Word: aquinos
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...class of 1950 described Graduating Cadet Fidel V. ("Eddie") Ramos. It was a prescient judgment. Since he became Chief of Staff of the armed forces of the Philippines ten months ago, General Ramos has shouldered more than his share of the decision-making burden within President Corazon Aquino's fledgling government...
Last February, Ramos joined with Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile to throw the weight of the armed forces behind Presidential Candidate Aquino; that dramatic endorsement helped topple former President Ferdinand Marcos. As coup rumors swirled on the eve of President Aquino's trip to Japan last month, Ramos curtailed restive officers by warning them that any rebellious action would be "bloody and destabilizing." Early last week he acted again, this time averting an apparent coup attempt by preventing Enrile and rebel officers from bypassing the chain of command. By birth and training, Ramos, 58, is a Manila insider...
...Evidence surfaced last week of pressure on Aquino from the Defense Minister and a small group of army officers known as the Reform the Armed Forces Movement. The group was formed in March 1985 to counter the corruption within the military that had flourished under Marcos, who last week learned that his plans to move from Hawaii to Switzerland had been blocked by the Swiss government. Senior military sources disclosed that armed forces commanders, including Ramos, had given the President a letter proposing that she delegate all authority concerning national security to the Defense Minister and asking for her answer...
Earlier in the week Aquino seemed to harden her stance against the rebels, who have refused to discuss a cease-fire since Olalia's murder. Said the President: "We shall never be slaves again -- not to the Communists, who did nothing to help us recover our democracy, nor to the sad remnants of the right who hanker to be our masters again." In the next six weeks the President must continue to reassert her authority in a way that will satisfy the nation and dissipate the rebellious mood within the armed forces...
...Aquino's goal will be to get past Feb. 2, when her countrymen will vote on whether to ratify the new constitution, which strengthens the powers of the presidency. Increasingly, the future stability of her government depends on Ramos. The popular professional soldier has dramatically proved his loyalty to Aquino, but he has also made known his deep concerns about the country's security...