San Miguel has been washed away. Even the children are marooned at Gov. [Benjamin] Romualdez’s house.
Lt. de Leon reports that the troops in Diguyo have found a field switchboard and twelve field telephones.
The NPA’s [New People’s Army] certainly have been training and equipping themselves well for a revolution.
They are better trained and equipped than expected. This makes the situation more serious than even I expected.
Lunched with Sen. Arturo Tolentino. He himself believes as he reiterated that during this period a dictatorship is necessary in the Philippines.
I asked him whom he would recommend for a Revolutionary Council. And we could not find in any of the contemporary leaders.
I informed him of the seriousness of the situation.
Official Gazette for July 18, 1972: THE PRESIDENT conferred the ancient Order of Sikatuna, rank of Datu, on Ambassador Hashim bin Sultan of Malaysia, in recognition of his services in the field of international relations.
The President cited the Malaysian ambassador as a worthy spokesman of his government who had endeavored continuously to strengthen the ties of friendship between his country and the Philippines.
In accepting the award, Ambassador Hashim bin Sultan said that in his two-year’s stay in the country, he had the deep sense of satisfaction in enjoying the hospitality, the cooperation and valuable assistance given to him by the Filipino people.
Present at the award ceremony, which was held at the Malacañang Ceremonial Hall, were Secretary Carlos P. Romulo and Undersecretary Manuel Collantes of Foreign Affairs, Assistant Executive Secretary Roberto V. Reyes who read the citation, and chiefs of the diplomatic corps, including Mons. Carmine Rocco, papal Nuncio; Ambassadors Henry Byroade of the United States, Toshio Urabe of Japan, James Charles Ingram of Australia, John Curie of Great Britain, Kusno Utomo of Indonesia, Se Ryu Kim of Korea, and Richard Taylor of New Zealand.
Toward noon, the President received the delegates of foreign countries to the 11th session of the ECAFE Asian Statisticians confab held in Manila who paid him a courtesy call.
The President told the delegates of the efforts of the Philippines towards modernization of security and development reforms, the restructuring of society and the forward movement of culture, as well as of widening the areas of freedom, liberty and initiative for every man.
The President also said that statistics may be dry and uninteresting but to the decision makers, chiefs of state, and heads of government they are of the greatest importance for it is on them that decisions are based.
In the afternoon, the President concentrated on desk work. Because of reports on the extensive damage caused by heavy rains and floods in Central Luzon, the President went on the air late in the evening to assure the people that the government would use all available, resources to alleviate the sufferings of typhoon and flood victims.
Sen. [Lorenzo] Teves told me tonight that even Sen. Ninoy [Benigno] Aquino [Jr.] observed in confidence that the discovery in Palanan shows that NPA’s pose a threat more serious than we think.
Everyone seems to be wondering whether I will declare martial law.
A time bomb was discovered in the Senate. It was napalm in an attaché case set in the publications division and loaded with napalm, set to explode 9:00 PM tonight.