‘Suffocation in Sanctimony’

I was startled and puzzled by the vicious article by Nations. What motivated his false statements about President Aquino is irrelevant, but he should not be allowed to mislead your readers.

I have studied Philippine affairs for more than 30 years and visited Manila four times since December, 1985. Most recently I observed the Feb. 2 plebiscite for the ratification of the new constitution. It was the cleanest and most orderly electoral process held in the Philippines in at least two decades. Nations’ statement that it “ended with an East European-scale yes vote” is outrageous libel. There was no coercion or intimidation of voters and the Aquino government did not buy votes. The 76.29% “yes” vote was honest.

Equally misleading and unworthy of a well-known reporter is the statement: “Thus, critical safeguards against the rise of another Marcos--such as the one-term only presidency--do not apply to Aquino, who can stay in power legally until 1998 with only one election, five years away.”

This will be news to President Aquino and to the members of the Constitutional Commission. Article VII, Section 4 of the new Constitution states: “The President and the Vice President shall be elected by direct vote of the people for a term of six years . . . The President shall not be eligible for any reelection.” Then, Article XVIII, Section 5 states: “The six-year term of the incumbent President and Vice President elected in the Feb. 7, 1986 election is, for purposes of synchronization of elections, hereby extended to noon of June 30, 1992.” The purpose of that provision was not to extend Cory’s term by five months, but to hold future elections for President and Congress on the same day, as is done in this country.

Nations’ parting shot was in particularly bad taste, besides being also misleading. He wrote: “When next called on to save the nation, she will no doubt respond with as much reluctance as she has this time. This is the fate of great personalities. And Aquino, like Marcos, numbers herself among such company.”

All those knowledgeable about recent Philippine politics are aware of the fact that Cory was a very reluctant candidate when she accepted to run against Marcos in December, 1985, and that she had clearly stated that if the Constitutional Commission wanted new presidential elections held, following the adoption of the new constitution, she would not be available to run again. Furthermore, there was no reason to hold another presidential election in 1987, when all objective observers agreed that despite widespread fraud by the Marcos regime, Cory had won the 1986 elections.

GUY J. PAUKER

Pacific Palisades