Skip to content

January 13, 1942

Heard a good one. The sentry at the intersection of Avenida Rizal and Azcarraga grabbed a man for not bowing when he was near the post. The sentry slapped hard; the man ducked. The sentry slapped harder; missed again. This was repeated four times, till the people started laughing. The sentry lost his temper and he jujitsued the man.

The man turned twice in the air and landed on his feet. The man got sore, grabbed the sentry and threw him on his back. The people laughed louder and the man ran away. Wottaman!

At the fields along Santa Mesa Boulevard, palsy has just been harvested. Secondary crops like mongo, camote, peanuts could be planted there; anything to increase food production.

Busy whole day with passes and permits. Nueva Ecija farmers, a delegation of them, requested for passes. Issued one pass for one man for each municipality.

Permit asked thru Mr. Noya for a hog dealer who wanted to bring in about 60 pigs to the slaughterhouse for public consumption.

A Batangas farmer wants to bring into the city 3,000 kilos of onions. This will help increase the supply of this product for public consumption. Referred matter to Mr. Noya, who will ask the Army for permit.

A controlled economy is being enforced.

I’m not the one deciding the issuance of passes. To the public, it may look like I have the authority. But it’s really the Japanese Army, through Supervisor Noya. Now I know the meaning of the phrase “between the devil and the deep blue sea.”

The public service is an ungrateful calling. How apt was Mark Anthony’s opening remark to the Romans: “The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones.”

Vic says he saw a man walking on Taft Avenue singing “God Bless America.” The man was drunk. Sometimes I envy the drunk.