Every Sunday, “Back in the Day” looks at an article that ran on this date in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. The items are verbatim, so don’t blame us today for yesteryear’s bad grammar.
The highlight of the Blaisdell Center rally to honor Philippines President and Mrs. Ferdinand Marcos came at the end of a nearly three-hour-long program of speeches yesterday.
But by that time — about 3 p.m. — even some of the most ardent Marcos supporters had left and the estimated crowd of 5,000 had dwindled to less than half. But those who remained rose to their feet and cheered as Imelda Marcos took the microphone and sang a Filipino song that one person translates to "I Will Only Love You."
The crowd went wild when Marcos joined his wife and the two belted out a song in a duet.
The rally was sponsored by the Philippines government and, as usual, was highly organized and watched over carefully by security. …
Hundreds of supporters were brought to the arena by chartered buses. Many waved miniature Philippines flags and wore special white baseball-type caps and T-shirts emblazoned with pro-Marcos sentiments.
Marcos arrived at the arena with Gov. and Mrs. George Ariyoshi and a retinue of Philippines government officials shortly before 12:30 p.m., almost three hours after the first people were allowed into the arena.
Mrs. Marcos arrived about 10 minutes later.
Volume Services Inc. had been hired to cater lunch to the throngs of well-wishers. …
Members of a small but vocal anti-Marcos group — outside changing, "Hey, Marcos, Smile While You Can/Remember What Happened to the Shah of Iran" and "No U.S. Aid to the Marcos Regime/U.S. out of the Philippines" — did not enter the arena to partake of the free meal. …
The program was lengthy and filled with speeches, as various officials made spirited remarks in both English and Filipino. If there was a theme it was that life is good in the Philippines, thanks to Marcos. …
Gov. Ariyoshi drew an unintentional laugh when he said he wanted to welcome Marcos, "the president of the great Republic of Korea." He quickly recovered and said that’s what happens when you have so many ethnic groups in the state.
Marcos went to the microphone about 2 p.m., saying the gathering was the biggest crowd of Filipinos ever assembled in Hawaii and lauding "this effort to unite the Filipino communities."
