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The Garcia administration also took a lively interest in distributing the $550 million worth of war reparations due from Japan. While delaying nomination of the three-man commission that was supposed by law to handle the reparations, the administration distributed millions itself, and Garcia's secretary refused to turn over his records to Congress.
Shadow Cabinet. Sitting in an outer wing of the presidential palace watching these goings-on is young Vice President, Diosdado Macapagal, a Magsaysay follower who, running on the Liberal ticket, got more votes for Veep than did Nacionalista Garcia for President. Since Macapagal refused to change his party after the election, Garcia barred him from any Cabinet post. Completely isolated ("I only learn what's going on from reading the newspapers"), Macapagal has been subjected to every kind of palace snub. If his air conditioner breaks down, maintenance men take weeks to fix it. When official limousines were handed out, he got a rattletrap that Garcia himself had long ago discarded.
But Macapagal has gathered round him a shadow cabinet of advisers, and set up his own intelligence service in the government. Last week, as President Garcia blithely mapped his strategy for getting another $300 million from the U.S. during his forthcoming visit to Washington this spring, Macapagal's sleuths began seeking evidence of corruption.
"When we get the necessary evidence assembled." says Macapagal, "we plan to bring criminal charges against this man. And then we will impeach him."