Former Philippine President Corazon Aquino gave a press conference yesterday at the East-West Center.
Aquino supports
terror fight, but
empathizes with
family of hostageThe ex-Philippines leader is
in Hawaii to receive an award
and visit with Filipinos in Waipahu
Former Philippine President Corazon Aquino said she empathizes with family members of Angelo dela Cruz, who was abducted by terrorists in Baghdad last week.
"I feel ... for the hostage and the family because the hostage comes from the Pampanga province and that province was always supportive of me," Aquino said yesterday at a Honolulu news conference.
She spoke at the East-West Center less than two hours before the Philippine government announced it would withdraw its troops from Iraq to meet the demands of the kidnappers, who had threatened to behead dela Cruz.
Aquino talked about the hostage situation, her country's electoral system, and a U.S. federal judge's order to hand over millions of dollars from assets of the late Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos to thousands who were victimized at his direction.
Aquino was the first woman president of the Philippines, serving from 1986 to 1992. This is her third visit to Hawaii.
Before the Philippine government decided to withdraw its 51 troops, Aquino said, "I'm not in a position to say what President (Gloria Macapagal) Arroyo should do or not do. I know what difficulties she must be facing now and I feel for her.
"We always believed in nonviolence. We certainly support nonviolent ways. I hope that peace will soon come to the world. At the same time, I guess we have to show support for acts against terrorism."
Regarding the federal judge's decision this week ordering that about $35 million from Marcos' assets be turned over to 9,539 victims, Aquino said she is glad that the order was made. Unfortunately, the process has been slow for the victims, she said.
Aquino, however, said there is a slight problem because money from "ill-gotten sources" was earmarked to go to a Filipino program.
"I don't know how the division will take place, how much will go to the victims and also to the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. So probably our Congress will have to pass a law on that," she said.
The housewife-turned-politician who epitomized her slogan "People Power" was mobbed by folks seeking to be photographed with her after a speech at the Filipino Community Center.
Aquino also spoke on her country's electoral system, following the recent presidential election in which Arroyo won a six-year term after a controversial vote count."Unfortunately, our electoral process is still not automated, and that has met such a delay. But given that you here in the United States also have similar problems, I can't say we're too far away from that," she joked.
After the news conference, Aquino went to the Filipino Community Center in Waipahu to celebrate the second anniversary of the building.
Amy Agbayani, board chairwoman of the FilCom Center, took Aquino on a tour around the center and showed her a newly built commercial kitchen and a technology center equipped with 32 computers.
Hawaii lawmakers, including Sen. Cal Kawamoto, Rep. Jun Abinsay, Councilmen Nestor Garcia and Mike Gabbard, greeted Aquino in the center's ballroom before she spoke to more than 100 people.
"She's a role model for us," said Danna Ponce, a member of the Filipino Law Student Association of the UH William S. Richardson School of Law. "She's revolutionary."
Mike Dahilig, a member of the association, said he was glad to meet "the woman who was pivotal and allowed the Philippine people to be free."
Many people swarmed around Aquino to meet her and take pictures with the former president.
"She projects peace and tranquility," said Salt Lake resident Flora Pasion.
About 900 people are expected to attend the East-West Center Foundation's annual dinner tonight at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, where Aquino will be presented the Asia Pacific Community Building Award for restoring democracy in her country.
Aquino established the Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Foundation three months after the assassination of her husband, a Marcos opponent. She continues to meet with various nongovernment organizations.
During her spare time, Aquino enjoys painting; she donated one of her pieces for a silent auction that was to be held before the annual dinner.
Government of the Philippines
www.gov.ph
Filipino Community Center
www.filcom.org
East-West Center Foundation
www.eastwestcenter.org/about-se.asp
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Philippines begins Iraq exit
The nation's tiny force is leaving
earlier than planned in an effort
to save a Filipino captive
BAGHDAD, Iraq >> The Philippines has begun withdrawing its troops from Iraq, the government said today, apparently hoping to placate militants who threatened to kill a Filipino hostage if the tiny contingent was not out by July 20.
The family of Angelo dela Cruz celebrated the announcement and a Philippine official in Baghdad said there was no longer any risk of him being executed. But the statement was vague, following a pattern of unclear statements as the Philippines has tried to both save dela Cruz and avoid the impression that it's giving in.
Underscoring the urgency of the Philippines' predicament, militants in Iraq said they had killed a captive Bulgarian truck driver and threatened to put another Bulgarian hostage to death in 24 hours, Al-Jazeera television reported today.
Meanwhile today, a massive car bomb exploded at a checkpoint near an area housing international offices and embassies in Baghdad, killing at least 10 people and wounding 40, authorities said.
The car was packed with 1,000 pounds of explosives and detonated at a checkpoint leading to the parking lot, said Iraqi police Col. Majid Abdel Hamid.
Ten people died and 40 were wounded, said Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, who later visited the site. An American solider was wounded, but the injury was slight, said Col. Mike Murray of the 1st Cavalry Division.
The area was once the headquarters of the U.S. occupation authorities, but now houses the U.S. and British Embassies, as well as the offices of the interim Iraqi government.
Dela Cruz's captors said they would treat him like a prisoner of war if Manila made a good-faith move toward withdrawing its 51 troops early, and would free him if the pullout was completed by July 20. The government did not clarify when the pullout would be finished but appeared directed toward that demand.
"The Foreign Affairs Ministry is coordinating the pullout of the humanitarian contingent with the Ministry of National Defense," the statement said. "As of today, our head count is down from 51 to 43."
The government was already set to withdraw its troops by Aug. 20. A full withdrawal before then would be a major blow to the unity of U.S.-led coalition in Iraq.
Roy Cimatu, Manila's special envoy for the Middle East, said today the hostage was reported "alive and well" by Philippine officials negotiating for his release.
"There's no risk of execution of Angelo dela Cruz," he told ABS-CBN TV from Baghdad.
There was no immediate U.S. comment to the latest announcement, but U.S. officials had earlier expressed displeasure that Manila was even considering caving in to the kidnappers' demand, a position echoed by Australia and Iraq's new interim government.
A deadline set by the Iraqi Islamic Army-Khaled bin Al-Waleed Corps for the Philippines to meet the group's troop withdrawal demand expired early yesterday, but negotiations continued in Iraq through intermediaries.
In the Philippines, dela Cruz's family celebrated today's announcement with a hearty breakfast of fish and fried chicken in their northern home province of Pampanga.
"We are happy that they are pulling out the troops already in exchange for my brother's freedom," said Feliciano dela Cruz, brother of the captive. "We're thankful to the president, if they will indeed be pulled out. And once they complete the pullout, (the captors) should give my brother to the president."
The insurgents had told President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo that dela Cruz, a poor father of eight, already had been moved to the place he would be killed, if she didn't change her mind.
Other militants, Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Tawhid and Jihad group, had threatened to kill the two Bulgarian truck drivers if the United States did not release all Iraqi detainees by last Saturday.
In a video broadcast on Al-Jazeera, the group said it had carried out its threat against one of the men and would kill the other in 24 hours. Three men with their faces covered by black masks stood over a kneeling hostage, identified by reporters as Georgi Lazov, 30. The video contained the killing but it was not broadcast because it was too graphic, said Al-Jazeera spokesman Jihad Ballout.
Also, insurgents holding an Egyptian driver demanded today that the Saudi company he works for pull out of Iraq within 72 hours, Al-Jazeera reported. The group did not issue a specific threat.
