We are back in Manila. Left Baguio at 10:25 AM by plane, landed in San Fernando at about 10:40 AM, was water-skiing in deep swells and high waves (had one bad fall hurting my left floating ribs) at 11:20 AM, tried out a double with Bongbong on the new 50 H.P. ski-boat, finished at about 12:40 [P]M and took lunch at 1:00 [P]M, nap up to 3:30 PM, visited father’s memorial tomb at San Fernando to offer flowers, then took off at about 4:35 PM flying over a 10,000 ft. heavy separate clouds and landed at about 5:20 PM.
Ordered the old concept of emergency landing strips to be constructed on the cemented roads to be followed in Caliraya, Banaue, Bontoc etc. extend the two airfields of San Fernando (which is now 1,400 meters) and Laoag to 2,000 meters so as to accommodate the jet fighters and DC-8’s.
And to implement the order I issued several years ago to upgrade the Phil. Air Force so it can produce our own jet, jet-prop and prop aircraft.
Imelda has a bleeding of the nose that turned out to be drying of the skin of the left turbinate from the cold and dryness of London, Madrid, Russia and then Baguio. Dr. Ariston Bautista burned the skin a little.
The North Vietnamese have massively invaded South Vietnam with 50,000 troops firing 6,000 rds. of artillery and capturing 10 of the 12 fire buses of the South Vietnamese south of the DMZ [demilitarized zone].
The North Vietnamese probably just waited to prove they are not tried [sic] to the apron strings of the Red China.
And Russia does send to North Vietnam most of their supplies and all their heavy equipment.
Russia may have something to do with it.
Official Gazette for April 3, 1972: PRESIDENT MARCOS spent his morning hours to desk work, breaking off occasionally to meet with local leaders of the North who consulted him on problems of their constituencies.
In the afternoon, the President had an interview with newsmen on the escalation of the Vietnam war, among others.
The President however declined to give an assessment of the escalated conflict pending reports from the country’s diplomatic representatives abroad, particularly those assigned to Saigon, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.
He resumed his paper work after the brief interview.