MALACAÑAN PALACE
Manila
11:15 PM
January 5, 1971
Tuesday
Imelda played a trick on me this morning. It will be one of those family jokes that only she and I will understand – complete in the saying of but a few words. She played her part well as she mischievously embroidered her fanciful story which at first jolted and shocked me out of my wits.
This morning I continued meeting the military. Gen. Rancudo of the Sth Fighter Wing at Basa Airfield who has dreamt to be Chief of Airforce but was set back because I extended Gen. Singson who is now Chief of Airforce. He will make a good Chief of Airforce but I still need him as CG of the 5th Fighter Wing because of the possibility of martial law.
Then I called in the Provincial Commanders of Cagayan, Isabela and Nueva Viscava to size them up. Lt. Col. Suason of Isabel and Lt. Col. ….. of Cagayan look like tough fighters. They were CO and Operations Officer of the 51st PC Battalion and part of Task Force Lawin.
I ordered the delivery of 500 firearms for BSDU’s to be organized in Isabela. I also gave it trucks and a U-17 as well as possible helicopter support. One PC company will be sent there next week.
This is necessary because Isabela is becoming a sanctuary of fleeing NPA’s.
I received a recommendation from Sec. Vicente Abad Santos for the relief of Dir. Alejo Santos as Director of Prisons because of the repeated Prison riots at Muntinlupa. I have agreed.
Met Sammy Soriano, an AIB instructor in Australia for the troops being sent to the Philippines by submarine in 1944. He was using for the briefings on Evening Order of Battle intelligence reports of “Ferdinand E. Marcos, Lt. Col. USAFFE.” Reminisced about the war days and Darigayos, Larry Guzman, Don Jameson and Russ Volckman.
Asked Congressman Ali Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte, his brother of Lanao del Sur, Cong. Amni of Sulu and the governor thereat, Gov. Murphy Sangkula to register their unlicensed guns and send their men as reservists for training so they can be used to contain any MIM, Ansarul Islam or Green Guards violence.
In the afternoon, I met Gens. Yan, Espino, Garcia and Sec. Ponce Enrile on the funding of additional enlisted personnel (2,500 to bring PC strength up to 24,000 and 1,000 for the 1st Inf. Division), the contingency plans, training of Muslims in the south on a citizens army basis upon the request of the local officials, the assignment of good combat officers in sensitive positions.
Then I met the doctors of the Dept. of Health led by Dr. Manikan, who are demonstrating for their increase in pay. I told them that the government could afford to give them 35% of their increase the first year beginning April 1971, then 35% the next year and 30% the third year. They would not decide until they met again.
But you could see that they were trying to coerce me and the government with the threat that they would strike if their increase was not given them.