CIA? Hukbalahap? Foul play? Grandson shares discoveries on Ramon Magsaysay’s death
MANILA, Philippines — It has been almost 70 years ago when the country’s seventh president, Ramon Magsaysay, was killed in a plane crash on March 17, 1957.
On March 16, 1957, Magsaysay left Manila to speak at a convention in Cebu City for United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) veterans and at the graduation ceremonies of three schools, University of San Carlos, Southwestern Colleges and University of the Visayas, where he was also conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws.
At around 1 a.m. of March 17, Magsaysay and others boarded the presidential plane “Mt. Pinatubo” on their way back to Manila.
But in the early morning of March 17, the plane was reported missing. By the afternoon, reports spread that the plane crashed on Mount Manunggal in Cebu, killing all those onboard, including Magsaysay, except for journalist Nestor Mata, the only survivor of the crash.
In an exclusive interview with Philstar.com last January, the late president’s grandson, Francisco “Paco” Magsaysay, shared what their family thought about the plane crash.
About speculations that the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was behind the crash, Paco said: “Well, I heard about that, and I remember the first time I went to Mount Manunggal in Cebu. I was wondering why the engine of the plane was still there. After so many years. I was like, wondering, how come they didn't bring it down to Manila to have it inspected or checked? But, you know, it's been so long already, and we're not here to point fingers. And, the times were very different back then to what it is now. So I'm not saying it didn't happen, but I'm also saying that it possibly could have happened. You know? So, you know, I'm not here to deny it or to say that it did happen. But when you look at it, parang you can see why people say that. You know? Why they say that there was some connection between the CIA and the death of my lolo. But, you know, it's something that we just leave it at that.”
About rumors that rebel group Hukbalahap or “Huks” was allegedly behind the crash, Paco said: “I don't think it would have been the Huks simply because they were actually, they actually liked my Lolo. Because they saw that he was not abusing his position. And the things that he promised them, he actually gave to them. That's why he had many Huks surrendered to him personally.”
Paco shared that he and his family even became friends with an assassin hired to kill his Lolo.
“In fact, his first few months in office, if you can check the story, there was an assassin who was supposed to do a contract and kill my lolo. So this guy, something Boy, I met this guy. I met him in the ‘80s in my Lola's house. He would go to my Lola. So the story is he goes to my lolo, pretends to be somebody else, goes to my lolo, pulls out a gun, and he says, ‘President Magsaysay, I was supposed to come here to kill you, but I'm putting my gun down. I don't wanna kill you, but I wanna be your friend.’ And, he became a friend of the family,” he narrated.
“I would see him in Wack-wack, in my Lola's house when she was still alive. He would join the gatherings. So I was like, okay? So this guy was supposed to kill my lolo and he's here now. So yeah. So even the Huks, the Huks could have killed him easily many times because he would go into their (hideout), wala naman bodyguard ‘yung lolo ko eh. He would go around without a bodyguard. Wala siyang barricade of security, wala siyang gano’n. So if somebody wanted to kill him, he wouldn't have lasted four years in office. He would have been killed a lot earlier. But since people saw that he was doing things for the people, he wasn't enriching himself. They felt close to him. They liked him. They celebrated him.”
Although he is not sure if the CIA would have taken his Lolo’s plane down, he admitted that their family did not dismiss that a foul play happened because Magsaysay was supposed to run for reelection as president.
“Well, you can't help but think that because, ‘yun nga, he was gonna run unopposed,” Paco elaborated on the possibility of a foul play behind his grandfather’s death.
“So he would have another three years. Kasi ang ano d’un is three years eh, ’54 to ‘57. So three-year term noon, but allowed to run for reelection. So kung tatakbo siya ng 1957, that would have kept him in office until 1960. And, since there was no kalaban, he was sure to win. So I guess, you know, for him to be removed from office, that was the only way to do it and change how things were being done because, you know, the big businessmen didn't like the fact that he was helping the poor so much. You know? He was anti-rich. He was helping the poor people.”
As an automobile mechanic and a World War II guerilla fighter for the Philippine Army, Magsaysay has been known as “The People’s President”, earning him the moniker, “Magsaysay is my guy.”
“In fact, this is a trivia for you ah, when he ran for reelection, kasi that time pwede pa ‘yung reelection eh. When he ran for reelection, in supposed to be for reelection in 1957. Walang gustong tumakbo against him because he was that strong with the people. So he was gonna run unopposed. Have you ever heard of that in our history that the president runs unopposed?” Paco pointed out.
“But that's how strong he was, the Liberal and the Nacionalista Party. There was just one candidate. The opposing party, the Liberal, did not put up a candidate because they knew they would lose. It's unheard of. It's unheard of. But that's history.”
