Top Leftist Leader Who Vowed to Protect Aquino Is Tortured, Slain

A top leftist leader who vowed that his 800,000 union followers would protect President Corazon Aquino from military plotters was kidnaped, tortured and murdered hours before she returned from Japan today.

The military denied involvement in the killing.

Officials of the Partido ng Bayan (People’s Party) said their 50-year-old leader, Rolando Olalia, was abducted Wednesday night.

His body was discovered today along a suburban highway. He had been stabbed repeatedly and shot twice in the body and four times in the head. His right eye was gouged out, his hands were tied together and newspapers were stuffed in his mouth.

Driver Also Slain

The body of his driver was found about two miles from where police found Olalia’s body.

Officials said Olalia’s body was so badly mutilated that relatives identified it by a scar on the right leg.

Both men disappeared after Olalia attended a meeting of the KMU union, which he also headed. His political party, with 100,000 members, is the largest left-wing party in the country and the KMU, with 800,000, is the biggest union.

Within hours of the discovery, the People’s Party group announced it would mount protests and demonstrations and blamed ultra-rightists in the government for the slayings.

“If the government does not make a decisive stand (on the Olalia murder), it is only the beginning of a series of moves for the full restoration of fascist rule,” said Bayan official Loretta Rosales.

‘Render Justice’

In a nationally televised interview, Olalia’s son Ronald urged Aquino “to render justice for the murder of my father.” He told The Associated Press that he suspected the military was behind the killing but had no proof.

Aquino returned saying she had gone to Japan with hesitation because of “dark rumors” spreading in Manila. She was referring to rumors that a coup was being plotted against her by Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile to cleanse the government of left-leaning officials.

Olalia had said his followers would mobilize its members in support of the president if an attempt was made to topple the government.

In her arrival statement, Aquino made no comment on the killing. Enrile, who was at the airport to receive her, said the military had nothing to do with it.

Military Loyalty

Gen. Fidel V. Ramos, the armed forces commander, declared the military’s loyalty to Aquino. Ramos and Enrile, who also was defense minister under Ferdinand E. Marcos, led the military-civilian uprising that forced Marcos into exile last February and brought her to power.

Daphne Ceniza, a spokeswoman for the People’s Party, said it will organize a march Friday to Camp Aquinaldo, headquarters of the Defense Ministry and armed forces, and will hold a rally there to protest the killing and demand Enrile’s resignation.