PHILIPPINES: THOUSANDS OF FILIPINOS CELEBRATE "DAY OF PEACE"/CABINET DISPUTE CONTINUES OVER HANDLING OF COMMUNIST INSURGENCY.

Record ID: 350078

  • Title: PHILIPPINES: THOUSANDS OF FILIPINOS CELEBRATE "DAY OF PEACE"/CABINET DISPUTE CONTINUES OVER HANDLING OF COMMUNIST INSURGENCY.
  • Date: 29th October 1986
  • Summary: QUEZON CITY: OCTOBER 27: 1. GVs Cars with flags and banners driving down Quezon Boulevard (2 shots) 0.10 2. GVs & SV People with lighted candles in Luneta Grandstand (3 shots) 0.19 3. SV PAN Vice President Salvador Laurel (on far left) releasing doves of peace 0.29 MANILA: 4. GV Manila Cathedral 0.32 5. SVs Cardinal Sin and President Corazon Aquino entering cat
  • Embargoed: 13th November 1986 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: QUEZON CITY AND MANILA, PHILIPPINES
  • Country: Philippines
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA2BND50HTYTWR8HETE20NNBCWN
  • Story Text: QUEZON CITY AND MANILA, PHILIPPINES

    Thousands of people around the Philippines, including President Corazon Aquino, celebrated a "day of peace" on October 27 to support a call by Pope John Paul II for a truce throughout the world. In Quezon City, people lined the street for a "prayer rally" as flagbearing "motorcade of the faithful" proceeded down the main boulevard. Vice President Salvador Laurel joined in a recital of the rosary in Luneta Grandstand and later symbolically released doves of peace into the air. In Manila, Aquino attended a Catholic "Mass for peace" at the century-old cathedral in the city centre which was led by the Archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Jaime Sin. About 80 per cent of the country's 50 million people are Catholic. Aquino said at the end of the service that she would continue to seek a peaceful settlement to her country's 17-year communist insurgency. She said her policy stemmed neither from weakness nor naivete but rather from a "deep conviction" that her approach was "most in keeping with the gospel". Some 2,000 people have been killed in rebel-related violence since she took power in a civilian-backed military revolt in February. Aquino's policy of negotiating with the rebels, however, has been hotly criticised by members of her cabinet, particularly by Defence Minister Juan Ponce Enrile who played a major role in the revolt that ousted former President Ferdinand Marcos. Speculation about the future role of Enrile, continued after the defense minister left a cabinet meeting 15 minutes early to speak out in opposition and has claimed that his attacks were made on behalf of military men who dared not to speak publicly. His call for a get-tough approach to the communist rebellion elicited a barely veiled warning on October 27 from presidential spokesman Theodoro Benigno that the United States fully supported Aquino and would not tolerate a coup attempt.

    <strong>Source: REUTERS - MANUEL SILVA</strong>
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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