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December 3, 1970 Thursday

MALACAÑAN PALACE
Manila

11:35 PM

December 3, 1970
Thursday

Imelda and I are going to sleep at Suite I which is actually the guest room for heads of state. Our big bed which was blessed by the Holy Father is there. Imelda and I had sentimental reminiscences of Paris and New York in November on our honeymoon in 1954 bacause of the chestnut glace.

Talked to Bongbong and Father Bernard. Bongbong says the attempted assassination of the Pope was prominent front page in the London newspapers and while they explained that there had been doubt as to who had saved the Pope’s life, Mendoza, the would be assassin had been asked and he had pointed to me as the man who had parried the knife thrusts. And Bongbong is quite proud of his father. “Runs in the family,” he bragged. Father Bernard says in the last fortnight Bongbong has been lazy but well adjusted. He makes believe he knows but he does not. In history he has been observed to be “flippant” and his ideas not well thought out.

Bongbong leaves Worth on the 10th, leaves London for Rome by Alitalia at about 10:00 AM on the 11th, takes PAL from Rome to Manila and arrives at Manila at about 2:00 PM on the 12th (Sunday).

Am working on cooperatives, free schooling, electrification, land reform, manpower training and the other projects.

Mons. Gavin of Malaysia has issued the statement that he did not see me parry the
knife thrust of Mendoza. This appeared in The Evening News.

The Daily Mirror, however, carried the statement of the Archbishop of Indonesia to the effect that he did see me do so.

As usual in the occurrence of a sudden and fast event, there are several versions. Doroy Valencia, the columnist, says, who should know best but the would be assassin, Mendoza.