Coup failure no surprise

Press, 8 July 1986, Page 8

Coup failure no surprise

Wellington reporter The Prime Minister, Mr Lange, was not surprised that the coup against the Philippine President, Mrs Aquino, petered out yesterday. He said he had not thought the coup had any prospect of surviving, but that Mrs Aquino’s predecessor, Mr Ferdinand Marcos, could go on funding Manila dissidents at then; present rate without® «wn denting his personal

fortune. For this reason, Mr Lange seemed to expect more trouble, saying he had no doubt some of “that stuff’ would emerge from time to time. Mr Lange said, however, that Mrs Aquino still had a firm grasp on the popular will, and would hold this for some time, particularly in the countryside. He said he had noticed some change in the mood

at Manila since his March visit but that in the rural areas Mrs Aquino’s reception had been “quite ecstatic.” She would need to deliver some relief to her supporters from the rigours of their lives, but Mr Lange said that with the support of the international community, he thought she would be “able to do something of that.” 1 ?' Attempted coup, page 10