MALACAÑAN PALACE
Manila
12:30 PM
On board the 777, on the way to
San Fernando, La Union having left
Gang Pier at about 11:15 p.m.
December 28, 1972
Thursday
Docked at Gaang Port, Currimao, Ilocos Norte at about 7:00 a.m. Left by car at 9:15 p.m. for the 400th year celebration of the implementation of Christianity in the locos by Salcedo. Delivered my speech at 12:00 a.m.. Imelda cut the ribbon for the mini-fair at 12:30 a.m. Blessing of the cross at Ermita hill at 12:45 a.m., the chandeliers and cathedral improvement at 1:00 p.m. and conferred with Messrs. Nelson (Caltex in charge of drilling outside of the U.S.) Ray Johnson, Philippine Caltex head and others for Caltex and Sec. Bing Tanco and Chairman Ting Paterno of BOI. Then returned to the ship for lunch. By that time the ambassadors were in the ship, the luncheon prepared at Gabut by Elizabeth having been a fiasco. So a second luncheon was prepared on board the ship.
We had told everybody that I had planed in from Mindanao to catch up with the affair while Imelda came to locos by boat. And that I was going back to Manila by plane in the afternoon.
Bongbong and the boys skied up to 6:00 from 3:30 p.m. Imelda went to inspect the site of the bamboo beach house in Currimao, the church in Paoay which she will rehabilitate, the site of fathers memorial at Billoca Lake, Batac, the house in Batac and visited Tia Barang.
We followed her to the Batac and invited my old cronies to come to the ship for dinner.
We had fun reliving the good old days when I was still congressman. And we (Imelda and I) later regaled the children, to the accompaniment of much laughter, with stories of the “smokers” the professionals would put up on “Innocents Day” — Dec. 28th, when I was still a congressman.
With Dr. Eugenio Mendoza as an angel raised up to the ceiling as an angel and we could not bring him down, so he dangled above the scenery for some time apropos to nothing that was going on the stage in a supposed drama in the meantime.
Or the time he came on stage as a lady having borrowed Imelda’s terno.
And in the comedian or moro-moro I was emperor but I would secretly double as the clown and belabor everyone with my stick physically and with my tongue with wisecracks.
On the political campaigns when the cash was never enough and we would bluff our way through. And Kokoy getting beaten up at Dugras or Tony Raquiza being surrounded in Bacarra by goons.
Andres Nurasal the man who was tortured by the old Dept. of Investigation to testify against me and refused (in 1939) has been suspended by Elizabeth from the provincial guards. I directed his reinstatement.
Mang Pedong Layasan Acting Mayor of Bangui, who also was tortured and accused but acquitted before me for the Nalundasan murder has suffered a heart attack and in Intensive care of the UE Hospital.
So far no bad news from Mindanao or anywhere else.
The feeling for the continuance of martial law seems unanimous because of peace and order prevailing and the elimination of corruption as well as the improper use of wealth.
I am all the more resolved to indefinitely postpone the plebiscite, suspend the sessions of Congress and call a referendum by citizens assemblies.
Thoughts from my speech at Laoag.
“Man lives by symbols”
“All revolution whether constitutional or bloody are finally aimed at changing the heart, the soul and spirit of man. Thus the importance of religion and faith.”
“What we lack in material resources we make up with spiritual values.”
The story has come full cycle. For Asia which gave birth to the worlds great religion received the modified version of those religious.