January 22, 1970

[1] Chronicle headlines: Puyat retains Senate post Roy new NP head, Diokno asks abolition of US bases .

[2] Official Gazette for Ja nuary 23, 1970: President Marcos worked mostly on his State of the N ation speech. He also considered urgent state business brought to his attention, signed papers and studied reports. But for the most part, he was engaged by the speech he is set to deliver Monday, at the joint session of the two houses of Congress, which marks the opening of the regular session of the legislature. The President remained at his desk through the evening.

[3] Col. Napoleon Diestro Valeriano , aide de camp to Ramon Magsaysay, decorated by the Philippines and the US for counter-insurgency efforts died in the U.S. 1975.

[4] Official Gazette for January 24, 1970: President Marcos continued to concentrate on his desk work with the polishing of his State-of-the-N ation speech getting his primary attention. However, he also disposed of a big pile of state papers, inducted two justices and received a group of AFP generals who paid a courtesy call after taking their oaths. The President at simple ceremonies administered the oath of office to Justice Julio Villamor as associate justice of the Supreme Court and Justice Salvador V. Esguerra as presiding justice of the Court of Appeals. The President inducted the two justices at Malacañang in the presence of members of the judiciar y led by Chief Justice Roberto Concepcion of the Supreme Court and associate justices of the high tribunal and the appellate court, as well as immediate members of their families, relatives and friends. Until his appointment to the Supreme Court to fill the post vacated recently due to the retirement of Justice Francisco Capistrano, Justice Villamor was presiding justice of the appellate court. He was succeeded by Justice Esguerra, who is the most senior associate justice of the Court of Appeals. In his brief meeting with the top brass of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the President enjoined them to be more vigilant than ever and to exert their utmost in preserving the security of the country. The President told the group of newly-appointed generals who called on him that there are elements, including foreign, bent on disturbing the stability of the government but that he had complete faith in the military’s ability to recognize and thwart the hostile designs of these elements. Those who called on the President were Brig. Gen. Roso Sabalones, deputy commander of the I PC zone; Commodore Hilario Ruiz, deputy commander of the Philippine Navy; Brig. Gen. Domingo Tucay, commander of the second military area; Brig. Gen. Jose Rancudo, commander of the Fifth Fighter Wing, PAF; Brig. Gen. Antonio Tamayo, chief of the AFP Supply Center at Camp Aguinaldo; and Brig. Gen. Juan D. Cruz, commander of the Fourth Infantry Division. They were accompanied by Secretary of National Defense Ernesto Mata and Gen. Manuel Yan, AFP chief of staff. The President received no other visitors, and after these welcome interruptions, he returned to his desk work. He remained in his study through the afternoon and evening.

[5] PCGG transcription does not have the entry for Jan. 25 despite the availability of a manuscript entry.

[6] Official Gazette for January 25, 1970 : President Marcos spent quite a busy day even though it was a Sunday. He started with a breakfast meeting with the country’s labor leaders, inducted the new associate justices of the Court of Appeals, conferred with military generals, and later met with the leaders of student demonstrators. In his meeting with labor leaders, acco mpanied by Secretary of Labor Bl as F. Ople, the President asked them for first hand accounts on the prevailing situation in the country’s economic and social life. Thus, the President obtained direct information from the representatives of the working masses, without relying on the cumbersome formality of written reports. From this conference, the President excused himself to administer the oath of office to newly appointed Associate Justices of the Court of Appeals, namely: Felix Q. Antonio, Lourdes San Diego, Jose Leuterio, Manuel Barcelona, and Vicente Rafael. After his meeting with the labor group, the President conferred with a group of military generals headed by Gen. Manuel Yan, AFP chief of staff . The President told the generals to prepare themselves for even greater service to country, even after they are retired from military duty. He said the administration was prepared to help the retiring officers, especially those with valuable technical, executive and organizational abilities in getting into responsible positions in the civilian sector where they could further help in the economic development of the country. At a meeting with leaders of student demonstrators later, the President prevailed upon them to call off their picket. An understanding was reached between the President and the students on the latter’s demands. Led by Miss Portia Ilagan, the student leaders included Pedro Barrameda of UP, Philip Parca, Julius Ballesteros and Cris Aranda of PCC, Jose Sayson of CLSU, and Victor Parawan and Dever Besana of the PMMA. They were accompanied by UP President Salvador P. Lopez, Dr. Nemesio Prudente, president of PCC and of the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges; Secretary Ople, Labor Relations Director Amado Gat Inciong; and Antonio Policarpio, Felixberto Olalia and Rogelio Villegas, all labor leaders. The President rested briefly after a belated lunch, and then put the finishing touches on his state-of-the-nation message to Congress.He also signed the ad interim appointment of four new members of the Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines, and reappointed another member whose term had expired.  Appointed for various tenures in office were: 1) Abel L. Silva, for a term expiring August 6, 1975. 2) Alexander Sycip, for a term expiring August 6, 1974. 3) Leonides S. Virata, for a term expiring August 6, 1973. 4) Fernando T. Barican, for a term expiring August 6, 1970. Reappointed for another term expiring August 6, 1976, was Dr. Ambrosio F. Tangco, whose original appointment to the UP Board of Regents expired August 6, 1969.

