Imee acted well in “Mother Courage” at the Cultural Center “Munting Dulaan,” the smaller theater.
I felt like she was me in the scene where obstinately and almost insanely she ascends the house to beat the drum frenziedly to warm the town of the attack by the troops. I kept saying to myself, “Yes, even if you should be alone, you must warn your people of the peril that confronts them. Be obstinate, be suicidal if necessary—but save the people.” Which she did—the deaf mute Kathryn.
So even if I have been tempted to take the easy way out to lift the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus before the elections so that our party may not be prejudiced by my decision, I have decided to keep the suspension.
Even if I should be alone, which I am not, I must warn the people and lead them against the communist conspiracy to take over the Republic by force.
And when she was shot for it, I knew that for a soldier like me, there must be no hesitation, no wavering.
So be it!
But we must move into our public relations with greater energy. Almost all the media are against us.
And we must solve the Plaza Miranda crime.
Official Gazette for September 4, 1971: President Marcos received callers only in the morning, devoting the whole afternoon and early evening to paper work. Among those who met with the President were officials of Quezon City led by Mayor Norberto Amoranto and Vice Mayor Ismael Mathay.
The President also administered the oath of allegiance to the Filipino flag to Rev. Fr. James P. Moran, the first foreign-born Jesuit to be granted Filipino citizenship. Fr. Moran was granted Filipino citizenship by special act of Congress (House Bill No. 3692) on August 11, which was finally approved by the President on September 2.
In renouncing his American citizenship and adopting the Filipino citizenship, Fr. Moran said it was to him “the crowning gift of the work of a lifetime,” and the “greatest gift within the beneficence of the Filipino people to give.” Already 73 years old and infirm, Fr. Moran volunteered for work in the Philippines while only about 23 years old, and even after his return to the United States to be ordained, he once more volunteered to work in the Philippines which was then still a colony of the United States. As a priest, Fr. Moran devoted 42 years of service as a professor of Latin and Theology, librarian, writer and retreat master and spiritual director of the Catholic community.
Among those present at the oath-taking ceremony held at the Malacañang Reception Hall were the First Lady, Imelda R. Marcos, Mr. and Mrs. Ramon Cojuangco, Francisco Ortigas, Jr., Macario Palanca, and representatives of the Assumption, Holy Spirit, St. Theresa, St. Paul and Carmelite convents.
And continue to dismantle the communist apparatus.
Swore in Father James P. Moran as a citizen of the Philippines amidst a tearful audience. He has served Filipinos for 42 years.
Worked on Quezon City, Cam. [Camarines] Sur (Liberals), Zamboanga del Sur, Ifugao, Lanao del Norte etc. up to 3:30 PM when I took lunch.
Swore in Justice Jose Mendoza as Comelec [Commission on Elections] Commissioner in the presence of Chief Justice [Roberto] Concepcion, Justices [Claudio] Teehankee [Sr.] and [Antonio] Barredo and others. Imelda talked to them and Chief Justice Concepcion is apparently for the suspension—as Justice Teehankee had earlier reported.