Letters from Ninoy
August 24, 2003 | 12:00am
It is but correct that as a friend of Ninoy I must reveal how resolute he was in fighting what he labeled as tyranny.
A calendar of activities besieged him while he lived in America. He of course knew the importance of discrediting the martial law government from America as the powers there believed, Marcos their ally could do no wrong.
A segment of a letter from Ninoy is printed here.
Peping:
Re politics, everything is going as planned. As you must know by now, I had to fly to Cologne, West Germany to confer with Cardinal Sin who will be playing a vital role. (My plane bill is getting to be astronomical). I flew right back after talking to the cardinal because of my commitments here.
1. Tell your friends, Monching et al, I HAVE SUCCEEDED TO MORTALLY damage FM here in the US. When I started my current operation WASAKIN SI FM, the US perception was: FM can stay in power as long as he wants. THIS IS NO LONGER TRUE TODAY. I have met with the top media reps and editors. I have met with the editors of the Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The Washington Post, Washington Star, Christian Science Monitor and the Boston Globe. I have also met with the editors of Time, Newsweek, US News and World Report, Institutional Investors Magazine, Business Week and Forbes...ALL MEETING SUCCESSFUL.
2. I have conferred with top US industrialists, thanks to Ted Brophy. I have met with top US Bankers, thanks to Dwight Allen.
3. I have worked the Capitol Hill. I have conferred with Senators CRANSTON, Kennedy, Glenn (he was not sympathetic) Javits, Pell, Beiden, Church and Percy. I have called Congressman Tony Hall of Ohio, Bedell of Iowa...Senators Inouye and Hayakawa (Hawaii and San Francisco respectively...)
4. I have conferred OFFICIALY (thus breaking tradition) with Holbrooke at the State Department and I have talked with the White House Staff headed by Jody Powell and Gerry Rafshoon.
5. At the other side of the fence, I have met with the big boys of HOOVER Institute (think tank of Reagan) and Richard Allen, foreign policy adviser of the governor. I have corresponded with Bill Brock, chairman of the Republican Party’s National Committee who has committed to act as my bridge to REAGAN should he win.
6. When I delivered my speech in New York (August 4) I understand FM took my warnings lightly...thinking I was bluffing...After the display last week, I understand, he is taking my warnings more seriously...and after the scheduled follow-ups...my CREDIBILITY stone hit the high nineties...Here in the US, before the simultaneous bombing in Manila, many also took me lightly... NOW, I AM PERCEIVED AS THE NEW KHOMEINI and every top American executive has suddenly become very deferential...even the White House has asked me if I needed Secret Service protection...This after my series of speeches, TV shows and radio talk show endorsing Carter’s Human Rights policy and testifying to its efficacy, at least in so far as the Philippines is concerned. Carter has been vilified for his Human Rights policy...but since I have been personally WITNESSING for him, the White House has asked me to expand my coverage where REAGAN appears strong...I am obliging because I have a gut feeling CARTER WILL EVENTUALLY MAKE IT...Last month I was ready to write him off...the situation has changed since the convention and since Ted Kennedy has come out supporting Carter to the hilt.
By the time you read this letter, Apeng should be back home...Paping Sison was also through here and Pareng Apeng will give you all details.
I sent word to Monching M. thru Alex Esclamado last week...BAHALA na kayo sa statement... anything you write, I will confirm....
Tonight, I was told, TARUC is on his way here to convince me to return home and receive my amnesty from Marcos...Those guys must think I was born yesterday...unless Marcos talks to the opposition, we will keep the pressure here.
Frankly, I feel the damage I have caused him here in the US is unestimable. He has definitely lost his support. I HAVE SUCCEEDED TO PANIC foreign investors and judging from Dwight Allen’s report, from now on, FM will have a hard time rolling over his loans much less securing new loans. THE US PERCEPTION IS...FM is now terminal and the race between his health and the RP economy is on...no one wants to predict which will collapse first...FM’s health or the economy.
