MALACAÑAN PALACE
Manila
I write this at
10:45 PM on
Jan. 25, 1971
January 24, 1971
Sunday
I could not write my diary last night as we were occupied by the State of the Nation address and the developments of the evening.
Mayor Antonio Villegas, after meeting with the KM, decided to remove the barriers of about 20 meters between the space allotted to the radical SDK and MDP and the pro-administration demonstrators. He also said that he was pulling out the policemen out of the area and indicated that he would allow the radical demonstrators to set up a human blockade of the driveway northward out of the congressional premises preventing anyone including my car from leaving the building. And Villegas threatened to order the Metrocom out of the premises.
So it became necessary for Sec. Ponce Enrile to issue written orders to Gen. Ordoñez, the CG of the Metrocom, to implement OPLAN TANUD or Lawmaker, to secure Congress, the first family, members of Congress and their guests as well as the rallyists.
This was done at about midnight.
Later I swore in the new colonels of our Armed Forces (about 118 of them) at about 1:00 AM.
Slept at about 2:00 PM and woke up this morning at 7:00 AM.