Word: aquinos
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...week's bungled takeover in Manila was a pretty tame affair. Few were hurt, and only one rebel soldier was killed. Despite some rock throwing and a few blasts of tear gas, the 61-hour drama often seemed more like a soap opera than a mutiny. Still, President Corazon Aquino did not need even a small rebellion on the eve of a critical vote on her proposed new constitution. She could not be happy that, for the second time in two months, she had to be rescued by her divided military. Nor could she be sanguine about a failed attempt...
...days earlier Wife Imelda had been spotted in a Waikiki military-surplus store buying $2,000 worth of combat gear. Moreover, a videotape had been seized in Manila that showed the deposed Marcos lifting dumbbells, shadowboxing and praying to return home. The cumulative impact hit like a bombshell. The Aquino government quickly alerted American officials, who bluntly warned Marcos that if he tried to return to the Philippines without permission, he would be refused re-entry into the U.S. Fumed Marcos: "I am being treated like a prisoner...
...timing of the bizarre events was hardly coincidental, inasmuch as this week's yes or no on a new constitution will serve as a test of Aquino's electoral strength. If the charter is resoundingly approved, the President will be assured a full six-year term and her political opposition will be effectively neutralized until 1992. "The plebiscite is the last chance for the Marcos loyalists," says a senior Western diplomat in Manila. If Aquino fails to secure at least 65% of the vote, the opposition may demand a snap presidential election. Aquino's former Defense Minister, Juan Ponce Enrile...
...heart of the military complaints is a sense that Aquino will bend more easily to meet the needs of the Communist guerrillas than she will to maintain the loyalty of her troops. It is now common to hear soldiers gripe that the Communist insurgents have got a "free ride" in the media since the cease-fire began last December. Another standard beef: guerrillas are not held accountable for human-rights abuses, but soldiers are. Asks one soldier: "If Aquino can be soft on the ((Communist)) rebels and offer them amnesty, why can't she treat the rebel soldiers...
That theme will undoubtedly be struck in the weeks ahead as the mutineers try to steer clear of punishment. Given Ramos' and Ileto's soft treatment of the dissident troops, it is possible that Aquino will find herself without their support in pushing for maximum penalties. If she steps back from her firm pledge to hold those involved to the "fullest account," she is certain to hear from leftist quarters. "If she can't make these guys face a firing squad," snipes a student leader, "the least she can do is arrest them...