Manila Times headlined the killing in North Cotabato of 70 Muslims by “Ilaga” armed groups. Since it is the Manila Times, I doubt its veracity. So I and sending Sec. [Juan] Ponce
Official Gazette for June 22, 1971: President Marcos led the Filipino people in paying homage to the late President Carlos P. Garcia who was laid to rest at Fort Bonifacio, Rizal at high noon. The burial of the late President ended a week-long period of memorial services during which the remains of the former President of the country lay in state at the session hall of the Constitutional Convention at the Manila Hotel, at Malacañang, at the Tagbilaran Cultural Center, and at the House of Representatives.
In an extemporaneous funeral oration, delivered in the session hall of Congress, the President extolled the late President as a politician, statesman, poet and dreamer whose irreplaceable loss will be felt by the whole nation. The President said the late President “symbolized the gentleman of the old school and represented the virtues of his generation—generosity, goodwill, graceful accommodation and compromise.”(Full text of the President’s eulogy in OG.)
The President and the First Lady arrived at the Hall of Congress at 7:30 a.m. and were greeted by other officials led by Senate President Gil J. Puyat and Speaker Cornelio T. Villareal, and members of the Constitutional Convention led by President Protempore Sotero Laurel. After the delivery of the invocation by Msgr. Mariano Gaviola, other funeral orations were delivered by President Protempore Laurel, Chief Justice Roberto Conception of the Supreme Court, Speaker Villareal and Senate President Puyat.
At about 9 a.m., as the necrological services ended, the flag-draped casket bearing the remains of the late President was borne away by a funeral car at the head of a long procession which headed for the Manila Cathedral.
At the Cathedral, a Mass was said for the dead by Rufino Cardinal Santos, after which the long procession started for the place of burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani at Fort Bonifacio. The funeral procession passed along Roxas Boulevard, through Harrison Boulevard to the South Superhighway, then Buendia and Ayala Avenue in Makati, and finally Mckinley Road to Fort Bonifacio.
As the funeral cortege entered Fort Bonifacio, an artillery batten-boomed a 21-gun salute to the late President. At the gate to the Libingan, a composite battalion made up of units of the Philippine Army, Philippine Constabulary, Philippine Marines, Philippine Air Force and Philippine Navy, followed by a formation of the Presidential Guard Battalion, preceded the caisson bearing the casket.
Following the casket were the President and the First Lady, the members of the Garcia family headed by Mrs. Leonila D. Garcia, members of the Constitutional Convention, other government officials, and relatives and friends of the bereaved family. At the foot of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the procession stopped as the Philippine National Anthem was played. Then, slowly and carefully, the casket was lifted by the pallbearers and gently placed at the graveside.
Rufino Cardinal Santos then blessed the dead and, after the widow and Children of the late President, and other relatives and friends had taken a last look, the casket was closed and the flag draping folded and presented to Mrs. Garcia by the President himself. Then, the muffled drums sounded the three volleys of musketry reverberated as taps was sounded in a final salute. Overhead a plane hovered, swooped and springled the grave with flowers.
As the casket was being lowered into the grave, another 21-gun salute bommed in the distance, and the late President was laid to rest.
With the remains of the departed leader in its final resting place and the grave eventually sealed, the First Couple invited members of the bereaved family into the Presidential car and accompanied them to the Garcia residence on Bohol avenue in Quezon City. There the First Couple alighted and lingered for a while to comfort Mrs. Garcia and other immediate members of the family. The President and the First Lady were back at Malacañang about 2 p.m.
In the afternoon, the President directed key officials concerned to go over carefully the bill (HB 3417) intended to increase the salaries of public school teachers. The President emphasized that in the bill to be presented to Congress, extreme care be taken to obviate any disparity in the matter of salary adjustment among teachers.
Enrile and Gen. [Eduardo] Garcia to Cotabato tomorrow to verify the story at the site of the alleged massacre. Then we will know what to do.
Pres. C.P. Garcia was interred today at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. Delivered a short but meaningful eulogy.
I was embarrassed by the over-enthusiasm and demonstrated happiness of the people at seeing us passing by in the car. Since we were supposed to be solemn, we could not reciprocate their shouts, smiles and hand waving too openly. But you could see that the warmth of their affection was openly shown.
The funeral was impressive and well-ordered.
Imelda inaugurated the Cultural Center Museum yesterday with a record crowd of 2,000 people. It is for research and study. Starts with the stone age, gold age ahead of the bronze age.
Impressive.
We gave a Philippine dinner for Joe and Eileen Kingsbury-Smith complete with Philippine dances (Kalinga Wedding, Paseo de Iloilo, Asik and Singkil).
They were overwhelmed.
We walked back to the palace with the stars out in the sky.
We then called up Dick Berlin who said that he has sent the copy of Joe to the three senators and was sending another copy with his note to Pres. [Richard] Nixon. This was about the sugar quota and how we needed it for our economy (which would collapse without it and render the U.S. bases here useless).