CORY'S MOMENT OF TRUTH

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000504400005-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 17, 2012
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: November 21, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

ST Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/17: CIA-RDP90-00965R000504400005-7
C-4
WASHINGTON TIMES
21 November 1986
Cory's moment
of truth
CORD MEYER
After a successful trip
to Tokyo to obtain
Japanese assurances
of large new loans
and grants for the ail-
ing Philippine econ-
omy, President Corazon Aquino has
returned to Manila only to find her-
self beleaguered by new threats to
her unsteady government from both
left and right.
In an atmosphere of rising ten-
sion. the brutal murders in Manila
and the kidnapping of a prominent
Japanese businessman tend to polar-
ize Philippine society further and to
make more difficult the democratic
reconstruction that Mrs. Aquino's
election appeared to promise.
At a time when Mrs. Aquino needs
all the help she can get, the Reagan
administration fortunately is united
on a coherent and realistic plan to
assist her. In the Philippines in
refreshing contrast to the confusion
and cross-purposes of American
policy toward Iran - State, Defense,
the CIA, and the National Securit
Council staff are working together
toward ob jectives they all shay The
underlying assumption of the Rea-
gan administration's approach to
this complex and dangerous Philip-
pine crisis is that there is no viable
alternative to the presidency of Mrs.
Corazon Aquino, if there is to be a
real chance of defeating the Com-
munist insurgency and establishing
a democratic order.
She continues to retain much of
her enormous personal pop-
ularity, and any attempt to
kick her upstairs or to re-
move her from office would only
play into the hands of the well-
organized Communist Party and its
front groups.
Guided by this basic assessment
of Mrs. Aquino's indispensability,
Reagan officials have orchestrated a
series of forceful moves in the last
few days to drive home the point that
those Filipinos who seek to over-
throw her must face the determined
opposition of the U.S. government.
For example, through a number
of highly credible channels. Defense
Minister Juan Ponce Enrile has been
warned that all forms of U.S. aid to
the Philippines will be halted if he
takes over the government.
Mr. Enrile and his coup-plotting
colonels have also been cautioned
that a move by them against Pres-
ident Aquino will compel the United
States to withdraw from interna-
tional loan arrangements for the
Philippines and to discourage all
American business investment in
the country. As one Reagan official
remarked, "They know now, if they
pull a coup, they won't get a dime."
On the positive side, Reagan of-
ficials have intervened effectively to
persuade the Japanese government
to increase its economic assistance
to the Aquino regime. And the Amer-
ican commercial banks are being en-
couraged to be generous in their at-
tempt to renegotiate their Philippine
loans.
Even with all this aid and encour-
agement from the United States,
Mrs. Aquino is seen to be in danger
of being overwhelmed by events, un-
less she moves decisively to address
certain fundamental issues crucial
to her survival in the jungle of Phil-
ippine politics. In the days ahead, the
able U.S. ambassador in ,Manila, Ste-
phen Bosworth, will be bringing the
following critical problems to her ur-
gent attention.
first, Mrs. Aquino has yet to
persuade even her strong
supporters in the Philippine
military
stands the threat posed by the Com-
munist insurgency and what needs
to be done to contain it. While she
seeks negotiations with the guerril-
las, she must include her loyal army
commanders in the formulation of
the negotiating strategy; for they will
have to pay with their lives for
unwise concessions.
Similarly, the colonels in the Re-
form the Armed Forces 141avement
will continue to win new recruits for
their coup Plotting unless she acts
decisively to remove from her gov-
ernment ministers who have proved
completely incompetent.
Finally, there are two immediate
problems on which she cannot afford
to delay. American intelligence con-
firms reports that the re has titan
recent surge of Communist infi
tion in t e Man a ar
nee or pre emptive arrests is ur
gent-
Second, Mr. Enrile is known to
have hard evidence of growing cor-
ruption on the part of a few of Mrs.
Aquino's Cabinet ministers, and it is
important for her to discipline them
before he can use it against her.
Perhaps most important of all,
Mrs. Aquino needs to demonstrate
that behind her conciliatory ap-
proach there is a determined woman
who is able and willing to use power.
In these next two months before
the plebiscite on the Constitution,
she faces her moment of truth and
every policymaker in Washington
fervently hopes she will rise to the
occasion.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/17: CIA-RDP90-00965R000504400005-7