There are many versions of who and how the would-be-assassin was frustrated from killing the Pope with his dagger.
The Manila Times, specially, has printed all kinds of stories including that a Times photographer, Manuel Valenzuela, who allegedly bumped into the assassin, Benjamin Mendoza, and thus revealed the dagger under the box and the crucifix but I did not notice any cry out or alarm from him.
And some prelates claim they stopped or beat up Mendoza.
They may have done so after he stabbed at the Pope twice and I parried his arm and chopped it twice.
Well, today (this afternoon at about 4:00 PM) Mendoza cleared up everything and said that the one who stopped or frustrated his attempt to kill the Pope was President Marcos who “parried his knife thrusts twice.” Apparently Mendoza was aiming high in the body because he said he aimed for the neck of the Pope.
KBS [Kanlaon Broadcasting System] carried this statement of Mendoza in their News Watch at 10:15 PM and Doroy [Teodoro] Valencia at 10:30 PM on his Saturday night commentary on Channel 5. I suppose the papers will carry it tomorrow.
I attach the picture of the incident and the sworn statement of Mendoza.
Official Gazette for November 28, 1970: President Marcos spent most of the day in his office at Malacañang working on state papers, with occasional consultations with his staff and ranking officials. He did not receive any private visitors.
In one of the orders that issued from his desk, the President ordered all agencies and instrumentalities of the national government to submit an annual program for the procurement of supplies, materials and equipment. In his order, the President pointed out lie huge annual cost of purchasing supplies, materials and equipment, and that emergency procurements and piecemeal requisitions are wasteful and extravagant, and therefore must be avoided.
To achieve an economical, efficient, and effective procurement system, the President said, government agencies and the Bureau of Supply Coordination must project and plan ahead, so that a basis for a workable procurement program may be devised. It is in this consideration that the President directed all heads of departments, bureaus, offices and agencies of the national government to submit an annual procurement program projecting the needs of their offices during the year.
In the afternoon, he and the First Lady, Mrs. Imelda R. Marcos, left Malacañang to attend the Mass at the Rizal Park, officiated by Pope Paul VI. They both received Holy Communion. Later, on his return to Malacañang, the President resumed his desk work. He lifted the ban on public school athletic meets below the regional level, which was instituted early this year. Lifting of the ban was recommended by Director Liceria K. Soriano of Public Schools. Secretary of Education Onofre D. Corpuz and Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor, Jr. concurred with the decision.