I write this after an afternoon of paper work on [Richard] Nixon’s new peace proposal for the whole of Indo China (Laos and Cambodia included; not only Vietnam) on the basis of a ceasefire-as-is and a general conference for the three countries; smuggling; USec. [Jose] Ingles’ assignment to the Unesco [United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization] conference in Paris on Oct. 12th; the Sapang Palay effort on infrastructure; Central Bank report on loans, security holdings and money supply that went down by P114 million last month; the proposals for the new intelligence missions all over the country.
This morning I wanted to meet the teachers of the four cities that paraded to Malacañang (although their demand for a 5% living allowance had been granted; they claimed that they had paid for the buses already and they would lose face if they did not go through with it; at the same time it was led by a frustrated politician, Pangilinan, who is running for councilor of Caloocan City and who wanted to make propaganda out of it). Their ranks were infiltrated by students who are radical activists (from U.P. [University of the Philippines]) who wanted to enter Malacañang grounds also. The security would not allow them to. Then the teachers dispersed because they would not follow the students.
But I have asked all the eleven associations of teachers including the four city associations involved in the rally to send their presidents and vice-presidents Saturday at 10:30 AM.
I often wonder what I will be remembered in history for. Scholar? Military hero? Builder? The new constitution? Reorganization of government? Uniter of the variant and
OG October 8, 1970: President Marcos continued to nurture his energies, in compliance with doctors’ orders, even as he coped with state business which did not unduly tax him. Mostly, he attended to paper work, meeting officials only once during the day in connection with the demand of public schoolteachers to extend the cost-of-living allowance to their colleagues all over the country.
In the meeting were Secretary of Education Onofre D. Corpuz and Undersecretary Juan L. Manuel, Assistant Executive Secretary Roberto V. Reyes, and Deputy Budget Commissioner Juan Agcaoili, and members of the committee which undertook a study of the nationwide implementation of the cost-of-living allowance to public school teachers. After the briefing given him by Secretary Corpuz on the teachers’ petition, the President directed that the leaders of the teachers organizations involved be invited to Malacañang for a meeting on Saturday, Oct. 10.
The President worked alone in his study for most of the rest of the day. He did not receive any visitors. The President issued the following statement in connection with U. S. President Nixon’s Vietnam peace proposal: President Nixon’s ceasefire proposal and invitation to political negotiations in Vietnam is to be welcomed. It is a sound basis for negotiations and may just be the mayor breakthrough we have been hoping for in the protracted conflict in Indochina. The Philippines has been consistently in favor of ending the war not only in Vietnam but in the whole of Indochina on just and honorable terms.
antagonistic elements of our people? He brought light to a dark country? Strong rallying point or a weak tyrant?
I certainly would like to see a new society evolve out of the new constitution and the new codes I will submit next regular session (I would like a new codification of the administrative code [now pending in Congress], Penal Code, Labor Code and Commercial Code among others), I would like to declare the whole Philippines as a land reform area and agricultural cooperatives organized, build houses for all the homeless (I have asked the SSS [Social Security System] and GSIS [Government Social Insurance System] not to give any housing loans for the lower grade employees unless they buy their homes from the National Housing Commission headed by Gen. [Gaudencio] Tobias of the PHILCAG [Philippine Civic Action group] which is ready to build 1,000 houses a month); provide free education up to high school level on a competitive and examination basis.
There are so many plans that I must still carry through.
I have just glanced through (fast reading) an alleged history book (Concise Phil. History by [Pedro] Gagelonia) up to end of Marcos I and I was shocked (as I always am with the ignorance of alleged intellectuals) at the distortions of the facts and the ease with which far-fetched conclusions are arrived at. But this is typical of contemporary writers. These is none of the dedicated and balanced untiring research and the scholarly, objective and dispassionate approach to the subject. The prejudices and the preconceptions of media and the speculations of columnists and commentators are passed off as gospel truth.
So I have decided to write of my first four years of administration myself. I have asked all departments to submit their contributions to the administration.
But the more important parts will be the hidden meanings of action taken, the various factors that went into decisions and the truth.
Thus in the demonstrations in Congress on January 26, 1970 the coffin and stones as well as bottles were not thrown at Imelda and me but at the policemen who had thrown the coffin at the demonstrators from the flagpole port and had hit at some students with their sticks.
Then the elections of 1969 were called by the opposition as the “costliest and bloodiest election” and this has been adopted by Gagelonia as true without any reservations.