Reconciliation Is Pledged by Filipinos Here

Filipinos who have often confronted one another in bitter protests smiled, shook hands, and held a joint press conference Thursday at the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles to offer assurances that the transition from the deposed regime of Ferdinand E. Marcos to that of President Corazon Aquino would be smooth.

But the tone of reconciliation was decribed by one Aquino partisan, who requested anonymity, as “typical Filipino politics: smiling martial law, smiling intrigues.”

Raul Daza, 50, a former Philippine congressman who had been accused by Marcos of subversion, and Armando Fernandez, the Los Angeles consul general appointed by the Marcos government, sat side by side during the press conference.

Business as Usual

“We are here to project the image of a responsible, responsive government,” said Daza, who is heading the transition team for the Aquino government in the United States. There will be no immediate personnel changes in the Los Angeles consulate, and the office will continue to do business as usual, he said.

“Everyone is needed in the process of national reconciliation,” Daza said. “Our aim is to cleanse the government on all levels. Those who have not committed any wrong--they have nothing to fear.”

“As public servants, we should really welcome this,” Fernandez said. “We appreciate that there was a peaceful transition.”

Anti-Marcos demonstrators have protested often at the consulate in recent months, and earlier this month they called for consular officers to resign after the fraud-ridden Feb. 7 presidential election.

Unresolved Issues

Even though the Los Angeles consulate’s staff called last Sunday for Marcos to step down, some issues remain unresolved in the Los Angeles Filipino community.

Among the first tasks for the transition team is a review of all documents held by the consulate, Daza said. While stressing that his transition team “is not a fault-finding committee,” Daza said that allegations of financial shenanigans within the Los Angeles consulate will be reviewed by the Aquino government.

Fernandez has been accused by a Filipino community newspaper of taking consulate money for his personal use. The consul general said in the press conference that he is unaware of any misappropriation of funds.

Daza and Fernandez said that an investigation is under way into Marcos’ financial holdings in the Los Angeles area.

Daza, a lawyer, moved to Pasadena in 1973, two years after Marcos imposed martial law in the Philippines. In 1980, the Marcos regime accused him of subversion and made other allegations against him for his alleged role in a series of Manila bombings--charges he says are ridiculous.

Daza said that he expects to return to the Philippines to work in the Aquino government, “probably in the area of human rights.”