Sin supports Aquino talks with rebels

PHILIPPINE Cardinal Jaime Sin of Manila has publicly supported President Corazon Aquino's attempts to negotiate with the country's communist guerrillas, Vatican Radio reported. A pastoral letter signed by Cardinal Sin and seven auxiliary bishops said a purely military solution to the guerrilla problem was "inadequate", since the revolt was more rooted in poverty than in ideologies.
The bishops said they preferred "dialogue and negotiation as the principal means_ of resolvinginsurrection." Thelener, read in Manila's churches on November
2, encouraged Filipinos to overcome Marxist communism and capitalist materialism. The letter also urged the elimination of violence and the social structures that produce poverty, it said.
Mrs Aquino has commented favourably on a guerrilla proposal for a 100-day truce that could begin in December. She has named a negotiating committee to discuss ceasefire conditions with rebel leaders.
The guerrillas of the New People's Army are estimated to _ number more than 20,000 and have been fighting the government for 17 years. The issue of whether or not to negotiate with the rebels has caused dissension in the government, with military leaders resisting peace talks. Leading the anti-communist crusade has been Defence Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, who has criticised Mrs Aquino's approach.
Earlier this week, guerrillas pledged themselves to support Mrs Aquino if there was a coup during her trip to Japan.
The Philippine bishops' conference has not formulated a position on Enrile, according to Mgr Feliciano Palma, assistant secretary general of the
conference. He said the bishops are against communism, but favour Mrs Aquino's dovish approach to communist insurgents.
But Jesuit Bishop Francisco CIaver, retired bishop of Malaybalay, said that "Enrile's fulminations have become rather tiresome, and the reason is simply that he is so predictable, as predictable as when he worked for (deposed President Ferdinand) Marcos."
Bishop Claser called Enrile typical of older politicians "who will do anything, say anything, -to keep themselves in or get themsefves into positions of power."