[7] Nick Joaquin, after bloody demonstrations that attended the SONA, reported seeing the Marcos Diaries, and quoted from it as follows: “ Their speeches were becoming more obscene, more lewd. It is sad they cannot deliver more eloquent speeches. They asked for releases of funds. I thought they had understood the releases were to be made in July. I also met with labor leaders, including Luis Taruc, Bert Olalia and the members of the Socialist Party: about 80 labor unions.” Reportage on the Marcoses, p.217

[8] O fficial Gazette for January 26, 1970: President Marcos laid down the imperative of self-discipline as “our salvation as a nation and the key to our future greatness.” In his state-of-the-nation address before the joint session of the 7th Congress, which opened its regular session, the President affirmed confidence in the capacity of the Filipinos to solve their problems and move their country forward. But, first, he said, there must be national discipline, and he called on the leaders of government, including the members of Congress, to set the example. The next four years, he said, are crucial, with the nation compelled to embrace change, to make innovations, to accelerate development, and break the barriers to progress. But these exertions, he said, already started in the last four years, have strained and will continue to strain the resources and energy of the nation. ( F ull text of the President’s state-of-the-nation address in OG ). Earlier in the day, the President officiated at a mass oath – taking ceremony in Malacañang, where he administered the oath to a group of  ad interim  colonels, out of a total of 137. The induction was held at the spacious Malacañang reception hall. In brief remarks following the oath-taking, the President declared that he looks to the new colonels to establish higher standards of morality, proficiency, incorruptibility, and patriotism “which others may not even approach and approximate.” He stated: “This is the role of the soldier, this is the role of the public servant; and the man in uniform sets a higher standard than anybody else.” Congratulating the new colonels, the President asked them to always “do honor to our flag, do honor to our country, do honor to our Constitution.” The First Lady, Mrs. Imelda R. Marcos, top military officials led by Secretary of National Defense Ernesto Mata and General Manuel Yan, AFP chief of staff, the inductees’ wives and close kin witnessed the oath-taking. Shortly before 1 p.m., the President received the special committee from Congress, composed of senators and representatives that officially informed him that the 7th Congress was convened. The committee was composed of Senators Alejandro Almendras, Magnolia Antonino, Rene Espina, Mamintal Tamano and Benigno Aquino, Jr., and Reps. Marcelino Veloso, Mohamad Ali Dimaporo, Emerito Caldemn and Antonio Villar. The President, accompanied by the First Lady, Mrs. Imelda R. Marcos, then left for Congress. On arrival at the session hall of the House of Representatives, the First Couple was given a standing ovation by all those gathered. The President, took exactly 40 minutes to deliver his speech. Then after the thunderous ovation died down he shook hands with Congress leaders and prominent guests, including Vice President Fernando Lopez and Mrs. Lopez. Shortly after, he and the First Lady left for Malacañang, arriving there at about 7 p.m. In a statement issued later, the President made an urgent appeal to the students who demonstrated in front of Congress in the afternoon to cooperate with the authorities of government in trying to determine what precise elements provoked violence during their demonstration. The President also reiterated the position that the students “have a legitimate right to manifest their grievances in public and we shall support their just demands, but we do not consider violence as a legitimate instrument of democratic dissent, and we expect the students to cooperate with government in making sure that their demonstrations are not marred by violence.” **OG is silent on the student demonstration that met the SONA and its bloody result after Marcos left Congress.

