Tag: Eleuterio Adevoso

April 17, 1972

…Frank Starr implicates Col. Lino Aragon Angara, nephew of the late Pres. Quezon, in a plot to assassinate me on July 17, 1972.

The sworn statement of Starr which is hereto attached is apparently credible and has the marks of authenticity.

What is disturbing is the supposed statement of Angara “Marcos will be killed xxx And when he is dead the Vice President will become President and then our group takes over control of the Philippines.”

Starr says he told me (Angara) of his contacts often with the Hon. Vice President Fernando Lopez and this report is made in sincere interest to [illegible] maneuver and shape or form to breed distrust between the President and Vice President of the RP. But in fairness to the Truth, and facts statements must be made accordingly.

“I spoke to him (Angara) on at least 7 telephone calls and he said he had gone down to meet the Vice President Lopez in his home province.”

This is not the first time that the Lopezes have conspired against my life. Since 1969 they have so at least three times.

The old plot of Eleuterio Adevoso under Osmeña was connected to the Lopezes.

And the Lopez financial and propaganda support for the NPA through Heny Lopez and the ABS-CBN included as one of the objectives my assassination. Thru Commander Melody of the NPA was assigned to this mission. Commander Melody confessed this.

On the Adevoso plot, our asset within the conspiracy, Joe , revealed that the Osmeña and Lopez camps were involved.

Then when on January 1970, Lopez and I parted ways, Serging Osmena suggested to Iñing Lopez my assassination and this idea was picked up and being implemented.

Chino Roces had in 1979 repeatedly voiced his demand that I be liquidated as this was the only way for them (the activists) to take over.

And Roces and Iñing Lopez have joined in partnership against us.

They have also joined hands to blacken my character. Thus they contrived the Dovie Beams case. The funds sent to her in California have been traced as coming from the Lopez camp.

They escalating demonstrations, mobs and riots, all supported by the Lopezes.

And now the Lopezes have joined up with Roxas and his father-in-law, Amading Araneta.

But apparently they are desperate and may be planning assassination to prevent my declaring Martial Law!

February 23, 1970 Monday

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PAGE 93

Office of the President

of the Philippines

Malacañang

 

 

February 23, 1970

Monday

 

 

1:10 AM

 

The Lopezes are more and more vicious through their columnists. Ernesto Granada happily refers to me as snake-like. He probably knows he is suspected as a communist by me. And so does I.P. Soliongco.

But the Lopez contributions to the radicals is their premium payments for insurance. They do not know that they would be the first to go if the communists take over.

Adevoso and his co-conspirators have met again. They are still at it.

Ninoy Aquino attacked the fertilizer plant project of the sugar planters in a privilege speech – a project that I have already ordered to be suspended.

Villalon testified before the Joint Committee to the effect that the Liberals specially Osmeña funded and encouraged the demonstrations. There must be consternation among the Liberals.

Looks like the demonstrations will continue and they may become more violent.

Met with the PACD and barrio officials who reaffirmed their trust and confidence in me.

Imelda went to the Tondo slums and relates how the children are eating only once a day and in some instances three times a week. So we have decided to convert Tondo into a model city – as a priority project.

 

February 14, 1970, Saturday

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PAGE 82

Office of the President

of the Philippines

Malacañang

February 14, 1970

Saturday

11:00 PM

Adevoso’s group has postponed its meeting set Wednesday. They must smell something.

But de Leon says the barracks in this secret training place in Northern Samar is so camouflaged that it cannot be seen from the air. It is a long building roofed with galvanized iron over which tree bark and soil is spread. Two Americans went there four times in the about two weeks that he was there by small plane which are then covered with tree foliage. He does not know their names but will try to get their pictures as well as that of the place when they return Wednesday. He was with an Atty. Tumulak, Osmeña’s man, when he went there last.

I have now asked the 3rd PC Zone Commander, Gen. Reyes, to come with the CIS officer, Maj. Manglongat. There is one Home Defense Force in this zone and it should be used against this camp.

