HOLD AID TO MANILA, FASCELL SAYS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000504870044-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 23, 2012
• Sequence Number: 44
• Publication Date: February 15, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/02/23: CIA-RDP90-00965R000504870044-3
ON PAGE- Z1 1 15 February 1986
Hold Aid
To Manila,
Fascelf Says
congressional Rancor
Over Election Grows
By Joanne Oniang
Washhigton Post staff writer
Rep: Dante B. Fascell (D-Fla.),
chairman of the House Foreign Af-
fairs Committee, yesterday joined
the growing chorus of influential
members of Congress calling on
President Reagan for decisive ac-
tion to condemn election fraud and
violence allegedly committed by the
government of Philippine President
Ferdinand Marcos.
In a letter to Reagan, Fascell said
Marcos "shoulders the direct re-
sponsibility" for "blatant manipula-
tion and gross disregard for dem-
ocratic principles" in the Feb. 7
election.
"Accordingly, I urge you to con-
sider the immediate suspension of
all military and economic assistance
to the Philippines pending a full ex-
ecutive branch review of policy to-
ward that country," Fascell wrote.
Sen. Mark 0. Hatfield (R-Ore.),
chairman of the Senate Appropri-
ations Committee, said in Salem,,
Ore., yesterday that even if certi-
fled as winner of the election, Mar-
icos should resign. If Marcos re-
mains in power he will have to de-
clare martial law to avoid violence,
Hatfield added.
The comments by Fascell and
Hatfield were the most recent to
join the American chorus condemn-
ing the election tactics and urging a
vigorous U.S. response.
Strop statements Thursday by
Senate Majority Leader Kobert J.
to Armed Ser-
to have triggered an even more
esprea effort to move Reagan
off the fence he iss ddf since
u that a r-
aps s occurring on otn~ides"
e Mimes.
The bipartisan reaction to the
tdud allegations reflects a consen-
sus on the need for Philippine re-
form that was forged between Con-
gress and the White House many
months before the election.
Tha consensus, which included
tonservatNes as well as liberals,
was cited insistently to Marcos last
year by administration officials, who
urged him to curb corruption, re-
form his armed forces and restruc-
ture the: Philippine, economy in or-
der to save his nation-and strate-
gic U.S. military bases-from a
communist insurgency.
Now, however, "everyone seems
to be in agreement on the fraud ex-
cept the White House," a key Re-
publican Senate aide said.
Fascell also asked Reagan for "a
firm and consistent policy toward
the Philippines," adding, "your re-
cent comments may have only had
the effect of encouraging President
Marcos to continue his manipulative
efforts."
t An aid suspension, Fascell con-
tinued, "is a prudent and necessary
step in light of the inevitable dam-
age the United States will suffer if
it fails to distance itself from a re-
gime which has obviously decided to
stay in power regardless of the con-
sequences of thwarting the demo-
cratic process and the will of the
people."
Hatfield recommended that after
Marcos is declared the winner by
his legislative assembly-a decision
expected imminently-he should
name opposition vice presidential
candidate Salvador Laurel to be his
vice president.
"Marcos should then step aside
and let Laurel take over with the
understanding that Marcos would
stand trial," Hatfield said.
There is no indication that Mar-
cos, Laurel or opposition presiden-
tial candidate Corazon Aquino
would accept any such offer.
k Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (D-
,Mo.) said "the election won't be
'over until the American president
s voted " He urged Reagan to
w fuse recognition "to an election
on through fraud and intimida-
"There's a shift under way" in
Congress, said Rep. Jim Leach (R-
Iowa), ranking minority member of
the Foreign Affairs subcommittee
,on Asian and Pacific affairs. "No one
J %s played the American support
-issue, more effectively than Marcos
in the past, but the 20-year honey-
moon is over."
He said the Reagan administra-
tion "should indicate that we stand
hind our principles, which happen
to be coincide with the aims of the
democratic opposition" in the Phil-
ippines.
"I think we ought to be sending to
Marcos today the same plane we
sent last week to Baby Doc," Leach
said, referring to the American jet
that transported ousted Haitian dic-
tator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Du-
valier to France.
vices Committee ranking Democrat
JiMNunn (Ga.) and Senate In ei-
nce Committee Chairman David
uren rger . appeared
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/02/23: CIA-RDP90-00965R000504870044-3