MALACAÑAN PALACE
Manila
January 3, 1971
Sunday
I went to Ilocos Norte by plane (Fokker) waking up at 6:15 AM to see Baguio in a fog and the plane not yet in Loakan Airfield, going over some papers and issuing instructions, breakfast and dressing up ready to drive to Loakan at 7:00 AM, where we awaited the arrival of Gen. Yan from Manila. He came to meet the PMA cadets returning today from vacation. I conferred with him, Gen. Tanabe and Gen. Ugalde up to about 7:45 when I took off for Gabu Airfield in Laoag where I landed at 8:20 AM.
Conferred on the Corpus incident. Gen. Yan reported that a man described as Corpus had left the Kamuning area in Quezon City for Pasig in a taxi. The places are now under surveillance.
Gen. Yan is beginning to act more decisively. He never did anything about the reports of leftists and subversives in the Armed Forces. One of them is Commodore Lavadia of the National Defense College. He has been an arrogant, insubordinate and petty man not missing a chance to criticize me and the administration and encouraging lectures by Dante Simbulan, Agoncillo and Fr. de la Costa on 6, 7 & 8 October.
But worse than this, he violated security regulations by distributing a classified report of his activities given to him by Gen. Yan.
Attached is a report on Lavadia.
We had an enthusiastic meeting in Laoag where I distributed the usual credit advises, credit cards, highway checks and medical and Maligayang Pasko gifts.
Then to Batac where after the meeting (where I directed the construction of the community hall and the reconstruction of the Municipal Hall) I had a light lunch of alocon and paltat.
Was in Gabu and taking off by 12:35 and in Nichols Airbase at 1:45 PM where Imelda and the children were waiting for me with pospas which I ate in the car. My tummy shows some hyperacidity so I take something every two or three hours. It is most probably due to the tension arising out of the plans for the proclamation of martial law.
I have told Sec. Juan Ponce Enrile about my plan to proclaim martial law in the event of a rebellion or imminent danger thereof. But I told him there must be massive sabotage or terrorism before I declare martial law
His immediate reply was, “It is time you did. You will be surprised at the number of people in all walks of life who will support such a move. Even Ambassador Byroade has hinted that the Americans were expecting it.”
And I explained that there must be violence and destruction by the terrorists so that the people and foreign governments would support our move of proclaiming martial law.
Kokoy. Romualdez told Imelda that Ambassador Byroade has said that I should show a stronger hand in running the government.
I have asked Sec. Ponce Enrile to stay in the camp (Kota Aguinaldo) with his family so that there will be no surprise when he does stay there for security when proclaim martial law.
And the loneliness of self-imprisonment is our destiny the moment I declare martial law. For we will no longer be able to go out of the palace as freely as we do now. Nor can I travel, even abroad.
It will be a more abnormal life than it is now.
And the same thing will be true of Imelda and the children.
But all these and the attendant dangers will be worth it for the future and destiny of our country and people.
Because I know that the country is just drifting on half-measures and compromises – the oligarchs perennially coercing and blackmailing the man in power as the Lopezes are now doing, not far removed from the politicians, and the media distorting and falsifying news and events for its own petty and disreputable purposes.
Our society (or the higher classes of our people) is frivolous and shallow. They seem happy only when they are drunk or are insulting others, friends and foe alike.
We must refashion this society.
We must wage our own revolution.
The concept of ownership must be changed so the small people have a chance. All the crooks in government must be booted out. The media must be geared to development and progress, not to destruction and retrogression.