Defence post for Ramos

Press, 23 January 1988, Page 6

Defence post for Ramos

NZPA-Reuter Manila The Philippines President, Corazon Aquino, has named the Armed Forces chief, General Fidel Ramos, as the country’s new Defence Secretary.

In a television broadcast she said General Renato De Villa, the deputy chief of staff, would replace General Ramos.

The reshuffle became public with the sudden resignation of the Defence Secretary, Rafael Ileto, earlier He said his attempts to reorganise the Armed Forces had not been followed through.

General Ileto was close to tears as he announced his decision to quit. His resignation letter contained strong -but indirect criticism of General Ramos’s military leadership. General Ramos’s appointment yesterday as Defence Secretary may have put the cigar-chew-ing soldier on a spring-

board for the Presidency. The boost to perhaps the key Cabinet job in the rebellion-torn Philippines underlined his “Filipino Bonaparte” tag. Until President Aquino brought him into her Cabinet the diplomat’s son was known strictly as a professional soldier, preferring battle fatigues to a dress uniform.

A hard-driving physical fitness devotee with a penchant for parachuting, the move to a Cabinet Minister’s suit and tie seemed certain to increase speculation that he could bid to replace Mrs Aquino when her Presidential term ends in 1992.

He led the military revolt which, backed by a civilian uprising, brought Mrs Aquino to power two years ago and has played a key role in keeping her in the Maiacanang Presidential Palace.

He has helped put down five coup attempts and backed her through several Cabinet crises.