As soon as preparations are completed in Japan, I intend to work over the Japanese press and the industrialists...I will follow the same scenario...deliver the speeches and then the BIG BANG to support my warnings and enhance my credibility...THE MOMENT THIS IS DONE...FM can kiss our economy goodbye.
By the way, SUGAR is now selling better than P350 per picul and pundits say, we may again see a P500 a picul price by next year. Meanwhile, we are only getting P105.
Ping, things have gone our way so far...I hope we can remain lucky and keep down casualties, otherwise, this entire exercise can be counter-productive. OUR INTENTION IS NEVER TO INJURE ANYONE...we want a peaceful transition but then MARCOS is the only one who can determine our future actions...this will be all for now... but remember, I AM COMMITTED to the death, if need be, to our people’s eventual LIBERATION!
Ninoy
And then again eager to return home he wrote Peping:
June 16, 1983
Dear Peping:
Unless there is a major development, I shall return to Manila by the first week of August. I still do not know what carrier to take. There are some technical problems.
1. I am not inclined to take a PAL plane because the government can control the movement of this plane very closely. Should Marcos’s intelligence ascertain that a big crowd awaits me, they can delay the plane in Honolulu for several hours while the welcomers sweat it out in the MIA.
2. My choice is to take a Pan-Am flight from San Francisco via Tokyo. I’ll have someone notify you that my plane has taken off the moment I lift off from San Francisco. Then upon arrival and lift off from Tokyo, I shall have someone flash the signal too. I’ll only be four hours from Manila on my last stop. Hopefully, I’ll be accompanied by the TV crew that have already contacted me. HOWEVER, since I have no passport, Pan-Am may refuse to allow me to board. Any carrier is subject to a stiff fine if it allows any person to board its aircraft without a valid travel document. Hence, I’m intending to write our Embassy in Washington to request for a simple one-way travel document to the Philippines. This should answer the Pan-Am question. Of course, whether the embassy will issue me one valid only for the Philippines remains to be seen.
3. Expect a massive dis-information campaign. From time to time, Doroy and other Malacañang lackeys will say: Ninoy is coming, Ninoy not coming, Ninoy to arrive 30 July, Ninoy cancels return, Ninoy arriving 4 August etc. They will try to confuse and mislead the public. Hence, it is important that you set up a tight welcome committee who will take charge of his own welcoming group. The green light will be flashed to the team leaders who in turn will notify their group.
4. I need an impressive group at the airport to impress western journalists who are our only hope. It will also dispel Enrile’s statement that most opposition leaders have only themselves as followers. I’ve discussed this with Doy Laurel and I intend to take the matter up with him again when he visits me end of this month. You people have more than one month to prepare. When the count down begins: about two weeks before my actual departure, I’ll flash you the green light. Then you will receive the detailed schedule with pre-arranged signals. It is important that we coordinate our moves very closely.
5. I hope Pareng Monching will be more guarded with his off-hand remarks to the press...The ASIAWEEK story was perfect...but it would appear that I’m returning merely to regain lost ground – which is NOT TRUE and he should know because I discussed this at length with him here in Boston.
6. I entertain no illusions but that Marcos will send me back to my jail. That’s OK as I’m prepared. However, with all my pre-arrangement here, I think I can create enough international pressure to make him uncomfortable. At the most, I do not think I’ll spend more than three years in prison this time around and I intend to make the most of it.
7. Call Doc Martinez and the remaining LABAN loyalist. Discuss my arrival with them. This is the only favor I’m asking. Give me a warm reception and I’ll take care of the rest.
On June 23, 1983 I’ll testify before the House Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee on Pacific and Asian Affairs chaired by Rep. Stephen Solarz. When he learned I was returning to Manila, he decided to give me the last chance to enter all my position papers into the congressional records. Second week of July, the Democratic senators led by Kennedy and Tsongas, both of Massachusetts will give me another chance to appear before the Senate committee on foreign relations and later that evening, the two senators will host a dinner in my honor.
