Philippines No. 2 urges end to rule-by-decree

Press, 21 April 1986, Page 6

Philippines No. 2 urges end to rule-by-decree

NZPA-AP : Manila The Philippine? VicePresident, Mr Salvador Laurel, has ured his President, Mrs porazon Aquino, to repine her rule-by-decree wife a constitutional Governnent by November. i He said at the reek-end that Mrs Aquino should speed up her tinetable for writing a Constitution and for sc|eduling elections for Iqlslators and local officials Mr Laurel, whcis also Prime Minister- and Foreign Minister, told an alumni meeting at the University of ttie Philippines, that politick stability was the key « economic recovery. “Ke can not begin our eionomic programme unless we put our house in or(er. We can not discuss that we are to eat for lunh while our house is still a fire.” Mrs Aquino hs ; . ruled

by decree since shortly after the ousting of the former President, Ferdinand Marcos. She has set no firm timetable for the return of constitutional Government.

Mrs Aquino has said she wants to write a new Constitution and hold elections by early 1987, and asked for patience while she was dismantling Mr Marcos’ political framework.

A former senator, Lorenzo Tanada, considered to be a patriarch of the anti-Marcos forces and until recently one of Mrs Aquino’s closest advisers, criticised her at another speech at the alumni meeting. Mr Tanada, aged 87, said members of the Con-stitution-writing commission should be elected, rather than chosen by Mrs Aquino. He said an elected commission would

ensure that the new Constitution would accurately reflect the sovereign will of the people. Mrs Aquino’s Government faces growing discontent over summary replacement of local officials with authorities entitled officers-in-charge, or 0.1.C.5, and over the abolition of the National Assembly. Mr Laurel said that by bringing about constitutional Government, “we could quickly put an end to such aberrations as a rump Parliament, preposterous claims to the Presidency or Vice-Presidency, unpopular 0.1.C.5, and empty threats about the return of a self-pro-claimed Govemment-in-exile which is now funding pathetic demonstrations of so-called people’s will, which is a poor imitation of people’s power.”