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January 31, 1971 Sunday

MALACAÑAN PALACE
Manila

9:00 PM

January 31, 1971
Sunday

The Manila, Quezon City, Caloocan and other local governments are preparing for the jeepney drivers’ strike.

Metrocom with support units will back up the local police.

It is now the plan to arrest those who block traffic or sabotage operating units. This will be a reversal of the policy of tolerance even of violence.

But of course in the first strike of the drivers, it was awkward to be on the side of the monopolists – the oil executives. But now that we have rolled back the price of regular gasoline and kerosene, we are on the right side. And the leader of the strikers, Atty. Lupino Lazaro, has turned into nothing but a blackmailer. He asked Atty. Siguion Reyna ₱300,000, asked me of ₱35,000 for the conversion of his garage into a headquarters for his union and later demanded half a million pesos for a building to house his union with him running the whole show of course.

I do not believe the strike can paralyze traffic.

Latest reports are that Jose Maria Sison has sent two men to liquidate me and Imelda. They are seeking the aid of radical students.

Laguna and Cavite radicals are on the same mission.

The men’s identities are unknown.

The CPP and NPA are now getting desperate and they will probably be resorting to sabotage, assassination and terrorism.

We must prepare for it.

Gave merienda to the League of Governors and City Mayors. Spoke of our default in our fight against communism, anarchy and violence because of shock, hesitancy, confusion and the lack of leadership and a rallying point – the alternative to violent revolution. Now we have it – democratic revolution. And they are its apostles.

There is also a default in propaganda because we refused to speak out for freedom.

If we do not make a stand now, in two or three years, not 5 or ten as originally thought, there will be no need for a revolution – the communists will just take over.

I felt they are now well-motivated and coordinated.

I enclose the intelligence report as a sample of information we are getting, a recommendation of Ady Sison on propaganda (most of the proposals we are already implementing), and the policy speech of Prime Minister Sato.

More and more Japan is participating in the regional cooperative efforts of Asia and as one of the big industrial countries, it is beginning to realize its international responsibilities. As Alichi, Japan’s foreign minister, says, “in recent years our country’s national strength has grown tremendously xxx our country’s international responsibility is becoming increasingly heavier.”

Thus there is going to be increased aid, lowering of non-tariff import barriers and liberalization of capital investment.

More and more, the Philippines has to watch the developments in Japan as it acquires an international and broader outlook.

Right now it is shifting from private contacts with Red China to government or government-initiated ones. It is now studying a Japan-Soviet Peace Treaty. They are as Prime Minister Sato says: “adjusting defense capability to a level suitable to the national strength and situation.”

However, Alchi speaks of a peace diplomacy as its basic philosophy.