Friends in the Right Places

President Corazon Aquino appears to have survived yet another attempt by military rebels to topple her government, but this time vital and speedy American intervention was needed to tip the balance in her favor. The U.S. action, taken at Aquino’s specific request, was proper and justified. A freely elected government in a friendly country was under siege and sought a modest degree of help. President Bush was right to respond quickly. Indeed, he would have been remiss not to so do.

The U.S. intervention was effective and--in a country where nationalist sentiments now run high and anti-Americanism has been on the rise--it had the further benefit of being carried off without a shot being fired. Little more seems to have been required than for a number of F-4 fighter-bombers, based at Clark Air Force Base, to fly over two airfields controlled by rebellious troops. The presence of the F-4s, and repeated radio warnings to the rebels, kept planes and helicopters from being thrown into the battle on the rebel side. Call it coercive interdiction rather than active engagement. The important thing is that it seems to have worked.

At the same time the fragility of democratic government in the Philippines has once more been exposed. Friday’s attempted coup was the sixth such plot mounted against Aquino since she took office less than four years ago. Despite shake-ups and retirements, military disaffection clearly remains strong, encouraged by civilian politicians who want to restore the kind of predatory and authoritarian rule that existed under the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos.

It must be emphasized that Aquino’s political standing hasn’t been helped by some of her own policy failures, most notably her lack of success in raising the miserably low living standards of most Filipinos.

U.S. intervention should strengthen Washington’s ties with Aquino. But how it will affect pending negotiations on retaining U.S. bases at Clark and at the huge Subic Bay Naval Base is less certain. What Aquino supporters should welcome as help from a friend may be denounced by nationalists as neo-colonial interference in their country’s internal affairs. At this point there’s no telling which line Filipinos will most listen to.