September 10, 1970

Thursday

I write this at 3:35 PM after talking by long distance with Imelda now in London. They were brought by Pohlen of the Chartered Bank to Maribels (a restaurant) and Jackie Kennedy Onassis and [Aristotle] Onassis himself were there. And as the Londoners have said, “Jackie is not a shade of the First Lady of Asia.”

Imelda says Onassis who looks like a dried prune was trying to catch her eye. Senile flirt!! But she says he is ugly as Hades.

Bongbong who has shown allergy to wool says he is going to start wearing wool so he will get over it. Pohlen has offered to take care of him in England.

But the headlines there is the hijacking scare of the jets. There were two Arabs caught in the Alitalia plane of Imelda for London last Monday, the 7th. They were the notorious Patel brothers who apparently were in the plane to hijack it as they had neither tickets nor baggage. They were discovered because the plane’s 50 passenger capacity was filled up and Col Barangan[1] and a security man who were holding tickets on the plane could not find a seat. This led to a check of the passenger tickets and the Patel brothers were discovered.

Imelda tells me the British do not have much respect not trust for the Americans who are identified with Jewish sharpness in all deals. I could have told her that and saved her the trip to London.

Loyalty Day Parade at 9:00 AM where the traditional oath of loyalty to the President is made. I in turn asked them to join me in loyalty to the flag, the constitution and the Republic. I further announced the promotion to Brigadier General of Cols. [Zosimo] Paredes of the Second PC [Philippine Constabulary] Zone, [Pantaleon] Dumlao of the 3rd PC Zone, [Cesar] Jasmin of Task Force Lawin, Cayton of the 3rd Brigade, PA [Philippine Army], [Aurelio] Ugalde, Superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy and [Reynaldo] Perez, Commander of the General Staff College; the increase in pay of all enlisted men so that the buck private who now receives P130 a month will receive P180 a month; and the continuation of the BSDU’s [Barrio Self-Defense Units] as long as the barrio people want it inasmuch as it was upon the insistence of the barrio people that they had been established and organized in the first place.

The son of UnderSec. [Jose] Joe Crisol aged 4 years and fat as a doll came in a small nipa hut marked BSDU Hq. and with a Happy Birthday greetings [sic]. Symbolic of the youth and confidence of the BSDU’s.

The anti-riot squads and teams came in their new equipment of metal shields, shin and arm as well as breast guards and helmets. They made a smart looking and formidable force.

So did the jeeps and weapons’ carriers that I ordered to be armored for Central Luzon.

Then left by helicopter 480 (a Huey) to the Carmona resettlement project after passing by the body of Gen. Mariano Castañeda, deceased Chief of Staff, under whom I served in 1937 when he was regimental commander in Camp Aguinaldo (then Murphy) under Gen. [Mateo] Capinpin.

Distributed houses, food and medicines to the settlers. Received the contributions of the American, Austrian and Indonesian ambassadors. Announced the contributions of Ralph Nubla, the congressional ladies and the plan to establish an Itemcop [Industrial Textiles Manufacturing Company of the Philippines, Inc.] weaving factory by Jose Marie Soriano in the resettlement area.