U.S. Business, GIs Warned in Philippines

Communist leaders said today that U.S. soldiers and businesses are valid targets for terrorism and defended last year’s murder of three Americans as a correct response to U.S. intervention.

The warning came in the December issue of New Nation, the official publication of the central committee of the banned Communist Party of the Philippines. A copy was delivered today to the Associated Press.

Similar threats have been made in the past by individual party officials and local rebel groups. But the fact that such a warning appeared in an authoritative central committee publication showed that targeting Americans had the approval of the highest levels of the party.

100,000 U.S. Civilians

The U.S. Embassy estimates that there are up to 100,000 American civilians in the Philippines. In addition, 40,000 U.S. troops, Defense Department civilians and dependents are stationed at six military installations. They include about 16,500 active duty soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.

In the publication, the ruling central committee also defended its urban assassination teams, called for strengthening Marxist discipline and ideology and announced plans to step up infiltration of key industries, student groups and social activist organizations.

The report said targets of the rebel New People’s Army had been expanded to include “U.S. imperialist advisers, troops, agents and business empires.”

Intervention Charged

“The punishment of U.S. military and intelligence personnel in the periphery of Clark Air Base last October was a correct and timely response to heightened and more direct imperialist intervention in the country’s internal affairs,” the publication said.

On Oct. 28, gunmen shot and killed three Americans, two of them active duty airmen, and a Filipino of U.S. descent in a series of attacks outside the giant U.S.-run base about 50 miles north of Manila.

The rebels delayed claiming responsibility for the killings for weeks. Rebel sources said the attacks generated controversy in the ranks because the victims were low-ranking enlisted men targeted at random and not officers clearly identified with U.S. support for President Corazon Aquino’s government.

New Nation also praised the activities of the Alex Boncayao Brigade, a shadowy urban guerrilla group responsible for killing scores of police and soldiers in Manila last year.