Jose Maria Sison was captured at 2:45 AM today at an Underground House in San Fernando, La Union (south of it near the hospital at the new disco neighborhood). The team leader was Col. Ismael Rodrigo of Batac, I. [Ilocos] Norte under the supervision of C-2 Col. Aguirre. Local PC [Philippine Constabulary] and Zone PC did not know about it. Purely intelligence operation.
We are keeping him at PSC [Presidential Security Command] across the river for interrogation and the follow-up operations. A volume of documents and grenade manufacturing operations were captured. But apparently Zumel (Tony) escaped.
Saw him at 10:30 AM at the PSC social hall as he had asked not be shot when he was captured because he had something to tell the President.
Still confident. Talkative. He admitted he had avoided being shot by shouting he would talk to the President.
Suggested I could use him.
He admitted contact between the CPP [Communist Party of the Philippines] and MNLF [Moro National Liberation Front]. Bragged that in two years they would have succeeded as there were three forces against me—the MNLF, the CPP and the CIA [Central Intelligence Agency].
I told him he was like Ninoy [Benigno] Aquino [Jr.]—a man who lives in a world created by his own words, a braggart and a loud mouth.
And when he persisted that there were ways he could be used I told him he was a temporary aberration and that violent revolution was out of fashion.
On his two years program I said [Jesus] Lava and [Luis] Taruc said that in 1950 and so did the Indonesian communists in 1965.
I enclose the reports.
Conversation with Sison.
No Official Gazette entry for this day.