‘Cory’ inherits $26B headache from Marcos

Press, 27 February 1986, Page 6

‘Cory’ inherits $26B headache from Marcos

By

DAVID BRISCOE,

of the Associated Press, (through NZPA Manila The new Philippines President, Mrs Corazon Aquino, a self-described housewife who inspired millions of her compatriots to help her end the 20year rule of Ferdinand Marcos, has been left a country in near economic and political shambles. But her “people power” revolution, backed by the Catholic Church, promised a far different style of government than the one that brought the proAmerican, 85 per cent Catholic nation of 7100 islands and 54 million people to where it is.

Even before her victory she had already accomplished something that more experienced, wealthier, and more intellectual politicians had failed to do.

She unified an opposition that had been divided, reduced and disillusioned by Mr Marcos’s dominance of Philippines life, including eight years of martial law rule from 1972 to 1981.

“We must get somebody who is almost the complete opposite of what Mr Marcos is,” she said in announcing her candidacy the day after 25 military men and a civilian were acquitted for the assassination in 1983 of her husband, Benigno. One of those men, the deposed Armed Forces chief, General Fabian Ver, has fled. Another, Major-General Prospero Olivas, appeared on television with the newly promoted Chief of Staff, Lieu-tenant-General Fidel Ramos, Mrs Aquino’s military chief. But dealing with men once accused of killing her husband — she said Mr Marcos was always her No.l suspect — may be the least of her problems.

From Mr Marcos she inherited a SUS 26 billion ($49.4 billion) foreign debt, a falling peso, increasing inflation, serious poverty, apparent widespread corruption in government, a discredited judicial system, an oftenhated military, a Constitution designed for Mr Mar-

cos, and a growing Communist rebellion.

Her election also poses new problems — a now Opposition controlled Parliament and a jubilant following that covers a wide political spectrum. Not all can possibly be satisfied with everything she will do. She also has a powerfully articulate Vice-Presi-dent, Mr Salvador Laurel, whom she has also designated Prime Minister and who has been yearning to be President for years. The other first two appointments in her new Government are men who were among Mr Marcos’s most powerful and loyal supporters only three days earlier — the Defence Minister, Mr Juan Ponce Enrile, and General Ramos. In her two-month campaign Mrs Aquino made several specific promises that, if implemented, will make her Government far different from Mr Marcos’s.

She promised to rewrite the Marcos-designed Constitution, give up emergency arrest powers, re-

tire overstaying generals, free political prisoners, declare a slx-month cease-fire with Communist rebels, end Government monopolies in sugar and coconuts, and go ahead with local elections scheduled in May;

She also said she would not live in Malacanang Palace, ravaged by nearly 100,000 people, many of whom had likely never been allowed near its gates. She' promised to give the palace to the people for weddings and other events.

If she keeps that pledge, one of her first problems would be finding a place to live. The mother of five has been living in a one-storey house on Times Street, with a carport extending from the house to the low, metal front gate. But a joke being told in Manila says that she already has a great advantage over Mr Marcos: she won’t have a First Lady. In losing Mr Marcos the country has also lost from the Government his controversial, globe-trotting wife, Imelda.