Slept fitfully as I had the terrible nausea and loose b[owel].m[ovement].—the side effects of colchicine. Slept at 2:00 AM after taking aspirin with an anti-acid, Gelusil. Then woke up every two hours thereafter to go to the toilet. Then I have back pain and a feeling of general malaise.
The pain of my foot did not subside. So Dr. Canto, [Pacifico] Yap and [Juanita] Zagala agreed to give me two tablets of aspirin four times a day. I started at 3:00 PM. The pain subsided.
Met Mayor [Ramon] Bagatsing at 5:00 PM.
Dictated the outline of the State of the Nation address to [Guillermo] Guimo de Vega at 12:00 AM.
Checked on developments on
- Concon [Constitution Convention]—the half[-]baked parliamentary system
- The rice imports
- The Reparation
Official Gazette for January 3, 1972: PRESIDENT MARCOS did not receive callers, but instead worked steadily on his desk until late in the afternoon.
Early in the evening, the President received Mayor Ramon D. Bagatsing who paid a courtesy call at Malacañang, following his assumption of office as the new city mayor of Manila. The President and Mayor Bagatsing briefly discussed the problems affecting the city, among which are: low finances, relocation of squatters, garbage collection, dredging of esteros, housing and flood control. The President pledged national government support to the city government and immediately directed: Budget Commissioner Faustino Sy-Changco to release P500,000 for the purchase of much-needed equipment of the Manila Metropolitan Police in support of the peace and order drive in the City; Secretary of Public Works and Communications David M. Consunji and Commissioner of Public Highways Baltazar Aquino to allocate road-building equipment for the repair and improvement of city streets; and Secretary of Finance Cesar E. A. Virata to release amounts representing shares of the city government in income taxes which had been frozen due to an indebtedness of the city to the Central Bank totalling P40 million.
The President also assured Mayor Bagatsing that the cooperation of both national and city governments would be maintained for the early solution of the Plaza Miranda bombing case. The Manila mayor was accompanied on the call by Col. James Barbers, deputy chief of’ police of Manila.
Also during the day, the President condoled with the bereaved family of the late Delegate Felino Nevi, who died yesterday.
In his message, the President described the former Secretary of Foreign Affairs as “an able and dedicated public servant and an energetic business and civic leader.”
Dr. Zagala, cardiologist, sister of Maj. Gen. Rafael Zagala, AFP Commanding General of the Philippine Army January 1972-1975.
4. Steel Industry
Imee, Bongbong and Irene have gone to Leyte by plane this noon. I attach message on their arrival.