Dawning of a new era in the Philippines

by Cristina Odone
THE Pope's prayer for a bloodless solution to the crisis in the Philippines seemed to have been answered this week when President Ferdinand Marcos fled into exile from Manila on Tuesday.
Cardinal Jaime Sin, Archbishop of Manila, expressed the feeling of rejoicing which swept the country when news of the President's departure to Guam spread: "Our long journey from the night is over and we Filipinos see a new day dawning." Cardinal Sin, the leader of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. played a key part in the events which brought about Marcos' downfall.
Marcos' 20 year regime was brought to an abrupt end when mounting pressure from the opposition, led by presidential challenger Corazon Aquino, and from the Catholic Church in the Philippines, culminated last week with the defection of two top aides to the Aquino camp and with President Reagan's call for Marcos to resign.
As tension filled the country in the wake of the fraudulent February 7 presidential election, Marcos repeatedly defied all attempts to oust him from power in televised speeches in which he warned of the "bloody mess" which would be the outcome of any clash between opposition forces and his Adopting strong-arm tactics to quell the increasing unrest. Marcos closed down the Catholic radio station, Radio Veritas, which had broadcast Mrs Aquino's nightly addresses. and deployed troops near to the two military camps which served as headquarters for those soldiers who had followed General Fidel Ramos and Defence Minister Juan Ponce Enrile in their defection from Marcos ranks. The troops were forced to halt their advance when 25,000 demonstrators, including several nuns, who chanted the "Hail Mary", blocked their path.
Despite the President's threats of resorting to violence, the Church in the Philippines has repeatedly called for peaceful resistance to the regime. Cardinal Sin, in a radio broadcast on %Sunday, exhorted civilians to take to the streets for a non-violent demonstration in support of the mutiny leaders.
Also on Sunday, the Pope prayed that "the Lord will inspire all towards a peaceful and just solution, without violence and without bloodshed" in the Philippines. Among the faithful who listened to the Pope's prayer in St Peter's Square were about 1000 Filipinos, many of them carrying yellow banners — the colour of opposition leader Mrs Aquino.