Pro-Marcos Coup Fails, Manila Says : Rebels Still Hold Television Station, Fail to Take Bases

Philippine military commanders headed off an attempt by troops still loyal to former President Ferdinand E. Marcos to take over two key Manila military bases, killing one rebel soldier and wounding 16 others during the attempted coup, the military chief of staff, Gen. Fidel V. Ramos, announced today.

More than 200 heavily armed rebel troops were still in control of Channel 7, Manila’s largest television station, and radio station DZBB well into this afternoon, but the military said the stations’ power had been cut off.

In a nationwide radio and television address this afternoon, President Corazon Aquino announced that she had ordered the military to apply “the full force of the law” against the rebels.

Crowd Told to Leave

She warned the public to clear out of the area around the broadcast complex in suburban Quezon, where she said troops may initiate “intensive military operations.” Aquino said in her speech that the military had blocked an attempt by “misguided personnel” against her government and that the rebels’ situation is “hopeless.”

The rebel move was apparently aimed at blocking next Monday’s plebiscite on a new constitution, she said, but she added: “ . . . Nothing will derail our efforts to establish full constitutional democracy in the coming plebiscite.”

In his announcement on the military situation, broadcast over national television, Ramos had said that the armed forces are “fully in support of the government of President Aquino” and “fully in control of the situation.” He said takeover attempts had been repulsed at Villamor Air Base in Manila and at Sangley Point Air Base just south of Manila.

Reversal of Strategy

The rebel takeover of the broadcast complex represented a reversal of the same strategy that brought Aquino to power last February when thousands of supporters led by Ramos and then-Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile rebelled against Marcos.

Rock-throwing melees broke out between Aquino’s civilian supporters and the crowd of about 2,000 Marcos loyalists who said they had surrounded the TV station in a suburb of Manila to protect the pro-Marcos soldiers inside and to help bring down Aquino.

Government troops at mid-morning had used water cannon and tear gas to try to disperse the Marcos loyalists who gathered in support of the rebels. But the crowd returned a few minutes later, according to eyewitnesses.

Joining the rebels was an armored personnel carrier with a crew that apparently defected from a Manila army base. When it arrived, the armored car had pushed back police lines, giving Marcos supporters control of virtually an entire block and, thereby, creating a stalemate for Ramos’ troops, which numbered about 500.

In an effort to break the stalemate, Gen. Rudolfo Piazon, a senior military commander and close adviser to Ramos who said he was acting alone and not on behalf of the government, entered the TV station and negotiated for more than an hour with rebel leaders.

When he left just before noon, Piazon indicated there will be more talks and that there was no talk of surrender from the pro-Marcos elements.

Rebel soldiers inside the station said the coup attempt was led by air force Col. Oscar Canlas, a leader of the Guardian Brotherhood, the largest fraternity in the military.

Canlas claimed in a radio broadcast that his men are not Marcos loyalists. “We are not rebels,” he said. “We want the people to know what is happening. We are fighting for democracy. We are fighting for our rights. We would like to free the people from the clutches of the influence of communism.”

The Guardian Brotherhood, which claims 70% of the 250,000-member armed forces, had twice supported Aquino in showdowns with coup plotters.

The Philippine News Agency said some of the rebels came from Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecjia province, about 85 miles north of Manila. The rebels also included civilians as well as personnel from the air force, navy and the Philippine Constabulary, officials said.

100 Rebels Blocked

Ramos said about 100 rebellious troops were stopped on the northeast edge of Manila coming from Fort Magsaysay, the country’s largest training camp.

The soldiers said two generals, Jose Zumel and Tomas Dumpit, had joined the revolt. This could not be immediately confirmed.

Zumel is the younger brother of Antonio Zumel, one of the Communist negotiators who had been engaged in peace talks with the government.

Jose Zumel was one of four generals who led the July 6, 1986, takeover of the Manila Hotel, in the first coup attempt against Aquino. Those rebels surrendered after two days; by Ramos’ order, their only punishment was 30 push-ups.

Col. Emiliano Templo, who was in charge of Aquino’s troops at the television station today, said he recognized the Guardians--identifiable by their blue headbands bearing a pyramid symbol and red scarves--because they had surrendered to him at the Manila Hotel. Asked if today’s aborted coup would have occurred had the rebel soldiers been punished more severely, Templo said, “No.”

‘We Hate You’

About 40 rebel soldiers had taken up positions on the rooftop and compound wall at the TV station and carried signs that read: “Marcos Is Here” and “Cory Aquino, Step Down. We Hate You. Go to Hell.”

As the rebels’ supporters chanted “Still Marcos!” businessman Ray Gozon, a professed Marcos loyalist said, “We think we can duplicate what they (Aquino’s supporters) did in (February). We hope President Marcos will return. . . .

“We feel that the time is ripe to do this because of the sentiment of the people,” Gozon added. “The middle- and upper-classes are not happy about what is happening in our country, especially the (Communist) insurgency.”

Gozon and others said that if he and other rebel supporters can sustain the human barricade until tonight, their group will grow large enough to overthrow the government.

Asked what his group will do if the riot police try to break them up, Gozon said, “We have to confront them, maintain our ground and resist as much as possible.”

Government radio said the situation was normal in other major cities such as Davao, Cebu and Zamboanga City.

There was no report of any move against the presidential palace.

‘Misguided Elements’

Ramos blamed the incident on “misguided military elements reportedly led by Marcos-loyalist officers.” The attempted coup, which began about 1 a.m. today, was intended “to take over key military installations and media facilities in Metro Manila and vicinity,” Ramos said.

According to witnesses and soldiers on the scene, the worst fighting took place at Villamor Air Base, where 70 soldiers attempted to take control by force. “But they were thwarted in a firefight” in which one rebel was killed, 16 were wounded and 52 surrendered, Ramos said.

The rebels made a similar takeover attempt at Sangley Point Air Base, the chief of staff said. Two commanders were taken hostage, and the armory was ransacked, but the rebels ultimately gave up.

Camp Crame Secured

Col. Templo said the rebel troops apparently had also planned to take over Camp Crame, headquarters of the Philippine Constabulary, the national police. But pro-government troops got word of the plan and secured the base. The rebels then moved to Channel 7, he said.

At that key, privately owned television station, management sources said this morning that at least 20 civilian employees were being held hostage. The military cut off power to the station about 4:30 a.m.

Military commanders on the scene said they will try everything before attempting to retake the station by force.

“We appeal to our people to keep calm and maintain their normal activities, except in the Channel 7 (and other areas) where some of these misguided elements are still reported roaming around,” Ramos said. He appealed to all Filipinos to support “the armed forces of the people--your armed forces and the government.”

Government troops went to state-owned television station Channel 4, foiling a rebel plan to take it over. The rebels briefly held Channel 9, smashing its transmitter.

Meanwhile, in Honolulu a spokesman for Marcos confirmed reports that the former president and his wife, Imelda, left their house early this morning along with senior aides.

But Leony Tan added: “The president is definitely in Hawaii.”

He refused to say where they were or whether they planned to return to the Philippines this week.