Gov. Licaros has called up by long distance to report that the IMF team’s (headed by Dr. Zabvkar) report will be submitted to the IMF Board next Friday the 20th and will be approved. The third credit tranche of $27.5 million will be granted, $40 million loan for Central Bank working balance from the consortium of 23 U.S. banks $40 million loan from the Federal Reserve Bank and possibly $60 million standby loan from the consortium. He leaves for Tokyo next Tuesday where we hope to borrow $200 million standby and $50 million trade credits.

The dollar now costs ₱6.10 – a new high.

 

PAGE 83

Office of the President

of the Philippines

Malacañang

This is what concerns me most because if it goes any lower, we will have inflation and instability. Then there may be riots.

We must now pass the price control bill I certified last Thursday (Feb. 12th) and the rent control bill. Then we must allow the entry of essential commodities to be stocked in the Free Trade Zone at Mariveles.

We must soon allow the expenditure of funds for highways and ports because while there is money in Manila, there is beginning to be a pinch in the provinces.

I should record the attempt of Angel Nepomuceno, co-owner (with Bibit Duavit) of the Butterfly and who is now keeping Gerry Barican at his house, and Tony Pastalero to hold me up for ₱150,000 for alleged expenses during the Alcantara funeral when allegedly they used 250 students to prevent any untoward event – allegedly committed by Tony Raquiza. Tony Raquiza denied this to me yesterday when he came to see me playing golf alone at about 6:30 PM. He says he did not convey this to me as he found the proposal obnoxious as it smacked of blackmail.

The students have their weaknesses.

January 23, 1970

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PAGE 47

Office of the President

of the Philippines

Malacañang Palace

January 23, 1970

12:00 PM

I have just talked to Joe Maristela who is our informer in the Adevoso group planning a coup d’etat. He feels the plan, though fantastic, is serious. Their next meeting is at his house in Antipolo next Wednesday. And the political group backing them up may attend. He feels they have not yet talked to or gotten the support of Gens. Ileto and Tanabe but that Adevoso and Sanchez said “Kasama natin yan.”

He attends a breakfast with Gen. Yan tomorrow at 7:30 AM.

A Col. Navarro now in Vietnam who may be in the CIA and ex-Col. Francisco Jimenez as well as Marcelo Castillo (Annapolis 1939) are with them.

He and Col. Ver have already planned the planting of some more officers and men in the Adevoso group.

Adevoso says that my erstwhile opponent and he went to see Byroade after the elections. While Byroade was apparently non-committal he allowed Adevoso to talk to his staff who (Adevoso says) thought of the idea of a coup d’etat, Patterson DOD attaché suggesting that in order to cut off Malacañang from reinforcements, the three bridges, Quezon bridge, Nagtahan bridge and Ayala bridge be blown up.

Col. Francisco Jimenez’s car was in Commodore Alcaraz’s residence last Saturday in their last meeting, although he (Jimenez) was not there. Jimenez is on of the Valeriano boys. This is a new variable.

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Office of the President

of the Philippines

Joe and Col. Ver suggested that we meet force with force and that the conspirators be eliminated quietly before they prejudice our country and democratic institutions. I told them that instead we should obtain evidence to prosecute them in court.

For otherwise we may unleash a wave of violence we may not be able to control and do greater damage to our freedoms.

January 22, 1970

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PAGE 45

Office of the President

of the Philippines

Malacañang Palace

January 22, 1970

I have been able to settle the Senate Presidency at 3:30 PM. Puyat remains and Roy becomes Executive Vice President of the Nacionalista Party as well as President Pro Tempore. Tolentino remains as majority floor leader.

We have organized the panel of lawyers to handle the defense in the protest filed by Osmeña. They are Ex-Chief Justice Paras, Ex-Justice Ozaeta, Don Quintin Paredes, Dean Vicente Abad Santos, Joe Africa and my classmate Ramon Aquino. The offices of Tañada, Pelaez and others who are as senators disqualified from appearing before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, will be listed as appearing as counsel for me. Offices will be established at the Northern Lines Bldg. Jose Africa will be the Vice Chairman of the panel; possibly Ex-Justice Ozaeta will be the Chairman.

