Word: honasan
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...initial euphoria over Aquino's surviving the revolt began to fade, the government found itself confronted with yet another problem. The mutiny's charismatic leader, Colonel Gregorio ("Gringo") Honasan, 39, and as many as 2,000 followers were still at large. Last week they announced the formation of a fugitive junta and promised to challenge Aquino for control of the country. Moreover, a majority of the armed forces who remained loyal to the President nonetheless appeared sympathetic to Honasan's cause. Aquino thus found herself in a delicate position: if she does not deal firmly with the rebels, they...
...height of the coup attempt, Honasan used his brief moments on television to advocate military revitalization and accuse Aquino of being soft on the guerrillas of the Communist New People's Army. He castigated the government for neglecting the lot of the common soldier, who earns a modest $75 a month, including a daily food allowance of 60 cents. The troops must also endure inadequate equipment, medical supplies and even death benefits while fighting the N.P.A...
...that would raise military salaries by 60%. Aquino also tried an old ploy: reaching for the halo of political sainthood. Playing on the meaning of corazon, she called herself the "heart of the republic" and said the rebels' aim "was clearly to kill the President and her family." Of Honasan's goals, she said, "Let not idealism be used to cover the darkest crimes and ambitions of men whose actions only show their hatred of democracy and their contempt for the lives of others...
Indeed, the rebels lacked so much as a whiff of support from the Roman Catholic Church and the business community, without which no junta could hope to undermine Aquino's immense popularity. But while the charges against the government were an obvious smokescreen for Honasan's ambitions, they served again to remind many Filipinos of Aquino's shortcomings. The rebels, admits Haydee Yorac, a member of Aquino's commission on elections, "are riding on legitimate issues that should be addressed...
...military men are generally sympathetic to Honasan's complaints, if not his actions. That will make it hard for Aquino to get tough without demoralizing the soldiers who remain the shield of her democratic government. The key may lie in taking dramatic steps -- improving conditions for the military, stepping up assaults on the guerrillas -- to allay her troops' concern, even as she disciplines the rebels. Indeed, some officers may have toed the Aquino line because of a threat to their goals. At the height of the coup attempt, Washington passed word to coup leaders that if they were successful...