Office of the President
of the Philippines
Malacañang
February 17, 1970
Tuesday
12:35 AM
I have that feeling of certainty that I will end up with dictatorial powers if the situation continues – and the situation will continue. The HMBs and the Ma-Maos will continue to try to bring about a revolutionary situation. Massive sabotage is indicated by the crude bombs they are manufacturing and teaching their recruits to manufacture in their training camps. This also means they are not getting any aid (military) from outside. We should allow them to gather strength but not such strength that we cannot overcome them.
We continue to meet the students – a tedious time consuming effort to placate them. For what? They will come back with some more demands later on. But the play must go on.
We must establish a mass base. Father Calles suggests that the women who are getting impatient should be organized. I agree.
Then we must get the Armed Forces working properly. A dry run for Plan X must now be executed.
I talked to Ambassador Byroade and told him I needed his continuous support before I started the drive against the communists now and later when the ammunition is exhausted. There is not a single round of ammunition for our 35 rocket launchers. But we have just received our ammunition reloader.