I’ve started my calls on the editors of major publications: Washington Post, New York Times, Boston Globe, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, etc...I’ve already been interviewed extensively by the editors of the Christian Science Monitor and next week I have a session with the Newsweek people.
If I can keep the enthusiasm till December of this year, I am sure, when the 1984 polls rolls in, the 1984 election fever shall have caught on for the important linkage.
I still do not know the decision of our partymates re the elections: to participate or not, but whatever the UNIDO decides, I think I should start to reorganize the LP grassroots organizations by first reconvening the national directorate and then possibly call a national convention to decide where the party members want to go. If FM will not allow me to do limited political action work, I might have to call a few leaders to my prison and discuss the various modalities with them. I REALLY THINK, the Liberal Party must now decide whether it should remain or dissolve itself. This is one of my priority moves.
I understand you’ll be going to Australia soon. If you leave after getting this letter, please call me from Australia so we can discuss other points.
Meanwhile, let’s keep in close touch.
Ninoy
Is vengeance ours to ponder on or justice ours to dispense for Ninoy? The memory of the Filipino can be short. Remember how we fought for freedom in the 17th century and more recently in the ’80s? One can’t help but think of the ironies of fate. Of the profound lessons we should have learned from power wielded, human fickleness, betrayal, loyalty, of the need for decency if we are to live as humans.
A calendar of activities besieged him while he lived in America. He of course knew the importance of discrediting the martial law government from America as the powers there believed, Marcos their ally could do no wrong.
A segment of a letter from Ninoy is printed here.
Peping:
Re politics, everything is going as planned. As you must know by now, I had to fly to Cologne, West Germany to confer with Cardinal Sin who will be playing a vital role. (My plane bill is getting to be astronomical). I flew right back after talking to the cardinal because of my commitments here.
1. Tell your friends, Monching et al, I HAVE SUCCEEDED TO MORTALLY damage FM here in the US. When I started my current operation WASAKIN SI FM, the US perception was: FM can stay in power as long as he wants. THIS IS NO LONGER TRUE TODAY. I have met with the top media reps and editors. I have met with the editors of the Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The Washington Post, Washington Star, Christian Science Monitor and the Boston Globe. I have also met with the editors of Time, Newsweek, US News and World Report, Institutional Investors Magazine, Business Week and Forbes...ALL MEETING SUCCESSFUL.
2. I have conferred with top US industrialists, thanks to Ted Brophy. I have met with top US Bankers, thanks to Dwight Allen.
3. I have worked the Capitol Hill. I have conferred with Senators CRANSTON, Kennedy, Glenn (he was not sympathetic) Javits, Pell, Beiden, Church and Percy. I have called Congressman Tony Hall of Ohio, Bedell of Iowa...Senators Inouye and Hayakawa (Hawaii and San Francisco respectively...)
4. I have conferred OFFICIALY (thus breaking tradition) with Holbrooke at the State Department and I have talked with the White House Staff headed by Jody Powell and Gerry Rafshoon.
5. At the other side of the fence, I have met with the big boys of HOOVER Institute (think tank of Reagan) and Richard Allen, foreign policy adviser of the governor. I have corresponded with Bill Brock, chairman of the Republican Party’s National Committee who has committed to act as my bridge to REAGAN should he win.
6. When I delivered my speech in New York (August 4) I understand FM took my warnings lightly...thinking I was bluffing...After the display last week, I understand, he is taking my warnings more seriously...and after the scheduled follow-ups...my CREDIBILITY stone hit the high nineties...Here in the US, before the simultaneous bombing in Manila, many also took me lightly... NOW, I AM PERCEIVED AS THE NEW KHOMEINI and every top American executive has suddenly become very deferential...even the White House has asked me if I needed Secret Service protection...This after my series of speeches, TV shows and radio talk show endorsing Carter’s Human Rights policy and testifying to its efficacy, at least in so far as the Philippines is concerned. Carter has been vilified for his Human Rights policy...but since I have been personally WITNESSING for him, the White House has asked me to expand my coverage where REAGAN appears strong...I am obliging because I have a gut feeling CARTER WILL EVENTUALLY MAKE IT...Last month I was ready to write him off...the situation has changed since the convention and since Ted Kennedy has come out supporting Carter to the hilt.
