations, Gen. Yan was involved, according to his information, in the support for the UP radicals like [Fernando] Barrican.

And he claims that Totoy Arroyo who handles media for the Elizaldes was asked to join an organization for good government in which Gen. Yan is included.

Tony warns against trusting him so much as he may be preparing for a coup d’etat.

Now I recall Gen. [Rafael] Rocky Ileto telling me that in the Jan. 30th 1970 attack on the palace, the delay of his troops was due to the delay occasioned by Gen. Yan being absent from Camp Aguinaldo and his running back and forth between Camp Aguinaldo and Camp Bonifacio.