Marcos Directing Anti-Aquino Moves, Magazine Reports

Deposed Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marcos is personally directing a new campaign to disrupt the government of Corazon Aquino, in which his exiled loyalists siphon large amounts of cash to allies into their native land, Newsweek magazine reported Sunday.

The magazine quoted sources in Manila as saying the Marcos associates have been channeling the cash into the southern Philippines through smuggling routes in the neighboring Malaysian state of Sabah. After passing through Muslim politicians and warlords still loyal to Marcos, the money is then distributed by Marcos supporters to finance demonstrations, civil disobedience and possibly small-scale guerrilla actions across the country, the magazine said.

Marcos, who now lives in Hawaii, denied the allegation in an interview published in the magazine’s Sept. 22 edition. “Why should I?” said Marcos, who ruled the Philippines for 20 years. “They are destabilizing themselves.”