|
|
|
| Current Issue |
|
|
| Resources |
|
|
|
The Philippines: Facing Political and Economic Disaster
| Article
# : |
19079 |
|
|
Section : |
CURRENT ISSUES
|
| Issue
Date : |
1 / 1991 |
2,282 Words |
| Author
: |
Jonathan Sikes
Jonathan Sikes is a free-lance journalist based in Bangkok. |
According to a senior Philippine military officer who declines to be identified, "If the vigilante killings go on and we aren't successful in neutralizing Sparrow hit men through legal means, we may suffer the fate of several Latin American governments. Many completely lost control of vigilantes, and the violence escalated." When Benjamin Tabuena's funeral procession was ambushed in Manila in October, leaving two people dead and his corpse dangling from an overturned casket, few mourners asked why--they were too busy scattering for cover. The attack by five masked gunmen with M-16s on the 60 bereaved was a rightist reprisal against the Philippine's most notorious communist hit man. For Tabuena, reputedly among the major strategists of the communist New People's Army's (NPA) urban terrorism campaign, there was no escape from violence even in death. The irreverent assault underscored the country's escalating political polarization.
Since sweeping into office in February 1986 on a euphoric wave of "People Power" that impressed the world, President Corazon Aquino has seen her noble dreams turn to dust. Besieged by an awesome array of political and economic calamities, her country appears to be on a bloody downward spiral more reminiscent of Latin America than its booming neighbors in the Pacific Rim.
The NPA, whose ranks have doubled to over 25,000 since Aquino took power, seems to be gaining ground, provoking a bloody reaction from forces on the Right. Fatalities among soldiers have risen 49 percent since 1986, and the violence has spread rampantly into the cities. In Manila, where the insurgency is a war of bloody street assassinations, opposition Senator Juan Ponce Enrile said last month that the NPA was winning, and declared ominously that: "We are surrounded." Clearly chagrined that Aquino's weak leadership has led to yet more corruption and violence and that no significant reforms have been made at any level, Philippinos are saying increasingly, "Cory should go."
Although Corazon Aquino has consistently stated that she won't be a candidate in 1992, the reemergence of Eduardo Cojuangco, her cousin, may prompt second thoughts. Reputed to be Marcos' most intimate crony and partner in economic crime, he has returned from political oblivion with a swagger unimaginable four years ago. In a classic commentary on Philippine politics, Cojuangco, who dodged bullets on his way to join Marcos at Clark Air Base for the flight into exile in February 1986, returned home last September with his political reputation not only intact but considerably enhanced. His open political activities and obvious efforts to rejuvinate the old
...
Read Full Article
Look for this article in Ask.com
|
|