A disturbing piece of news from Joe Maristela is that Gens. Ileto and Tanabe have promised support to the Adevoso Junta in their assassination and coup d’etat planning. We must check this and neutralize them. But I will first personally meet with Joe Maristela tomorrow night.

This is compounded by the fact that the process will necessarily go up if we set free the rate of exchange. Then we will impose more taxes and for the next six months we will not be able to relax credit or government expenses, nor imports. I must increase the entry of tax-free goods into the Free Trade Zone and soon.

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Office of the President

of the Philippines

One of the PSA (Intelligence) Sgt. Retuta, in civilian clothes as a photographer was mauled by the student demonstrators today in front of the palace. No reason except that he was allegedly infiltrating. This should get us some sympathy.

The demonstrators (some ten of them) are still there with their mike shouting unprintable and vicious imprecations at me, Meldy and everybody. You can hear them in all rooms of the Palace except our bedroom and the study.

They want P10 million to be released to their schools for such things like a gym for the Phil. Normal College. These public works releases have been suspended in accordance with the new policy of priorities and savings in the last six months of this fiscal year of P243 million.

We will have to tolerate such irritating demonstrations until we lift this policy.

January 19, 1970

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PAGE 39

Malacañang

Manila

Veterans Memorial Hospital

January 19, 1970

Imelda is strong enough to play host to her crowd nightly. We have just eaten Chinese lugao and lumpia brought in by Joe and Betty Campos. I liked most the bajo or powdered beef tapa and the seeweed for the lumpia. It is now 11:00 PM. Last night we went to bed at 11:30 PM. Read De Gaulle’s war memoirs up to 1:30 P.M. after writing my diary.

I must soon write my war memoirs while the events are still fresh in my mind.

Met with the fiscal policy committee at 8:00 AM here in the hospital and gave instructions to Com. Sychangco and Gov. Licaros to reconcile the figures on government deficits. The Central Bank has the figures at P1.1 billion cash deficit. Com. Sychangco says the cash deficit is only P600 million with savings of P283 million.

I have also ordered Gov. Licaros to put down in a formal Aide Memoire to be handed to the IMF consultative committee our position that we will not agree to a devaluation and will take any measures short of it; — and to include the stabilization measures we have adopted including the allowance of the establishment of dollar accounts in Philippine banks with 100% dollar backing and to allow hotels to keep 25% of their dollar earnings because right now the dollar earnings of hotels has gone down to zero.

I met with Piding Montelibano, who was brought to Pangarap by Bobby Benedicto. He has just recovered from the flu which is all over Europe and Asia.

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Malacañang

Manila

[Marginal note: We must now develop rural electrification under the new law passed last year and Schools of Arts and Trades. The British Ambassador who came to say goodbye also seems to agree these will bring about development faster.]

Incidentally Col. Ver reports to me that Terry Adevoso, the mastermind of the assassination and military takeover of the government informed the conferees of the Junta in their meeting at the house of Commodore Alcaraz that the Vice President or the Lopez group has its own liquidation plot for me. I must look into this more deeply.

I intend to have the EEA cases filed against Adevoso and Emmanuel Ocampo his operations man to keep them occupied. But at the same time we must obtain evidence for the filing of a case of conspiracy to commit treason. Apparently included in the plot is Col. Patterson, the U.S. Embassy military attaché, or so Adevoso says. Terry Adevoso said that he spoke to Ambassador Byroade about their plot and while the Ambassador was defending me he said that if he (Adevoso) had anything to ask or tell him, he (Adevoso) should talk to Patterson. Adevoso said that it was Patterson who suggested that Ayala and Nagtahan Bridges should be blown up so as to isolate Malacañang Palace during the attack.

Included in the plot are Alcaraz, David Pelayo, Capt. Acosta of the Navy.

