In February of 1971, radical students barricaded the University of the Philippines, fended off the QC police and metrocom, and staged what would be known as the "Diliman Commune". Taking control of the campus grounds and the state university's radio DZUP, they broadcast, on loop, a tape of an alleged tryst of Ferdinand Marcos and his paramour, American B-actress Dovie Beams. In the audio tape, Marcos was pleading with Beams to perform oral sex (i wonder if Marcos had some presidential cigars too...hmmm). The tape also featured FM's vocal prowess as he serenaded his Lovey Dovie with an incredibly romantic Ilokano love song: Pamulinawen.. (yah, that probably was the "Your Body is A Wonderland" of that era). Dovie Beams came to the Philippines in 1969 to film the war picture "Maharlika". Yes, based on the World War 2 exploits of a dashing lieutenant named Ferdinand Marcos and the unit he led: Maharlika. It starred other American lightweights but surprisingly also featured a performance by Oscar award-winning actor Broderick Crawford. Crawford won as Best Actor for his role as Willie Stark in the 1950 Oscar Best Picture "All The King's Men" (recently re-made by Steve Zaillian, starring Sean Penn). Maharlika was co-produced by Quentin Tarantino's idol, Cirio Santiago and a certain Val D' Auvrey (who never produced another film thereafter). The film was completed but never released here nor in the U.S.. As the rumors about FM's relationship with the bombshell Beams swirled about town, a miffed Imelda allegedly nixed the showing of "Maharlika". Beams hurriedly left the country in 1971, and was never heard from again. "Maharlika" resurfaced in 1985, on European videoshelves as "Guerilla Strike Force". FM should be grateful that cellphones nor the internet were not yet invented at that time otherwise you can bet that the FM-Dovie Beams would have been a big hit on YouTube next to the dancing inmates of Cebu. So who secretly taped the two? Well, at that time, everybody's favorite usual suspect: the CIA. Allegedly, with the knowledge of Beams, as blackmail against FM so the U.S. could have him by, pardon the pun, the balls, during this critical and paranoid Vietnam War era.
