Army mops up Filipino pockets of resistance

Press, 5 December 1989, Page 11

Army mops up Filipino pockets of resistance

NZPA-Reuter Manila Philippine troops tried yesterday to pick off pockets of army rebels making a last stand after their failed coup attempt The rebels were holed up atop apartment blocks and hotels in Manila’s business district. The echo of machine-gun and small arms fire ricocheted across the heavily populated area, where hundreds of foreign businessmen and tourists were trapped in luxury hotels. The Government of President Corazon Aquino said on Sunday that it had crushed a coup by mutinous marine and scout ranger units after three days of heavy fighting, but heavily armed anti-Aquino soldiers continued to hold the business centre of Makati. Mrs Aquino accused them of using the civilian population as “human shields” and said mopping up would be very difficult and might be prolonged. The Defence Secretary, FidelRamos, said he was ready to use whatever force needed to get them out. • > Government forces blockaded an area conjoining the Manila

Mandarin, Peninsula, Intercontinental and Nikko Garden hotels. Foreign military attaches said they believed that there were about 200 rebels staked out in the financial centre which . alsohouses dozens of foreign embassies and offices of multi-national corporations. ‘ , Rebel snipers, crouching on a concrete balcony, fired at two Government hovering overhead. ■ i The streets of the usually traf-fic-jammed district were deserted. The main Ayala Avenue was blocked by a rebel cement truck. Government troops and tanks cordoned off the area. In between firing, some rebels, wearing red head scarves, brewed coffee on a wood fire and ate loaves of brown bread. The anti-Aquino troops continued to hold out after many of their colleagues who spearheaded a bloody assault on the Manila military headquarters' had surrendered. . The Mayor of Makati, Jejomar coup attempt whs over. Makati hospitals said seven

people died and 30 Were wounded in the affluent district on Sunday. About 100 people ’ have been killed and more.,than J 300 wounded in the three-day ’ revolt,.the bloodiest of fix coujpr , attempts against* Mrs Aquino’ since she swept to power in a popular revolt in 1986. " ' In the central city of Cebugfe j rebels continued.: to ‘ hold g important Maptan air base. TWfe-?' £ air-force rebel commandenp*a<- ; f force Comendador, said he to negotiate. . ’ p A leader of the aborfjyearmv,. coup in the Philippines*&id thifa fc rebels just waWfed. JO ress|£t»/\£ Philippines from a corrupt GwjS® > ernment, not to create a military junta or rule through .martial law. In a stateMent published in yesterday’s "Manila > Tfrnes,” l, cashiered Colonels) GSworib . “Gringo”. Honasan accused Mrs a Aquino’s Goverjmeig ot reducing the' country towhe status or "an 4 international nbeggar,?' without self-respect and without honour.” . He said the-rebel? wire, just - effective inStiunM«te;4>c<, i guaramee ’ good Government? • jL' ‘ |