Reagan Anti-Coup Message Was Given to Philippine Mutineers, U.S. Envoy Says
The U.S. ambassador disclosed Thursday that U.S. officials tried to stop the Aug. 28 coup attempt in the Philippines by telephoning a message from President Reagan to the renegade colonel who led it.
Ambassador Nicholas Platt said he disclosed the U.S. intervention because he wanted to dispel speculation that Washington had instigated the most serious attempt to topple President Corazon Aquino.
Platt said that as soon as he realized the military mutiny was under way, he obtained a statement from President Reagan supporting Aquino and denouncing mutineers under Col. Gregorio (Gringo) Honasan. He said his staff relayed the message at once to local media and to key officials in government and other sectors of Philippine society.
“We were authorized to make it clear in our conversations that we would cease all U.S. assistance if the legal government was overthrown,” Platt said in a speech to the Manila Rotary club.
“We wanted to make sure that the rebels understood our position clearly, too,” Platt said, describing how an embassy officer telephoned Honasan.
“There was no dialogue. My instructions were to read the statement and make the point, and avoid getting into any conversation.”
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