Aquino Hails ’86 as End to Filipinos’ ‘Years of Shame’

MANILA —  President Corazon Aquino told her nation Wednesday that 1986 will go down in history as the year Filipinos ended “years of shame” by toppling former ruler Ferdinand E. Marcos.

In a New Year’s message broadcast throughout the day on state television, Aquino said 1987 will be the year to “revive our economy and give life and lasting vigor to the institutions of a full-blown democracy.”

“We ignored risks and welcomed sacrifices . . . for the goal of freedom,” Aquino said of the popularly backed military revolt last February that swept her to power and sent Marcos into exile in Hawaii.

‘Without Firing a Shot’

The revolt also drew praise from Cardinal Jaime Sin, who commended Filipinos for “doing the impossible” during 1986--toppling a “dictatorship without firing a shot.”

“If we are to achieve national economic recovery and attain lasting peace, we must once again be ready to join hands in a show of unity, of singleness of purpose,” Sin said in his New Year’s message.

Sitting before the presidential seal in her Malacanang Palace office, Aquino said the toppling of Marcos “will live forever in the memory.” She recalled that one theme of her presidential campaign was that 1985 would “be the last of our years of shame.”

Aquino warned, however, that the task of rebuilding democracy in the Philippines is still “long and daunting” and “the challenges are great.”

Historic Negotiations

The president made no direct reference to one of the most significant developments of 1986--the opening of historic negotiations with Communist rebels in a bid to end a 17-year guerrilla war.

In a year-end news conference, the armed forces chief of staff, Gen. Fidel V. Ramos, charged that the guerrillas are taking unfair advantage of a cease-fire declared Dec. 10.

“Our leaders are perhaps not as knowledgeable about the strategy, tactics and tricks of the Communist revolutionaries,” Ramos said. “They (the rebels) are surely . . . taking advantage of our new democracy.”

The general said the government must step up efforts to counter what he said is a massive rebel gain in “propaganda mileage” since the cease-fire began.

Rebels’ High Profile

The guerrillas have held frequent news conferences since the truce took effect. They have opened an office near the presidential palace and their negotiators have enjoyed an unusually high profile.

Ramos said that as of Wednesday, the 21st day of the truce, there were 32 possible truce violations by the rebel New People’s Army. Communist officials Tuesday charged 14 possible violations by the military.

The negotiations with the rebels were only one of the developments that kept the Philippines in world headlines during 1986. Besides her rise to power, Aquino survived two coup plots, including one that ended with the replacement of former Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile in November.

She received a tumultuous welcome during a September trip to the United States and capped the year by being selected as Time magazine’s Woman of the Year.