22/09/2021
ON "CONJUGAL DICTATORSHIP" AUTHOR, ANTI-MARCOS JOURNALIST PRIMITIVO MIJARES
In yesterday's episode of , I mentioned a declassified 1975 US diplomatic cable where the US Embassy in Manila wrote to then US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, describing the now-famous Primitivo Mijares. Kissinger was inquiring about Mijares' US press conference held a few days prior, where Mijares condemned the Marcos Administration.
Here are excerpts of the cables (telegrams), along with links to the complete documents, as uploaded and hosted by the United States Government.
(UPDATES 1. These are actually TWO cables, one dated 22 Feb 1975 and another dated 2 days later on 24 Feb 1975, both covering the same topic. Links to both cables provided in this post. 2. Provided mirror links / alternate uploads via Wikileaks, in case you guys overloaded the official US gov't site.)
Again, these are excerpts from declassified Feb 1975 diplomatic cables from then US Ambassador to the Philippines William H. Sullivan and addressed to then US Secretary of State. Henry Kissinger.
In these telegrams, Amb. Sullivan commented on a San Francisco press conference held a few days prior by Marcos propagandist Primitivo Mijares, who defected and threatened to write a tell-all book against President Marcos. The said book was enventually published in 1976 with the title "The Conjugal Dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos".
DATE: 22 Feb 1975
SUBJ: National Referendum: Religious, Labor and Students Hold Rallies
FROM: US Embassy Manila
TO: Secretary of State
DOC. NO.: 1975MANILA02294
LINK (US Gov't): https://aad.archives.gov/aad/createpdf?rid=97794&dt=2476&dl=1345
MIRROR: (WikiLeaks): https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1975MANILA02294_b.html
Commenting on Mijares, Sullivan wrote:
"Marcos may be in for more criticism this time from regime publicist Primativo Mujares (sic) who has reportedly defected in San Francisco and is threatening to tell all, including how he helped rig 1973 referendum. Mijares, a thorough scoundrel, was under investigation for interalia gambling away $50,000 in government funds in Las Vegas."
Now, Here's the other one.
DATE: 24 Feb 1975
SUBJ: Total Toady Turns Again: Primitivo Mijares Defects
FROM: US Embassy Manila
TO: US Secretary of State
DOC. NO.: 1975MANILA02351
SOURCE: US National Archives and Records Administration
LINK (US Gov't) https://aad.archives.gov/aad/createpdf?rid=97560&dt=2476&dl=1345
MIRROR (Wikileaks): https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1975MANILA02351_b.html
Sullivan added:
"Mission able confirm Primitivo Mijares, former chairman Media Advisory Council (abolished November 1974) and well-known Philippine columnist and Marcos apologist has in fact abandoned new society... Mijares' move not surprising to Manila community which recognizes him as complete opportunist who recently was feeling hot breath of martial law regime for certain recent extra-curricular activities. Allegedly, Mijares gambled away 50,000 dollars of GOP funds during a 1974 Las Vegas visit, misappropriated for personal use 7,000 dollars of the first lady's personal funds and attempted to r**e a well-connected Philippine foreign service secretary while in New York for the trade center opening, all of which accumulated to make prospect of return to Philippines decreasingly attractive."
"Final push to action may in fact have been provided by Philippine opposition group in US and financial inducements of Lopez family members. Local Lopezes got word of San Francisco story February 21 and quickly began telephoning glad news around town."
P.S. The link to the document featured in the accompanying can be found above. BUT YOU CAN READ ALL THE DECLASSIFIED US DIPLOMATIC CABLES FOR YOURSELF, AND HERE'S THE LINK TO ENTIRE ARCHIVE:
https://aad.archives.gov/aad/series-list.jsp?cat=all
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