Marcos takes Aquino report

Press, 24 October 1984, Page 10

Marcos takes Aquino report

NZPA-AP Manila The Philippines’ President, Mr Ferdinand Marcos, accepted yesterday one of two reports from a panel he appointed to investigate the Benigno Aquino assassination and announced that the case would be sent immediately to a special court “because the persons involved are military men.” The Board’s chairwoman, Mrs Justice Corazon Agrava, handed her report on the killing of August 21, 1983, to Mr Marcos as four other members of her panel announced that they would issue “the board’s report” to the public today. A source said that they differed over. Mrs Agrava’s unwillingness to accuse Mr Marcos’s top military commander of complicity. Neither Mr Marcos nor Mrs Agrava disclosed any details from her report, which was handed over in brief ceremonies at the presidential palace. Mr Marcos and the military' earlier had asserted that Mr Aquino was killed by a Communist agent as the President’s popular

:< rival was returning from three years’ voluntary exile in the United States. But he appointed the board a year ago and gave it what he said was complete independence to investigate the murder. There was no indication of whether the other four panel members would submit their report to Mr Marcos or how it would be accepted. The four issued only a brief announcement saying that they would not be able to join Mrs Agrava. News leaks from other panel members had indicated that the primary difference was over whether to accuse the Armed Forces chief, General Fabian Ver, of complicity in the crime. Mrs Agrava was reportedly against it. Asked if the split among board members would take away from their findings, Mrs Agrava said, “On the contrary, the reports will be more illuminating showing the independence of mind of the board members.”