Marcos Warns of Strong Response to Any Violence

President Ferdinand E. Marcos, in a fire-breathing speech at the last rally of a bitter 57-day election campaign, today warned that his government is strong enough to handle any trouble started by a disaffected opposition.

Hours earlier, soldiers attacked a motorcade carrying supporters of opposition candidate Corazon Aquino, smashing car windows, roughing up a U.S. camera crew and threatening participants with death.

There were no serious injuries in the incident near Aquino’s hometown north of Manila but it marked the first time election violence had reached so close to a candidate.

“You have sown the atmosphere of hatred, of anger and of revolution,” Marcos said in a pointed reference to reports that the opposition would launch a campaign of civil disobedience if Marcos remained improperly in power after Friday’s election.

“We are equal to any situation that you can start. I would prefer reconciliation. I ask that we all join and unite in order to solve the problems of our country. But if you insist on using violence, then violence it is and we will show you that we can handle anything.”

In a later interview taped for tonight’s broadcast on ABC television’s “Nightline” program, Marcos combatively offered to return his U.S. war medals and said the United States could abandon its military bases in the Philippines but would be hard-pressed to replace them.

“If the Americans want them back they can get them,” he said of the medals. “It is a good thing we did not burn them at the end of the war when you refused to give back salaries to which (Filipino) veterans are entitled, educational benefits and medical benefits.”

The outdoor rally was hit by an hourlong tropical downpour shortly before Marcos was scheduled to speak, leaving only about 30,000 supporters to greet the president when he mounted the podium at the seaside Luneta Park in downtown Manila. Police estimated there were 300,000 people at the rally before the downpour.

Tens of thousands of people were ferried to the rally aboard municipal garbage trucks, buses, jeeps and a naval vessel.

Stones Thrown at Buses

Aquino supporters threw stones at buses heading to the rally and heckled passengers--many of whom responded by flashing the opposition sign of protest or waving peso notes to indicate that they had been paid to attend.

Aquino’s rally in the same park Tuesday night drew a crowd estimated by police at nearly 1 million people.