1:15 AM Sept. 21, 1971
We spent the whole morning with [Francisco] Kits Tatad, Johnny Perez, [Juan] Johnny Tuvera, Adrian Cristobal, [Mauro] Malang [Santos], Ronny [Rony V.] Diaz, Munding Reyes, [Eu]Logio Balao, Ileana Maramag and [Roberto] Bobby Benedicto on the project of bringing a newspaper or putting up one.
Kokoy [Benjamin] Romualdez is for taking over the Evening News. We agreed to take it over but put up a new one also.
But we would have to be prepared to lose P2 million a year like the Manila Chronicle or the Herald or Evening News.
Hans Menzi says there is no place for another newspaper and what is needed is a merger.
Ninoy [Benigno] Aquino [Jr.] has issued a statement claiming that Commander Melody [Benjamin Bie Jr.] is a Marcos Huk and is one of the witnesses to be used against him but that Melody has been set on a mission to liquidate him, [Jose] Diokno etc.
So I was compelled to call him a desperate man and to say I was glad he knew one of the witnesses against him. And that Melody would be protected and not killed as some of the other witnesses against him had been in the past.
Although he claims that Commander Melody was kicked out of the NPA [New People’s Army] 18 months ago and that some high ranking generals (star generals he calls them) reported to him the frustration he has. My guess is that Justice Fred Ruiz Castro told him as I showed the sworn statement last Thursday (Sept. 16, 1971) to him at the dinner in [Bahay] Pangarap.
No Official Gazette entry for this day.