Malacañang
Manila
[Marginal note: Am still recovering from the symptoms of flu after over-exercise last Wednesday. Sore throat, nasal drip, feverish feeling – general malaise.
But started exercising half my usual morning exercise, then a warm shower.]
Sunday
January 11, 1970
Our national security –
Our principal problem is still internal subversion not foreign aggression. We are protected by the oceans from the latter. But more than this we are protected by the following set of circumstances.
- Red China’s present internal problems of development which occupies her energies, leaders and resources.
- The incipient quarrel between Red China and Russia.
- Japan’s present allergy to the suggestion to rearm.
- The presence of the U.S. in Asia.
The first three circumstances may not be there after a decade. The only deterrent would be the presence of the U.S. through bases in South Korea, South Vietnam, Thailand, southern Japan and the Philippines. This was what Ambassador Byroade must have been referring to in his Rotary Speech last November after the elections.
The ideal situation would be if the U.S. maintains its presence with its nuclear umbrella in Asia, without the indignity of American bases in the Philippines.
In the meantime the American military bases, if they have to stay, must be governed by agreements that should be updated to the level of other countries’ treaties on the same subject – like that of Spain and Thailand.
And now as in the years to come, the Philippines must watch the balance of power in Asia. If Red China has no counterpoise, it may find the time to establish its dream of Asian hegemony. The counterpoise could be Russia which is trying hard to become an Asian power, and Japan which will ultimately rearm.
The ideal is Russia and Red China not settling their quarrel and Red China and Japan not being too friendly to each other.
Whatever the international situation is, we must be prepared to defend our country alone. The classic defenses on the air, the sea and on the beaches must be augmented with the home defense concept of the guerilla which will make any attack (external or internal) of a massive nature too costly to be considered lightly by a potential aggressor.
I must establish communications in the barrios covered by the Barrio Home Defense Force. Sitio San Juan, Barrio Moriones, Tarlac, Tarlac, was raided yesterday morning (after midnight) by possibly Huks out to terrorize the Barrio Home Defense Forces there which fought back for 20 minutes. If there had been an alarm system, helicopters could have brought succor. Flashlight battery run and cheap and simple – buzzer coded system.
One woman was killed and five men wounded.
Two helicopters helped capture in Barrio Patling, Capas, Tarlac, Huk Commander Rody Dizon alias Rody and four companions. Dizon was still carrying the Armalite of S/St. Nestor M. Mariano of the 511 PC Ranger Company. The name of Mariano was still on the butt of the Armalite.
We will use the helicopters more and more. One should be based at II PC Zone HQ. and three at Basa Airfield on alert.
According to the men in the field, the Huks are in dreadful fear of the helicopters.
Everybody in the city speaks of the “monkees” when they were ordered disbanded a long time ago.
On foreign exchange earnings, we can offer the products of our parks, forest resources and even the ores to be mined from our mineral reserves with govt. doing the work – provided the buyers now advance a few hundred million dollars. Am looking into this possibility.
As well as selling our old coins and minting new ones – of gold.