Word: manila
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...wake of Philippine opposition leader Benigno Aquino's murder, pressure had mounted on Reagan to cancel his visit to Manila scheduled for November. The trip, it was argued, could be seen only as a gesture of support for the brutal Marcos regime and tacit absolution for Marcos and his cronies for their likely involvement in the Aquino slaying. When Reagan actually decided on Monday to forego his Manila jaunt, there was some short-lived rejoicing within the anti-Marcos camp both here and in the Philippines. Reagan, it seemed, had seen the light of reason on at least one issue...
...Manila echoed as soldiers drove jeeps and trucks madly through the dusty streets, blowing horns, beating on fenders with iron pipe. Over the din sounded the shrill voices of children screaming: "Beectory . . . beectory...
Even amid last week's chaos, there were efforts to open a productive dialogue. Jaime Cardinal Sin, the Archbishop of Manila and an outspoken critic of Marcos, called for the formation of a National Reconciliation Council made up of representatives from the government, the church, the opposition and the private sector. He further sought free elections, a free press and release of political prisoners. Sin described his proposal as the last chance to avoid a "bloody revolution." Marcos dismissed the growing unrest as a transitory aberration, but he asked for a meeting with Sin to discuss the proposal...
...Philippines, like many other Third World nations, is deeply in debt to Western banks. Aquino's murder and the subsequent unrest came at a time of sharp economic slump and widespread rumors that Marcos is seriously ill. The result has been a palpable case of nerves among Manila's Western creditors. If Reagan were to take Manila off his itinerary, said Marcos, "it would be a blow to the country, because we have a ticklish monetary situation...
...power. It remains to be seen whether he can continue to be in control. As one diplomat puts it, "At the moment the situation is still retrievable, but it will not be that way for much longer." -By Jay D. Palmer. Reported by Sandra Burton and Nelly Sindayen/ Manila...