By the time you read this letter, Apeng should be back home...Paping Sison was also through here and Pareng Apeng will give you all details.
I sent word to Monching M. thru Alex Esclamado last week...BAHALA na kayo sa statement... anything you write, I will confirm....
Tonight, I was told, TARUC is on his way here to convince me to return home and receive my amnesty from Marcos...Those guys must think I was born yesterday...unless Marcos talks to the opposition, we will keep the pressure here.
Frankly, I feel the damage I have caused him here in the US is unestimable. He has definitely lost his support. I HAVE SUCCEEDED TO PANIC foreign investors and judging from Dwight Allen’s report, from now on, FM will have a hard time rolling over his loans much less securing new loans. THE US PERCEPTION IS...FM is now terminal and the race between his health and the RP economy is on...no one wants to predict which will collapse first...FM’s health or the economy.
As soon as preparations are completed in Japan, I intend to work over the Japanese press and the industrialists...I will follow the same scenario...deliver the speeches and then the BIG BANG to support my warnings and enhance my credibility...THE MOMENT THIS IS DONE...FM can kiss our economy goodbye.
By the way, SUGAR is now selling better than P350 per picul and pundits say, we may again see a P500 a picul price by next year. Meanwhile, we are only getting P105.
Ping, things have gone our way so far...I hope we can remain lucky and keep down casualties, otherwise, this entire exercise can be counter-productive. OUR INTENTION IS NEVER TO INJURE ANYONE...we want a peaceful transition but then MARCOS is the only one who can determine our future actions...this will be all for now... but remember, I AM COMMITTED to the death, if need be, to our people’s eventual LIBERATION!
Ninoy
June 16, 1983
Dear Peping:
Unless there is a major development, I shall return to Manila by the first week of August. I still do not know what carrier to take. There are some technical problems.
1. I am not inclined to take a PAL plane because the government can control the movement of this plane very closely. Should Marcos’s intelligence ascertain that a big crowd awaits me, they can delay the plane in Honolulu for several hours while the welcomers sweat it out in the MIA.
2. My choice is to take a Pan-Am flight from San Francisco via Tokyo. I’ll have someone notify you that my plane has taken off the moment I lift off from San Francisco. Then upon arrival and lift off from Tokyo, I shall have someone flash the signal too. I’ll only be four hours from Manila on my last stop. Hopefully, I’ll be accompanied by the TV crew that have already contacted me. HOWEVER, since I have no passport, Pan-Am may refuse to allow me to board. Any carrier is subject to a stiff fine if it allows any person to board its aircraft without a valid travel document. Hence, I’m intending to write our Embassy in Washington to request for a simple one-way travel document to the Philippines. This should answer the Pan-Am question. Of course, whether the embassy will issue me one valid only for the Philippines remains to be seen.
3. Expect a massive dis-information campaign. From time to time, Doroy and other Malacañang lackeys will say: Ninoy is coming, Ninoy not coming, Ninoy to arrive 30 July, Ninoy cancels return, Ninoy arriving 4 August etc. They will try to confuse and mislead the public. Hence, it is important that you set up a tight welcome committee who will take charge of his own welcoming group. The green light will be flashed to the team leaders who in turn will notify their group.
4. I need an impressive group at the airport to impress western journalists who are our only hope. It will also dispel Enrile’s statement that most opposition leaders have only themselves as followers. I’ve discussed this with Doy Laurel and I intend to take the matter up with him again when he visits me end of this month. You people have more than one month to prepare. When the count down begins: about two weeks before my actual departure, I’ll flash you the green light. Then you will receive the detailed schedule with pre-arranged signals. It is important that we coordinate our moves very closely.
