The center of the typhoon (Sening) has just passed Manila with maximum and gusty winds of 150 kms. an hour. It hit Manila and environs at about 0500 hrs. It is now in Bataan and Zambales.
No report of damage yet but there is no accompanying rain and no flood. Must have Catanduanes, northern Bicol and southern Quezon hard. But there will be less damage because of the early typhoon warning and the lack of rain and food.
In the palace I went to bed rather late but since the typhoon was not yet here at 0200 hrs. I went to bed but was awakened by Imee knocking at our bedroom door alarmingly at 0530 hrs. She was studying (she wakes up at 5:00 AM to study for the day’s classes or review her lessons) when the lights went out and when she looked out of her window, the typhoon was whipping the trees and all things that moved into a frenzy of flying objects outside.
The lights of our bedroom were out and so was the air-conditioner and Imee was carrying a candle for our room. But it went out as she entered the door because there was a strong gust that could be felt at the door but not inside the room. For the strong wind was coming through the window’s vertical slits where I had removed the covering to let the air come in when the air-conditioner went out with the electricity.
Official Gazette for October 14, 1970: President Marcos summoned key government officials concerned to hear their reports on the extent, of the damage wrought by typhoon “Sening” which hit various parts of the country.
The President was informed that the typhoon, which left the Philippines in the afternoon, left a wide swath of destruction. The hardest hit areas were the Bicol region and parts of Southern Tagalog provinces. He immediately formed three task forces in the three constabulary zones, to be headed by the zone commanders, to coordinate the assistance work of provincial task forces in each of the affected areas.
The Chief Executive also directed Acting Executive Secretary Roberto V. Reyes, Secretary of Public Works and Communications Manuel B. Syquio and Secretary of Health Amadeo H. Cruz to fly to the Bicol region to determine the extent of damage and recommend possible course of action.
The President said he was considering a plan to declare to state of emergency in the affected areas but added this decision will have to await the report of the survey teams.
Initially, he directed the Air Force to recall the aircraft which were flown to Zamboanga and Cebu as a safety measure, and prepare to ferry relief assistance to all affected areas in cooperation with the National Red Cross.
At the same time, the President warned all commercial establishments against taking advantage of the difficulties brought about by typhoon “Sening.” He threatened to apply the punitive provisions of the Price Control Law on all those who would jack up prices of commodities in the wake of the typhoon.
The President directed the Price Control Council to field all its agents to keep close surveillance of all commercial establishments and retail outlets who may be selling their goods at exorbitant rates.
The eaves at the balcony were being torn. So I woke up all the guards to raise them and batten everything movable down.
We were worried about the Botong [Carlos] Francisco mural of me in the ceremonial hall but the doors behind it held.
At 10:00 hrs. the wind has completely died down. It is a little eerie to actually feel and hear the silence. The birds have come out and are chirping merrily away. The river has risen about a foot but still two feet from the level of its banks. It must be raining upstream.
When the Acting Executive Secretary ([Roberto] Bobby Reyes) called at 9:00 AM, I told him to confirm the suspension of all government offices while Signal No. 3 is up in Manila. And it will probably be up the whole day.
At 12:00 AM as I was being interviewed at the palace balcony I noticed the sky towards the east was turning blue.
Before this I conferred with Gov. Vicente Magsaysay of Zambales about the procurement by the province of firearms (Light automatic carbine, Cal. 223) for his provincial reaction force.
I have asked Gen. [Hans] Menzi to allow the inclusion of a column in the vernacular magazines of Liwayway Publications (Liwayway, Circulation 260,000; Bannawag, Circulation 48,000; Bisaya, Circulation 60,000; and Hiligaynon, Circulation 32,000. He also publishes a song magazine 48,000 circulation and Bikini, Sexy-teeners and _____.
At 1:30 PM, the wind is back, now from the east and less in velocity but equally gusty. Speed is probably 40-50 kms. an hour.
Took a nap while the Natural Disasters Committee met on their recommendations to me.
Played golf at [Bahay] Pangarap with [Roberto] Bobby Benedicto as I was feeling heavy and cramped. The camachile tree beside the pergola suffered—one of the three main trunks blown down and a big branch broken.
Then a television-radio interview at 6:30 PM. I may have to proclaim Albay as a province in a state of public calamity. I have just talked to Gov. [Jose] Estevez and he says that the towns of Tiwi, Malinco and Tabaco suffered 90% damage.
Our PAF [Philippine Air Force] planes were evacuated yesterday to Mactan and Zamboanga. Only one C-47 was left at Nichols Air Base. They are coming back to Manila at 0600 hrs. and will be ready to take off for Naga (as they cannot land in Legaspi which is being cemented—3/4 through and therefore only light planes can land there) at about 1000 hrs. We are sending a probing flight. If I go there I could land in Virac, Catanduanes then go back to Legaspi by PNB [Philippine National Bank] plane.
We are also trying to push through a train to Albay but the tracks are under water in several places and washed out in others while the bridge between Bato and Polangui, Albay is out.
I attach all the reports.
[Joaquin] Chino Roces of the Manila Times is reported as saying that the only way to change society is to mount a violent revolution to make Marcos step down or eliminate him. This is reported by Bob Stewart yesterday and Hanz Menzi today.
I have often been asked why his hatred for me is so bitter, deep and personal.
Chino Roces told me once when he complained about the stories circulating about his wife, Pacita, who is rather a gay and uninhibited swinger, that our disagreements are already personal. And that is exactly what it is. Among other things he believes that I knew of and even encouraged the affair of Major Eddie Martelino with his wife Pacita because when Maj. Marcelino was still in the Air force he was one time authorized to proceed to Hongkong on a mission when Pacita (Chino’s wife) was there. Of course they had a ball and it became the talk of the town. But the story is that she is for the asking by any rake in town and has been frequenting the motels in the Boulevard.
For this Chino Roces for some reason or other blames me.
Then he always wanted to be king-maker—to be consulted on every problem of the country. This I refused to do for the man is a crack-pot with aspirations to be a police detective. He is erratic and he adopts the ideas of the last man he talked to.
He believes that I have been instrumental in the withdrawal of some advertisements from the Manila Times.
And that I helped facilitate the purchase by Hanz Menzi of the Liwayway Publications. In fact I understand that he believes I own the publications.
He has wanted to ride two horses. When he is with the Americans, he is pro-American. But when he is with the Maoists, he is a communist radical.
His son Joaquinito is reported to have said that if he has a chance he will shoot me.
There is something deeper than meets the eye here.
However he should be happy that I am not the ill-tempered, egotistic and arrogant dictator he wants to picture me in the papers.
Someday he will be thankful that I have helped preserve our freedoms—including the freedom of the press which he always clung to as a license for abuse and distortion.