French Premier Throws Support to Aquino : Philippine Diplomats Renounce Marcos

Philippine diplomats in Spain and Britain on Sunday joined Philippine consular officials in the United States in renouncing the government of President Ferdinand E. Marcos, calling his Feb. 7 reelection over opposition leader Corazon Aquino a fraud.

In France, Premier Laurent Fabius said Sunday that his country supports Aquino in her struggle for leadership of the country. “France must show its support for democracy and state it is alongside Aquino,” he said in a television interview.

In Madrid, a top Philippine diplomat, who asked not to be identified, said he does not recognize Marcos as the legitimate ruler of the Pacific nation.

The diplomat said that Marcos’ election victory over opposition candidate Aquino, which was marred by charges of widespread fraud and violence committed by the government, was “the last straw.”

“The illegal leadership of our country has been unmasked as cheats and no less than assassins,” the diplomat said. “I’ve spoken to our people in Switzerland and London who agree.

“But our dilemma is that if we resign from our posts now, we will leave the embassies to Marcos loyalists,” he said. “I think we will be more effective if we remain within. . . . “

In London, Corazon Belmonte, first secretary in the Philippine Embassy’s consular section, told worshipers at a Roman Catholic Mass that she and several other Philippine diplomats in Britain do not recognize Marcos.

“We as civil servants, having sworn allegiance to the government of the Philippines, withdraw our support from Mr. Ferdinand Marcos as the lawful and legitimate president of the Philippines and appeal for him to resign,” she said.

In San Francisco, several dozen demonstrators broke into the Philippine Consulate and defaced pictures of Marcos and his wife Sunday night. They left peacefully when police arrived.

On Saturday, officials at the Los Angeles and Honolulu consulates said the diplomatic rebellion was in support of Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Lt. Gen. Fidel V. Ramos.

Speaking for the opposition group in Hawaii, Tomas Gomez said discussions were under way with other Philippine consulates in the United States. “Others will follow,” he said. “We still don’t know which ones.”

There was no immediate indication if Philippine consulates in New York, Seattle, Vancouver, Wash., San Francisco, Chicago and Houston would follow suit.