[9] Diary does not mention the induction of interim colonels or controversial promotions as reported by the Chronicle on January 29 that violated 1966 FM policy stating that candidates to full colonel should be graduates of the AFP Command and General Staff Course. Certain people p romoted did not comply with CGS. Then there was a Negrito Huk commander , member of 15-man security force of Dante , who surrendered : Alfredo David alas Commander Mini-skirt.

[10] Ortiz spoke on the theme of Justice and Freedom: “With us into this hall, O God, we bring the growing fears, the dying hopes, the perished longings and expectations of a people who have lost their political innocence; a people who now know, as they walk through unsafe streets of their cities and roam through the Huk-infested barrio lanes of Central Luzon, or stare at the dwindling goods and rising prices in the market stalls – who now know that salvation, political or economic, does not come from above, from any one man or party or foreign ally; that, in the last analysis, salvation can only come from below – from the people themselves, firmly united under Your divine providence to stand for their rights whether at the polls, in the market place or at the barricades; willing to pledge, against all goons or gold-rich bribers, what they have pledged mutually to one another at the birth of this nation – their lives, their fortunes, their sacre d honor. “To have lost our political innocence and to know this, and yet not to despair, is for us, O God, to touch and know Your healing hands; but also, for a free people, it is to stand on the trembling edge of revolution. It is a point of no return, it is a moment of truth what can either remake us as a people or unmake us into a mob. Grant us, O God, on the eve of this moment of truth – of our constitutional convention, the humility to understand the signs of the times, and the light to know the true state of t he nation. “And understanding this, grant us, O God, that we may have the courage of wisdom to forget the past with all its partisan bickerings and recriminations – knowing as we do that each one of us, if not by design or malice, certainly by apathy, cowardice or desire of gain, has been responsible for the ugly things of the past. But above the courage of wisdom, give us the wisdom of courage, which is the willingness to pay the price whatever it may be for the rebirth of this nation: truthfulness, hard work, integrity, competence and compassion. “Give us therefore to understand that this and no less than this is the irreducible demand or our people on us – of the youth of the land clamoring in massive thousands outside this building for a non-partisan constitutional convention, for a chance to shape the future that belongs to them; of the impoverished masses of our people to whom the President and his administration, this Congress, and all of us who are better blessed with worldly possessions, must through a palpable sense of justice, concern and compassion, bring a new gospel of hope, of brotherhood, of a brighter tomorrow that will be shaded by a constitution moving to the measure of that philosophy that they who have less in life must have more in law, of that philosophy of love enshrined in the heart of the Good Samaritan which for men as well as for nations is the only way to deserve Your promise of immortality – ‘Do this and thou shalt live,’ Amen .”

[11] Nick Joaquin, in an article published in the PFP March 1970, met with Marcos in his Malacañang study and was shown the diary, from which he quoted whole sections that are longer and more detailed than the handwritten version. Was Joaquin given a copy? Or did Marcos read from it and added more detail when taken down by Joaquin? Compare handwritten version with this: “I was being escorted by Senate President Puyat and Speaker Laurel to the driveway and I heard shouting below, on the street level. We were on the stairs and I went down to the sidewalk of the driveway and I was looking at the students’ placards I really wanted to read them. And the students were all holding up their placards toward me, wanting to show them. “The First Lady was not at my side. She was behind me by about two or three meters. She was busy shaking hands with everybody, including the students. I was also shaking hands with the students, first in the lobby, then on the stairs. We were hemmed in by students, we were shaking hands with them. Everyone wanted to shake hands with us.”

[12] Tuson in Marcos diary published by Nick Joaquin in PFP March 1970, Reportage 215.

[13] A longer more detailed version of this entry was made accessible to Nick Joaquin who published it in the Philippines Free Press in March 1970 Reportage p. 215 ff. “As I moved toward the car there was a scuffle and all of a sudden we felt some heavy objects falling around us. I didn’t know what it was all about; I was told later it was a matter of a cardboard coffin with some kind of stuffed alligator inside. I did not see this. I understand it was pushed away by the police and thrown back to the street. The scuffle had become a pushing contest between groups and then people were shouting and there was a throwing of bottles, stones, and sticks. “I was not hit, but a security man who was trying to protect me, Sergeant Tuson, was hit right in the face by a bottle or stone. I guess it must have been a stone because he suffered laceration and contusion and had to be given five or six stitches. Other boys of my security suffered contusions. One was hit in the left eye, another on the back of the head. “During the commotion, somebody—I think it was Colonel Ver, my chief of security—pushed me into the car so fast I bumped my head on the door. But I remembered the First Lady was still back there. So I said: ‘Wait, let us get the First Lady.’ But nobody dared lay a hand on her to pull her into the car. So I had to go back and pull her myself. As a matter of fact, I hurt my ankle doing this; we were on the curb and I twisted my weak right ankle. That is the only thing I suffered, besides bumping my head on the car—but I had to pull the First Lady out of the crowd and push her into the car. I’m afraid I pushed her too hard. It’s good she didn’t suffer any contusions on her lovely face. As we drove away, the scuffle had apparently died down on the driveway. In fact, the students were waving their hands at us. I was therefore surprised when I learned there was a riot when we left.”

