Aquino Wins Foes’ Support After Marcos Phones Home : She Will Let Mayors Keep Posts

Facing a political crisis that has thrown the machinery of national and local government into chaos throughout the country, the remnants of Ferdinand E. Marcos’ political party today extended a qualified hand of support to President Corazon Aquino.

In an “emotionally charged” party caucus that took place after Marcos personally telephoned his party leaders from exile in Hawaii this morning, the political loyalists Marcos left behind pledged that they will “try to assist and help” Aquino in legitimizing her mandate as president, provided she does not immediately ax all 1,519 largely Marcos-backed town mayors, some of whom physically barricaded themselves inside their offices today.

Aquino’s defense minister, Juan Ponce Enrile, who is still a member of Marcos’ party, was noticeably absent from today’s caucus, a sign of his pledge to remain nonpartisan.

But just before the caucus ended, Enrile, who led the military revolt that hastened Marcos’ departure last week, called and conveyed a promise by Aquino to allow all local officials to remain in office at least until June 30. The announcement brought a loud cheer from the party members.

What Kind of Government?

At the heart of the crisis is uncertainty over just what kind of government Aquino now heads--a constitutional government that will obey the dictates of the nation’s 1973 Marcos-amended constitution or a revolutionary government in which Aquino would have the absolute power to dissolve the National Assembly and the Supreme Court, both currently dominated by Marcos loyalists.

Technically, Marcos defeated Aquino by 1.5 million votes in the Feb. 7 election. He was duly sworn into office just a few hours before he fled the country.

Aquino, however, claims that Marcos rigged the returns, and she too was proclaimed president hours before Marcos left the country, but the ceremony took place in a suburban country club and was not constitutionally proper.

Nonetheless, Aquino, 53, is recognized as the undisputed leader of the Philippines by the nation and the world. Not even the leaders of Marcos’ New Society Movement party disputed that. Rather, the purpose of their caucus was an attempt to preserve as much power as they can amid threats by factions within the Aquino government to try to take power on every level of government.

‘Already Uncontested’

“The Aquino government in power today is already uncontested and has won the acceptance of the people,” said former Labor Minister Blas Ople, who was Marcos’ top campaign aide and a key supporter of Marcos in the assembly. “I certainly do not believe there is any government in exile outside the Philippines.

“But you can see there is a groping for legitimacy on the part of the Aquino government. . . . You simply cannot form a policy on the basis of storming the Bastille every day or on the basis of street power.”

At a press conference this afternoon, Aquino’s vice president, Salvador (Doy) Laurel, called for immediate action on forming a new constitution, which he said could be drafted in 90 days.

Laurel refused to use either the term constitutional or revolutionary in describing the new government, instead calling it de jure (legal) and de facto because Marcos fled the country and his running mate, Arturo Tolentino, did not take the oath of office.

But Laurel conceded that there is a crisis in the government. “Right now we’re in a state of fluidity,” he said. “One school believes this is a revolutionary government. Another says it’s a de jure government because of the recognition by foreign countries.”