Malacañang
Manila
[Marginal note: Addressed the first convention of priests at 8:30 AM. More ad lib than the prepared text. Charming speech so Josefina Constantino said.]
January 14, 1970
Have told the congressmen we should keep Laurel as speaker in the whole morning and afternoon caucus. All the members of the Junta were for Laurel after I told them I was. But the Junta and I, first, had to announce for the consumption of the public that we could not intervene in purely internal matters of the House, unless the House members themselves asked us to personally intervene.
After this, I called a conference of Cong. Ramon Durano, Nicanor Yñiguez, Ali Dimaporo, Ugung Navarro, Joe Alberto, Maling Espinosa, and Floring Crisologo to tell them that inasmuch as they are the leaders of Ex-Speaker Villareal, it was their duty to inform him of my decision and that the most ideal situation would be for Villareal to withdraw. Then I asked Villareal and Laurel to come into the conference room and notified each in turn of my efforts to prevent an open fight.
A committee of six, three from Laurel’s side (Maj. Floor Leader Veloso, Asst. Floor Leader Mercado and Chiongbian), then three on Villareal’s side (Yñiguez, Alberto and Ali Dimaporo) was organized to proposed amendments to the rules of the House.
Because of the ramifications of the Adevoso plot, I must include Johnny Ponce Enrile in the counter-planning – and perhaps J-2, Col. Fidel Ramos and the NBI. Played golf at Pangarap with the Malacañang reporters. Pain in the groin has disappeared. The doctors, Dr. Yap and P. Marcos think it was just a muscle sprain.
But Imelda gets operated on at Veterans Memorial Hospital 6:00 AM on the 16th and will sleep at the hospital tomorrow.