[14] Reportage p. 216ff “I first checked with security: everybody had been caught by surprise. Intelligence told me that nobody had expected violence. It was apparently provoked on the spot and provoked by a few persons. I sent word to the PC, the riot squad, the Metrocom, to pull out of the area and not to hurt any of the students except in self-defense. That was my first directive: to pull out those who were supposed to secure me from the riot area but to protect the people inside Congress. “Then I received reports to the effect that some people near the flagpole had started the throwing and that it was not intended against the First Lady or me but against the police, who may have been trying to push back the people.”

[15] Official Gazette for Ja nuary 27, 1970: President Marcos , in a long conference with the police chiefs of the Greater Manila area, asked for the dropping of charges preferred by the Manila police against student demonstrators, and enjoined them to be “more tolerant of the future leaders of the country.” He told the police chiefs that steps will also be taken to have the students drop their charges against the police but, at the same time, the President directed Chairman Crispino de Castro of the Police Commission to look into charges against individual policemen.The President summoned the chiefs of the various national investigative and law enforcement agencies and the Manila and suburban police to Malacañang to brief him on the demonstration which erupted m violence in front of Congress. The President, however, said that the police should continue with their investigations and to press charges against non-students who were in the demonstration and who were found to have been guilty of violence. He also ordered the different law enforcement agencies to refine their techniques and methods in dealing with disorders and to avoid the unnecessary use of force. Apart from this conference, the President was involved mostly with desk work, receiving no visitors except U. S. Ambassador Henry Byroade and Rep. Justiniano S. Montano of Cavite, both in the morning. Later, in a television interview, the President said: “I personally feel that every Filipino should have the opportunity, as you have the right, to ventilate any grievances peacefully. However, I consider that violence should never be a rightful or lawful instrument of ventilating grievance. I have directed Gen. De Castro, the PC and METROCOM to prepare their own critiques. We will then determine what measures should be taken to prevent any untoward event like the event yesterday. I have asked the police to be more tolerant of the students. We are living in an Aldeguer, Marcelino Veloso, and Aguedu Agbayani; and Governor Isidro Rodriguez of Rizal . [Some text missing from online version of OG, have not checked printed version.] The only other engagement the President had was the meeting with members of the Nacionalista Party junta, who sat down with him in Malacañang in the morning to consider primary state problems. The President received no other visitors the whole day. In-between these two engagements, the President concentrated on his paper work. He also sent a directive to Mayor Antonio J. Villegas of Manila asking the latter to maintain peace and order “in all demonstrations that may be held in the territorial jurisdiction of the City of Manila.” The President issued the order in the wake of reports that Mayor Villegas had withdrawn Manila policemen assigned to demonstration areas purportedly because of criticism of the way the MPD handled the riotous student rally before Congress last Monday.The President’s order was handcarried to Mayor Villegas by Col. Gerardo Tamayo, MPD chief, who was summoned to a conference at Malacañang at noon

[16] Chronicle 29 J an1970 p. 3 under photo of FL greeting newly installed Leyte bishop is the story “Imelda RP’s Evi ta Peron Says American Magazine” quoting from New Yorker 20 Dec 1969 “ Letter from Manila ” by Robert Shaplen . On 30 January 1970 Chronicle published reply by Tatad p.19 who described the story as an “uncalled for slur on the person of the First Lady . ”

[17] No Official Gazette entry for this day.

[18] This emergency plan included arrest of individuals identified as enemies of the state and the declaration of Martial Law.

[19] Chronicle reported 29 Jan 1970 that NUSP Jopson and NSL Portia Ilagan snubbed the meeting with the President in Malacanang.