Their target date is June or July this year.

Saturday, January 17, 1970

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Malacañang

Manila

Veterans Memorial Hospital

Saturday

January 17, 1970

Manila Times and even the Bulletin are trying to promote a fight between me and the Media. Manila Times headlined the Nolan resignation, actually editorializing in that story.

Then, yesterday, the Bulletin carried the front page story of me keeping on with attacks on the press quoting my statement or speech read by VP Lopez in the Bureau of Plant Industry inauguration that “notwithstanding the critics, we have moved forward”. This was interpreted, I suppose, to mean that the press are critics or the only critics and should not be referred to with the slightest hint of derision.

My relations with the press in general, with the exception of the Malacañang boys has soured since the inaugural speech.

They can dish it out but cannot take it.

My erstwhile opponent, Sen. Sergio Osmeña, has gone to see Pres. Soeharto of Indonesia, and as reported by Ambassador Farolan, is determined to get the dormant concession of Brigido Valencia at Sumatra or East Kalimantan belonging to Americans. Accompanied by a representative of Nissio-Nurai, apparently the financier, this party surveyed the Sumatra concession of Valencia and apparently a favorable report submitted.

Osmeña bragging here, in Japan and the Philippines that he can buy any Indonesian official. Apparently the funds to be used by the Adevoso group on their assassination

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Malacañang

Manila

and take-over plans will come from Osmeña. Osmeña is also in touch with the groups that are preparing a revolution in Sabah and has been instrumental in the offer by Malaysia or Sabahan authorities in offering to Princess Tarhata and Sultan Ismail Kiram to buy out their claim to Sabah. They may sell only their private rights. But I have ordered Sec. Romulo to write a formal letter to Sultan Ismail Kiram that he has authorized the Philippine government to bargain for him and that he must not embarrass our government; and for Amb. Busuego to informally notify the Malaysian authorities that Sultan Kiram cannot bind the Philippine government.

Deputy Premier Tun Abdul Razak of Malaysia has announced a record U.S.$ 267.7 million budget for defense and internal security or 25% of the total expenditure of U.S.$ 1,080,130,000 for FY 1970. Defense budget for FY 1969 is U.S.$ 132M or 9.2% of the total 1969 budget. Razak justified the increase with the British military withdrawal and the stepped-up communist terrorist activities.

In Pakistan 56 million registered to vote out of 125 million in Pakistan’s first general elections scheduled 4 Oct 1970.

January 13, 1970

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Malacañang

Manila

January 13, 1970

Awarded the Rizal Pro Patria to Don Vicente Madrigal.

Saw Iñing Lopez in the Meralco Hospital. Had lunch with him. Had sashimi and tempura as well as mizuno and Japanese melon. He is disgustingly healthy.

Worked the whole afternoon on counter-insurgency, the emergency plan and the Barrio Home Defense Force.

A new confirmed report of a plot to assassinate both me and the Vice President has just been reported by Boni and confirmed by Joe Maristela. The military group is headed by Terry Adevoso – the political group is still being checked.

Apparently the plans of the Liberal paralleled those of the communists. They will await the results of my efforts to improve the economic situation then if I fail, they will take advantage of this by assassination.

Well, we must not fail!!

And I must check the participation of Pres. Puyat of the Senate and Speaker Laurel of the House.

Ralph Nubla reported tonight that Congressman Yap of Tarlac, right-hand man of Sen. Ninoy Aquino, has said that they will give me six months – then they will strike. We must clarify all these plans.

 

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Malacañang

Manila

Imelda has a mass in the right breast and worries us because the doctors say that while there has been no change, an operation to remove it and to find out if it is malignant may be necessary.

I am suffering from pain in the right groin after golf. I hope it is not hernia. I see the doctor tomorrow.

And we were on a project to have another baby, a boy if possible. Massive injections of hormones for Imelda is necessary if we are to have a baby and this is not good for her growth in the breast which might develop into something serious with these hormones.