8 Aquino Senate Nominees Must Quit Cabinet

President Corazon Aquino on Friday announced her nominees for the 24-member Senate, naming as senatorial candidates eight Cabinet members and thus laying the groundwork for the second Cabinet shake-up since she took office a year ago.

Philippine law requires the candidates, all of whom have accepted the nominations, to file for the May 11 election no later than March 8. Aquino has said that candidates who hold posts in her 29-member Cabinet and other government offices must resign by the filing deadline.

Aquino replaced four Cabinet members last year in a shake-up that began with the Nov. 23 dismissal of Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile.

Aquino named 24 senatorial candidates Friday, one for every seat in the Senate.

Her spokesman, Teodoro Benigno, said the list of nominees was chosen from names submitted a week ago by six pro-government parties. He said Aquino made the final selection based on integrity, competence and “ability to win votes.”

Test of Her Popularity

Opposition groups have not nominated their slates and are reported having trouble persuading strong candidates to run because of Aquino’s popularity.

The election will be another test of her popularity after her big victory in a Feb. 2 plebiscite that ratified a new constitution. Balloting for a bicameral legislature will complete restoration of democracy in the Philippines after the overthrow one year ago of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos.

Unlike members of the 250-seat House of Representatives, who will be elected by congressional district, members of the Senate will be elected at large by voters nationwide. No party has yet announced candidates for the House.

Senatorial candidates announced by Aquino included Cabinet members Jovito R. Solonga, chairman of the Presidential Commission on Good Government; Alberto Romulo, budget minister; Neptali Gonzales, justice minister; Aquilino Pimentel, national affairs; Victor Ziga, general services; Teofisto Guingona, chief auditor; Rene Saguisag, special counsel, and Heherson Alvarez, agrarian reform.

2 Former Cabinet Men

Also named were two former Cabinet ministers, Augusto Sanchez of labor and Ernesto Maceda of natural resources, and two women, Nina Rasul, a Muslim, and Leticia Ramos-Shahani, undersecretary of foreign affairs and sister of military Chief of Staff Fidel V. Ramos.

Also named was the president’s brother-in-law, Agapito Aquino, who has served as her representative to Muslim insurgents.

In Zamboanga City, Muslim rebels fighting for self-rule in the southern Philippines since 1972, proposed Friday creating a provisional autonomous government for Mindanao and several other southern islands where the country’s estimated 5 million Muslims live.

Government negotiators will present a counterproposal within 10 days before the two panels meet again around March 9 for further discussions.

Rebels Ambush Force

In the guerrilla war, Communist rebels ambushed a government pursuit force and the two sides fought late into the night Friday, with 12 rebels and seven soldiers killed, the government news agency reported.

The Philippine News Agency said that at least 11 soldiers were wounded in the northern Philippines battle and that the military was moving in reinforcements. Three rebels were also killed Friday in the southern city of Davao, military officials said.

The fatalities brought to at least 80 the death count since a 60-day cease-fire ended on Feb. 8. Talks aimed at ending the 18-year-old Communist insurgency collapsed in January.