Helicoptered to Central Luzon for a survey. Passed by Basa and Clark Air Bases.
The water has receded from Pampanga and Bulacan but Tarlac and Pangasinan are still under water. Some people are still clinging to rooftops and treetops. They had to be rescued by helicopter.
Towns are isolated. That [not] only food but potable water are in great demand.
The DART [Disaster and Relief Teams] teams under Col. King arrived 40 minutes before me. The Tripoli and its three smaller ships (The Tripoli, a helicopter carrier may carry twenty five helicopters) are arriving tomorrow at 8:00 AM.
Basa Air Base will be the operations center where all the supplies will be ferried by plane.
Tomorrow I fly by helicopter to Basa and Clark then to Lingayen and around Pangasinan.
I attach reports.
Official Gazette for July 21, 1972: PRESIDENT MARCOS boarded a helicopter in the morning for an aerial survey of the flooded areas.
The President flew low over the flooded towns of Bulacan and Pampanga and took a close look at the breached dikes and impassable highways.
The first stop of the President was at Basa Air Base where he visited some 300 barrio residents who sought refuge inside the camp from the floods.
After inquiring into their conditions and instructing the base officials to attend to their needs, the President flew to nearby Clark Air Force Base to see how the relief and rescue operations were going on.
The President was briefed by Clark Air Force officials headed by General Marvin McNickle, commanding general of the 13th Air Force.
Among those who met the President at CAFB were Cols. Henry C. Gordon, base commander; Stanley Bailey, in charge of CAFB rescue work; Major Henry King, commander of DART rescue, relief and rehabilitation teams; Col. A. G. Villanueva of the Philippine Air Force, Major Laudemer B. Kahulugan and Lt. Col. R. D. Fernando.
In the course of his trip, the President ordered the establishment of relief distribution centers in Pampanga and Pangasinan. Ordered put up were one distribution center at Basa Air Base, one at Clark Air Force Base, and another at Lingayen, Pangasinan.The President also directed the armed forces teams engaged in relief and rescue operations, in cooperation with the local authorities, to force open the bodegas of the Rice and Corn Administration in order to be able to distribute the rice to the flood victims.
The President said that 10 helicopters on flying missions all over Central Luzon had been picking up children and women from rooftops and treetops.
From Clark Field, the President flew back to Manila arriving in Malacañang at 5 p.m.
After a short rest, the President met with newsmen covering Malacañang.
A USAF [United States Armed Forces] Green Giant was shot at by an AK-47 at Bo. [Barrio] San Francisco, Banban, Tarlac. Commander Pusa [Benjamin Sanguyo] is operating there. An engine was shot.
Last night there was an unpleasant incident with Imee (we thought she was ill-mannered but I was irritable and hot headed) who later apologized but her mother had punished her and the two are not talking to each other.
Lt. Abao did well in the fight at San Mariano. He killed two NPA’s [New People’s Army] and captured one Max Soriano a Muslim who is now spilling the beans.
I was correct in my estimate of the route of withdrawal and rate of travel of the NPA flushed out of Diguyo—they would move south then west to Pigcanawan de Ilagan River and reach San Mariano in seven days.
They were flushed out by bombardment on the 10th. On the 18th they were attacking a detachment in San Mariano.
And they are grouping in their camp at Grid 97-68 on the big map at the junction of the Pigcanawan de Ilagan River.
I am glad I ordered Gen. [Tranquilino] Paranis to return to Echague TF [Task Force] Saranay Hq. He was brought by Gen. [Romeo] Espino from Palanan on the 17th.
The organization of another task force, TF Palanan under Gen. [Rafael] Zagala, PA [Philippine Army] Commander and its operations in the area from Palanan south to Diguyo, Digollorin and Divinisa was intended to stop any movement southward from Diguyo.
Then Gen. T. [Tranquilino] Paranis of TF Saranay was moved with enough men back Echague so as to trap the men coming down from the Sierra Madre.
This is what has happened. The men who were caught (5 were caught yesterday—this has also appeared in the Herald, July 22nd) and Max Soriano caught after being wounded in the fight at San Mariano with the detachment of Lt Abao.
And he has revealed that the group at the Pigcanawan de Ilagan River is led by Ka Lenin or Dencio (Victor Corpus), numbers 60 and they are waiting for more men so that they can build up their forces to 200 men and can then attack the supposedly depleted PC [Philippine Constabulary] detachments in the lowlands of Isabela around San Mariano, Angadanan, San Guillermo, Echague and Jones.
Little do they known that we have prepared Gen. [Tranquilino] Paranis with a strong force to hit them in their own incompetent!