[p.60] Still very quiet. The Kabataang Makabayan has been able to muster only about a hundred demonstrators before Malacañang. To cover up their inadequate number, they have gone to Congress where the NUSP under [Edgar] Jopson and the NSL have a more impressive number. [Lino] Illera has alerted [Angel] Gargaritano [Jr.]. There is a congressional hearing at 3:00 PM. At six o’clock the leaders come to Malacañang for a conference.
I continued the dialogue with the students—this time from CLSU, with the various student leaders like Jose Sayson, this morning.
1:00 AM Jan. 31st
The Ma-Maos and Dante Kabataang Makabayan are leading the rioting outside.
The riot is still going on but the [Metropolitan Command] Metrocom under Col. [Mariano] Ordoñez and Aguilar, after reinforcement by one company of the [Philippine Constabulary] PC under Gen. [Vicente] arrived, have pushed up to Mendiola near San Beda where the MPD [Manila Police District] were held in reserve. I hear shooting and I am told that the MPD have gone firing in the air.
The rioters have been able to breach Gate 4 and I had difficulty to stop the guards from shooting the rioters down. Specially so when Gate 3 was threatened also. I received a call from Maj. [?] Ramos for permission to fire and my answer was “Permission granted to fire your water hoses.”
So no shooting inside the Malacañang compound. Otherwise it would have been a massacre.
No Official Gazette entry for this day.