5. I hope Pareng Monching will be more guarded with his off-hand remarks to the press...The ASIAWEEK story was perfect...but it would appear that I’m returning merely to regain lost ground – which is NOT TRUE and he should know because I discussed this at length with him here in Boston.
6. I entertain no illusions but that Marcos will send me back to my jail. That’s OK as I’m prepared. However, with all my pre-arrangement here, I think I can create enough international pressure to make him uncomfortable. At the most, I do not think I’ll spend more than three years in prison this time around and I intend to make the most of it.
7. Call Doc Martinez and the remaining LABAN loyalist. Discuss my arrival with them. This is the only favor I’m asking. Give me a warm reception and I’ll take care of the rest.
On June 23, 1983 I’ll testify before the House Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee on Pacific and Asian Affairs chaired by Rep. Stephen Solarz. When he learned I was returning to Manila, he decided to give me the last chance to enter all my position papers into the congressional records. Second week of July, the Democratic senators led by Kennedy and Tsongas, both of Massachusetts will give me another chance to appear before the Senate committee on foreign relations and later that evening, the two senators will host a dinner in my honor.
I’ve started my calls on the editors of major publications: Washington Post, New York Times, Boston Globe, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, etc...I’ve already been interviewed extensively by the editors of the Christian Science Monitor and next week I have a session with the Newsweek people.
If I can keep the enthusiasm till December of this year, I am sure, when the 1984 polls rolls in, the 1984 election fever shall have caught on for the important linkage.
I still do not know the decision of our partymates re the elections: to participate or not, but whatever the UNIDO decides, I think I should start to reorganize the LP grassroots organizations by first reconvening the national directorate and then possibly call a national convention to decide where the party members want to go. If FM will not allow me to do limited political action work, I might have to call a few leaders to my prison and discuss the various modalities with them. I REALLY THINK, the Liberal Party must now decide whether it should remain or dissolve itself. This is one of my priority moves.
I understand you’ll be going to Australia soon. If you leave after getting this letter, please call me from Australia so we can discuss other points.
Meanwhile, let’s keep in close touch.
Ninoy
* * *
The year was 1983. Ninoy left America on August 14 with his Los Angeles-based friend Noy Brizuela. His brother-in-law Len Oreta joined them in Singapore. The three of them traveled together to Hong Kong and Taipei. Ninoy used a passport that bore his real name. They arrived in Singapore on the 19th of August. That same morning they transferred planes bound for Hong Kong. Without leaving Kai Tak airport, Ninoy switched to another passport bearing his nom de guerre Marcial Bonifacio. The three boarded China Airlines for Taipei where they stayed for two nights. At the Taipei airport the immigration officer questioned his passport. Something was unusual. The plane he took came in from Hong Kong but his passport was stamped as coming from Manila. Ninoy answered: "I transferred planes in Hong Kong for Taipei and came from Manila today also." Outside, Ninoy said, "Kamuntik na tayong mabuko." It was a cat-and-mouse journey. Ninoy knew Marcos’ agents were all around, monitoring his movements and relaying them to Manila he said to my husband Peping.
Ninoy left Len and Noy in Taipei on August 21. Ninoy boarded China Airlines Flight No. 811 at 11:10 in the morning. He thought he was safe in the company of his Japanese brother-in-law TV host and newsman Ken Kashiwahara of ABC. Sandra Burton of Time Magazine was with them. So were other journalists from Asiaweek, Globe, and Tokyo BBC. They were a party of 14 all in all.
Ninoy wore his white bush jacket, the same one he had on when he left the Philippines from his Fort Bonifacio cell in 1980 for medical treatment in America. He wore it at the Supreme Court to argue out his case. He wore it in one of our visits to Fort Bonifacio. I think it was Christmas or New Year or his birthday, the three occasions we were allowed to visit him. He now wore the same white bush jacket on his intended return. It was these clothes that he was buried in.
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