Today on the departure of Bongbong for London accompanied by his mother (In my dedication on the portrait I gave him I wrote “On your departure for an unknown land. Come back not only as my son, come back a man.”), I am alone in the palace with the two girls who are trying very hard to keep me from being lonely. Imee, the elder one, first thought of a movie, but the operators had gone home. After a second dinner where Irene, the younger, offered me a pear in lieu of an apple since there was none provided she ate part of the pear, Imee is busy putting the loose leaves into the folders with metal ring holders.
Bongbong and Imelda were delayed about two hours as they took off at 9:25 PM when their scheduled take-off was 7:15 PM. It stopped raining when they taxied out to take off. But signal no. 1 is still up as Typhoon Dorming which has developed about 250 miles east of the Batanes. However, the clouds are stratified at 9,000 feet without any violent winds, no thunderstorms or cumulus nimbus clouds and the weather in Bangkok, their next stop is fine.
Official Gazette for September 4, 1970: President Marcos issued a proclamation calling Congress to a third special session beginning Monday, Sept. 7, at 10 a.m., to consider certain urgent legislative measures. The President issued the call for a third special session of not more than 30 days after a series of meetings with leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives, during which he was assured that both chambers will act on the most urgent measures.
The President asked Congress to consider, among others, the following:
1. An Act to provide for the financing of an integrated flood control and drainage system for the Greater Manila area, and for other purposes. 2. H. B. No. 433—To amend certain sections of R. A. No. 4860, regarding the foreign borrowing authority of the President. 3. H. B. No. 1056—An Act increasing the rates of import duties on certain articles under Section 104 of R. A. No. 1937, otherwise known as the Tariff and Customs. Code of the Philippines. 4. H. B. No. 1537—Creating the Special Peace and Order Fund from the taxes on travel and securities transactions by amending R. A. No. 1475, otherwise known as the National Internal Revenue Code. 5. K. B. No. 2463—An Act amending Sections 38, 41, 42, 46 and 51 of C, A. No. 466, otherwise known as the National Revenue Code. 6. H. B. No. 475 (S. B. No. 1821)—Amending certain provisions of R. A. No. 3089, as amended, providing assistance to the gold mining industry.
Although the President had originally planned to certify only five bills which had been certified to the previous special sessions, he found it urgently necessary to certify a bill providing for an integrated flood control and drainage system for the Greater Manila area because of the recent destructive flood.
Earlier, the President ordered that a study be made on the management of the Radio Control Office, to find ways and means of streamlining the said office and its procedures geared toward the attainment of its objectives.
For this reason, he created a management audit committee headed by a representative of the PES-DND Computer Center, with the RCO chief and a representative of the secretary of public works and communications as members. The committee was given until October 15, 1970 ‘within which to submit its report and recommendation.
At about 4:00 PM, the Chief, Technical Branch, PSU [Passenger Service Unit] sent word that PAL [Philippine Air Lines] PIC 801 was not operational as the fuel pump of No. 4 engine needed replacement and it needed two hours to remove and install a new fuel pump.
Then at about 7:00 PM, he reported that the fuel pump was replaced but did not give full power. So they set tentative departure for 2230 hours—(10:30 PM) although PAL had another aircraft (No. PIC 829) standing by ready to take off at 2400 hours.
However, they discovered the defect was in the fuel line and farther accelerated the departure. So now if there are no farther delays in Bangkok where they should be after three hours flying time and Karachi which they should reach in four hours and forty five minutes and Rome in eight hours and fifteen minutes, then they should be in Rome by 8:00 AM, Saturday, Rome time and in time to see the Holy Father at 11:00 AM. Then they stay there up to Monday, the seventh, when they leave by Alitalia for London.
She sees Queen Elizabeth of England on the 11th, my birthday.
Imee has just told me that she has never seen anyone like her “Mommy” miss anybody as she misses me. Imee says that when they were in Rome last (the consecration of Julio Cardinal Rosales) in May 1969, the three of them were in the Vatican’s toilet because Imelda was nervous and she kept repeating that she missed me. This was while they were waiting to see the Pope.
And here we are trying not to bear the hollow silences of the palace because of their absence. As Imee said, the commotion in the palace apparently is caused by Mommy. Otherwise, how can the palace be so ghostly without her.
I have just received a report that their flight is normal; that at 2247 they were approaching Vietnam; that at 2300 they were at the boundary of Laos and Vietnam; at 2330 their flight was normal and ETA Bangkok 2430.
The two girls are going to sleep in my bedroom tonight. It is so touching how they are trying to keep me from missing Bongbong and Imelda. I must not make them unhappy by showing any signs of anxiety. Imee has just told me, “you are waiting for them to land, aren’t you?” More rhetorical than otherwise. “When Mommy is waiting for you to land, she rearranges the furniture in the palace,” she revealed.
On the way to the airport we kept pummeling Bongbong. I held his two thumbs together and we all roared with laughter as he could not get out of it. Then I felt his spine as he kept pushing back against me and Imee (he could not sit down at the jump seat of the Cadillac in front of me as it was wet from the flood of Wednesday [Sept. 2nd] and so I snuggled him between me and Imee) and proclaimed in mock surprise that he had ribs in the back which started another tussle as everybody wanted to feel for herself if this was so.
But I saw a lot of people tearing in the eyes as we left for the plane.
The squatters in CAA [Civil Aeronautics Administration] had placards of goodbye for Imelda and Bongbong. They were at the second story.
His friends were openly crying specially Serafin Comelon. And Imee kept reminding him that he had promised not to cry.
We left them at the front row of the economy class, Imelda and Bongbong looking very alone and one solitary maid, Fely at the far left.
It was all I could do from shedding some tears myself. After all I was bidding my only son goodbye. Or as we all knew, we were bidding his childhood days goodbye. He will become a man in England.