MALACAÑAN PALACE
Manila
12:55 AM
March 3, 1970
Tuesday
The People’s March was a flop. Only about 5,000 at the most joined. The march was supposed to get the support of the people in the streets and houses but it did not. Only a few of the spectators joined. It has ended in some Molotov cocktails thrown at the U.S. Embassy, three men caught with handguns at the Mini Golf, someone caught lobbing a Molotov cocktail in Congress, another bag of Molotov cocktails abandoned at the Finance building, about 30 arrested, 14 in the hospital and one serious with a cracked head.
Father Ortiz’ abusive and arrogant reply to my supposed charge that the Jesuits were formenting the revolution (which I have denied and which is untrue) has brought out the image of the friar who brought about the Revolution of 1896. And the people are saying, the priest talks like a king and the king talks softly like a priest.
Father Blanco was here and he has been included in the lecturers of the Imelda teach-ins in Malacanang.
I still have my doubts about going into retreat in a Jesuit house. I still want to, however.
Talked to Bibilo Prieto about Chino Roces. Bibilo was brought to Pangarap by Neling Nieto.
The Northern Congressmen were in for dinner. Frisco San Juan feels that these series of demonstrations is debilitating to our economy and should be brought to a crisis and resolved. Yes it is like benign tertian malaria, the type hardest to cure. It should be resolved and cured soon. Frisco says he could provoke violence by the communists by introducing and starting the discussion of a bill making the anti-subversive act more strict.