European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 21, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday september 21. 1985 the stars and stripes Page 17 confident in control by David Briscoe associated press it assess Matin of Peru Conn a my have Chan i nation hut Aikui to years it has  changed it . Opponent of president cvrd.nan-1 r Marcos a i it  Turk ii a of till r,.,i on aug 21. 1983. Has in Rit nip a in in i. No speak out and More prepared a and Marcos Rutht ontarian Rule. Gut Marcos 68 next month. It overcome a Cones of apparent political and economic setbacks to Iii Itji a con ident candidate Lor Extension o his 20 year in Power. His  and Musl powerful military officer. Gen. Fabian c. Ver. Is on trial with 25 other soldiers and one civilian Lor the assassination. There has been speculation by Manila news Media that a new Cabinet level Posl planned to Ove Tsoo the nation s police forces will go to ver if he is acquitted Marcos already has promised to return ver s command Over the 200,000-Strong military but that would mean demoting acting chief 1.1 Gen. Fidel v. Ramos who is Well liked by Marcos american allies and widely praised Lor Slatting military reforms. Aquino family members including widow . Accuse Marcos of plotting the former senator s death As soldiers escorted Aquino off a plane from three years of voluntary exile in the United states. Only or. Marcos could have ordered the assassination of  mrs Aquino told a news conference a Lew Days before the anniversary referring to her husband by his nickname. But neither a civilian inquiry nor government prosecutors have found nor apparently Ever sought any evidence against Marcos. He and his Wile. Imelda. Have denied involvement. Lawyers predicted the trial would last three months. But it has dragged on for six muddled in conflicting eyewitness accounts and a supreme court Challenge to the throwing out of the main evidence that ver was involved in a cover . Diplomatic and other observers agree the Aquino trial now appears to pose Little further threat to Marcos he also has weathered several other consequences of the assassination asserting his control Over the legislative judicial and executive branches of government. Opponents won a surprisingly Large minority of seats in last year s National Assembly election. Nonetheless it took Marcos party Only a few hours to kill an impeachment measure the opposition had touted As a move that would end his Rule. The Bill documented alleged illegal investments of More than $766 million by Marcos his wife and friends and other alleged crimes. It was an overwhelming demonstration that Marcos controls completely the Bataan Pam Bansa Assembly admitted opposition assemblyman Homobono Adaza. Lait month Marcos ignored seniority and passed Over supreme court Justice Claudio Teehankee to appoint his own Law school classmate. Justice Felix Makasiar. As Chiel Justice. Teehankee had voted against several Marcos decrees and the whole court had been showing increased Independence since the assassination. Marcos has also asserted his control Over the electoral process by appointing three new members of the National election commission who critics say Are his Long time loyalists. Anti Marcos demonstrations which once brought nearly daily clashes with soldiers have dwindled and Are now largely ignored by authorities. Fears of economic collapse following a flow of millions of dollars out of the country after Aquino was killed have not been realized. The country is struggling with a $26-billion debt. But r  health problems and the Misais nation of his chief opponent Marcos manages to survive As Leader. Inflation has gone Down and the peso devalued several times Niter the assassination has been held at about the same level or several months. A belgian financed elevated transit system has brought unfamiliar Speed cleanliness and efficiency for some Marula commuters. Market shelves stripped of Many commodities after the assassination Are Well stocked. Power blackouts Are less frequent in the City. In City slums Ana in Rural areas where most of the 54 million filipinos live however there is Little Progress a growing communist rebellion has spread with nearly 2.000 deaths blamed on rebel violence this year. The . Congress altered administration proposals for increased military Aid to fight the rebels and the Senate called Lor Marcos to Reform and restore full democracy to this former american Colony. Marcos has had Little Public reaction to the . Pressure but members of his government have called Lor a review of agreements allowing key . Aii and naval bases Here. In poor health when Aquino was killed and several times since. Marcos has Dora us rumours he suffers irom a fatal kidney ailment i wife admitted at one Point she thought he might die. But Marcos recently has appeared robust reviewing an unprecedented display of military hardware inst month delivering Long speeches and presiding Over Marathon party caucuses his parly is considering ,1  presidential election this year instead cd in 1087 supporters say the impeachment move i3 _",.p the its Quick Dii meat might require a new mandate for Marcos opponents remain split into More than a dozen factions with several pie idol to in aspirants Many say they Don t want former sen Salvador h. Laurel who has emerged the front runner As the nominee of a major coalition Jaime Ongpin. A businessman trying to unify opposition parties said Laurel s failure to pledge support or a unified Choice remains a major obstacle to opposition Unity. The opposition must Settle on one candidate. If they Don to they re dead  said Ongpin