The Concon [Constitutional Convention] and the sala of Judge [Julian] Lustre of Quezon City trying the subversives were bombed by unidentified persons this afternoon at 3:40 PM. It caused extensive damage and injured about twenty people.
Two of the subversives were almost able to escape.
This is apparently the answer of the subversives to the raids on their headquarters in Manila, Quezon and Pasay last Sunday morning at 4:30 where about 48 were arrested including [Jorge] Cabardo, a former PMA [Philippine Military Academy] cadet who is tagged as the Visayan NPA [New People’s Army] head.
Ex. Sec. [Alfredo] Piding Montelibano [Sr.], after bringing the problems of the PNB [Philippine National Bank] and the sugar industry, pledged that he and his family (one governor and one congressman) were behind me and Imelda even if I proclaimed martial law.
One thing about this man, he has a good nose for survival.
We finalized the plans for the proclamation of martial law at 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM with the SND [Secretary of National Defense], the Chief of Staff, major service commanders, J-2 [Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence], Gen. [Ignacio] Paz, 1st PC [Philippine Constabulary] Zone Commander, Gen. [Tomas] Diaz and Metrocom [Metropolitan Command] commander, Col. [Alfredo] Montoya with Gen. [Fabian] Ver in attendance.
They all agreed the earlier we do it the better because the media is waging a propaganda campaign that distorts and twists the facts and they may succeed in weakening our support among the people if it is allowed to continue.
Official Gazette for September 18, 1972: THE PRESIDENT ordered Commerce Secretary and concurrently Civil Aeronautics Board Chairman Troadio T. Quiazon and Civil Aeronautics Administrator Jesus C. Singson to require domestic airlines to make physical searches of all plane passengers and luggage before any flight.
The President issued the order following an explosion aboard an Air Manila Fokker plane, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing in Roxas City.
Among other actions, the President:
1. Directed Public Works Secretary David Consunji and Highways Commissioner Baltazar Aquino to organize an investigating committee to look into the collapse of the bridge in Naga City, which resulted in death and injury to hundreds of people.
2. Justice Secretary Vicente Abad Santos to coordinate with Secretary Consunji and Commissioner Aquino in the filing of criminal charges against those responsible for the faulty construction of the bridge.
Earlier in the day, the President received provincial delegations which apprised him of flood damages sustained by their respective localities and sought assistance to expedite their rehabilitation.
The President also administered the oath to Victorino Savellano as city judge of Manila. Present at induction rite were the inductee’s wife Virginia, other relatives and friends.
So after the bombing of the Concon, we agreed on the 21st without any postponement.
We finalized the target personalities, the assignments and the procedures.
Our communications network will center in Malacañan as before.