We are back at the palace. We arrived at about 9:20 PM. Imelda has been up since this morning when Imee arrived by PAL [Philippine Airlines] at 7:20 AM and was at the Makati Medical Center at 8:10 AM.
Dr. Bob Chase said not to baby her hands and Imelda has moved around normally. Her right hand is still in a splint cast but she can use her left hand which was merely cut superficially. The right hand is fully covered with the finger tips and nails slicking out. But she can be said to be normal as she has felt no pain since mass at 6:00 PM and has been talking to her visitors.
Official Gazette for December 10, 1972: POLICY DECISIONS and measures taken by President Marcos since the declaration of Martial Law were made to bring about dramatic changes in economics and investments, and peace and order. Secretary of National Defense Juan Ponce Enrile, before the American Chamber of Commerce, said the task of bringing reforms in all facets of society is a tremendous one and the skepticism of many that it is next to impossible to attain was gradually dispelled. He said the government is gearing itself to a quickened pace of development by attending first to the prerequisites in attaining the necessary climate. The role being played by the defense establishment is to check the floodgates of anarchy, worsening criminality, insurgency and communist depradation, all of which threaten to engulf the country, the defense secretary said.
IMPORTATION OF philosophical, historical, economic, scientific, technical and vocational books may be allowed free of customs duties, subject to certain conditions, namely: 1) that their importations are approved by the Department of Education, 2) that they are specially imported for the bona fide use and by order of any society or institution incorporated solely for philosophical, educational, historical, economic, scientific or educational purposes, or for the encouragement of sciences and fine arts, 3) that their quantities do not exceed 10 copies of any work when imported by an institution and two copies of any one work when imported by an individual, and 4) that they are not for barter, sale or hire.
IN A FRONTAL assault on a problem of rehabilitation of young offenders and transforming them into productive members of society, the National Manpower and Youth Council and the Bureau of Prisons have signed an agreement to train youthful prisoners in useful skills that will enable them to go back and resume normal life as law abiding citizens. “This event is significant in that an honest-to-goodness effort is being made toward the welfare of young prisoners, and for the first time here, agencies of the government are cooperating with each other in pursuing a common goal,” Brig. Gen. Vicente Raval, acting prisons director said, at ceremonies launching the training program.
THERE IS NO prohibition to the active participation of government officials and employes in the campaign for the ratification of the new Constitution. This was f.he legal opinion of Secretary of Justice Vicente Abad Santos. Because of this opinion, Public Information Secretary Francisco S. Tatad has asked all civil service employes and officials to actively participate in the campaign to bring about intelligent discussion on the merits of the proposed Constitution.”
PRESIDENT MARCOS emphasized the importance of sports because “we believe that physical fitness and discipline that they develop are necessary for national development.” The President’s remarks were read ,by Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, Jr. at the opening ceremonies of the Second Asian Basketball Confederation’s Youth Championships at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. “Sports in the Philippines, especially at this time, have a special significance. We cultivate them not only for their own sake but also for the sake of the discipline they inculcate,” the President said. The President welcomed into the country, the different delegations of the participating nations, namely, China, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and India. The Philippines is the defending champion in this regional sportsfest.
She is right now talking to Irene who is keeping to her school in Hasting, poor girl. She apparently has recovered from her shock.
I have ordered the pictures in still[s] of the TV frames so that we can see the actual action.
I attach these and some newspapers.
The small pictures of three frames show Imelda parrying the knife thrust with the cross-hands judoka position of defense.
She is indeed a “black belter.” And we keep kidding her she is a better karate expert or judoka than I can ever become.
The pictures also show the demonic eyes of the assassin.
The right hand is beginning to throb with pain again—now that her friends have left for home.
She still has to have penicillin injections every eight hours.
But she is laughing at herself now—pain and all.
In Singapore the Straits Times in an editorial said, “Human nature is such that Thursday’s bolo attack on Imelda Marcos has shocked the world more than, say, the assassination of a less glamorous middle-eastern potentate.”
AFP [Agence France-Presse] reports “The attack on Mrs. Imelda Marcos is just another symptom of the wanton violence that is spreading like an epidemic across the globe, the English language daily Straits Times said here today.”