The Pope left at 7:15 PM after our departure statements. We are relieved because there were repeated reports of attempts against his life. Yesterday afternoon during the first open and public mass at Rizal Park a man in santanna was supposed to make another attempt. And a man, Camacho, was caught with an unlicensed .32 cal. revolver with ammo (nickel plated) without license and no reason for his loitering at our box 15 minutes before our arrival.
The crowd in Rizal Park was estimated to be one million three hundred thousand. The crowd in this morning’s public mass at Quezon Memorial Circle was more. At Sto. Tomas yesterday morning while 300,000 were expected there must have been about 700,000.
The Pope visited Tulungan in Tondo and Don Bosco as well as Magsaysay Barrio. But the people were a little disappointed that he did not go down at Tulungan Center although he did at Don Bosco.
Monseñor [Juan Bautista?] Velasco, spokesman and in charge of Press Relations of the Pope hierarchy, this afternoon stated over TV and Radio that the Pope’s life had been saved by a Filipino—the Philippine President.
Official Gazette for November 29, 1970: President Marcos expressed the hope that the journey of Pope Paul VI will help achieve the universal dream of a lasting peace.
The President, accompanied by the First Lady, Mrs. Imelda R. Marcos and their children Imee and Irene, led a big crowd of well-wishers to bid good-bye to the Pontiff who left in the evening bound for Pago-Pago Islands in the Pacific, the nest itinerary in his Asian tour. In brief remarks prior to the Pope’s departure, President Marcos quoted from the Pope’s appeal to the United Nations which he said men must realize the truth. His Holiness said then: “Peace is the fruit of a moral transformation of mankind, there is no improvising a true peace: one cannot maintain a peace that is imposed by oppression or by fear or by juridical orders that are unjust and no longer admissible. Peace must be human, and therefore free, just, happy.”
In parting, the President asked the Holy Father “to pray for God’s peace, a free, just and happy peace, for our people, and God’s blessings on our Republic and its government, on the deliberations of those who chart bur course to economic well-being and social justice and progress, and above all on the dispossessed and heartbroken among us, who are so close to your own heart, and to whom you have given fresh hopes which we shall all endeavor to fulfill.” (Full text of the President’s speech in OG.)
In the morning, the President issued a proclamation declaring the period from February 15 to 21, 19T1 as real estate industry week. He also signed an administrative order, amending Administrative Order No. 240 of September 18, 1970, which created a committee to study the financing scheme for nationwide river control and reforestation projects. The amending order includes the Commissioner of Forest Products Research and Industries Development Commission as a member of the Payer Control and Reforestation Committee.In proclaiming a real estate industry week, the President took note of the coming meeting in Manila, starting February 15 next year, of the Sixth. Pan Pacific Congress of Real Estate Appraisers, Counselors and Valuers.
And [Roberto] Bobby Benedicto in New York called that “Today Philippines continues front page prominence New York papers Stop From New York Times Quote 53 year old President Marcos pushed Pope out of assailant’s reach making [Benjamin] Mendoza stumble into Mrs. Marcos and struck Mendoza with karate chop Unquote Newspapers also emphasize that Mendoza is not Filipino.” The Philippine newspapers carry the statement of Mendoza saying he was positive that it was Pres. Marcos who parried his knife and prevented the killing of the Pope.
I have repeatedly refused to make any statement on the incident. “The less we talk about it, the better.” I said in the interview after the Pope’s departure.
We now have to make a state visit to the Vatican as the Pope reiterated his invitation to me when he was leaving. This visit to Europe would probably include Italy proper, West Germany, France, Spain and England.
The girls want to come too.
The earliest we could go would be next April. And the constitutional convention may have its sessions then.
Then how would we be able to go to Burma?