Leftist Marchers Protest Aquino Policies

More than 100,000 mourners marched 16 miles through Manila and its suburbs Tuesday behind the body of leftist leader Leandro Alejandro in a massive protest against what they called the new right-wing policies of President Corazon Aquino.

At the same time, Vice President Salvador Laurel released a sealed document to the Senate that he said contains the names of more than 100 leftists who have “infiltrated” key government posts.

The two events underscored the polarization here since the ambush-slaying of several prominent figures, a series of attempted right-wing coups and escalation in the Communist guerrilla war.

The 11-hour protest march also fueled fears among Aquino loyalists in the military that armed right-wing groups, among them the plotters of last month’s military revolt against the government, would retaliate, as they have in the past. The coup attempt on Aug. 28 came just 48 hours after a national labor strike by leftist unions paralyzed much of the country.

Military authorities placed Manila on alert Tuesday, setting up checkpoints even within the city’s military camps, anticipating attempts to disrupt Alejandro’s funeral by far rightists or the military renegades at large since last month’s bloody coup attempt.

The funeral ended peacefully, however, after the huge cortege filled the city with red flags, black ribbons and anti-government slogans.

“Revolution, revolution!” the crowd of students, laborers and academics shouted as they approached Aquino’s presidential palace behind a flatbed truck bearing Alejandro’s coffin, which was draped with a Philippine flag and surrounded by flowers.

Posters showing Alejandro with his right fist upraised and bearing the slogan, “Wipe Away the Tears. Reinforce Your Courage,” were plastered all along the route.

Mother Blames Government

Standing atop a jeep near the palace, Alejandro’s mother, Salvacion, shouted that she had voted for Aquino in the presidential election 19 months ago. “But I was mistaken,” she said. “This government that I voted for has killed my son.”

Police and military investigators still have no leads in the killing of Alejandro, killed by shotgun fire Sept. 19 less than an hour after he announced a series of protest marches against Aquino. Most Filipinos suspect that right-wing death squads were responsible.

Alejandro, 27, was one of the most popular leaders of the so-called legal left. He was widely known and respected as the most effective organizer of street protests for the moderate political left, and his death is likely to trigger more demonstrations.

In the Senate, Vice President Laurel, who broke political ties with the president earlier this month, testified for two hours in a Senate committee hearing that Aquino has been “coddling” leftists during her first 18 months in office.

‘Effort Must Be Total’

Taking a distinctly pro-military line, Laurel told the Senate panel: “The violent left has declared war on our government. . . . We cannot afford to be half at war and half at peace. The war effort must be total or else we will never win.”

Laurel then gave the committee a sealed envelope that he said contained an “intelligence” document listing dossiers on more than 100 “left-leaning” national and local government officials. The vice president, who has been accused by many newspaper columnists of being “a new-age Joseph McCarthy” seeking personal political advantage, added that Aquino’s chief of civilian intelligence, retired Gen. Rodolfo Canieso, gave him the document last week.

Both Canieso and Aquino publicly denied Monday that such a document exists, and Laurel, after his testimony, told reporters that he believes the government is trying to cover up the fact that it has such evidence implicating its own officials.