Honasan maps out campaign<\/p>\n
By Martin Abbugao<\/p>\n
MANILA (AFP): Charismatic military rebel-turned-politician
\nGregorio \"Gringo\" Honasan is facing what may be the toughest
\nbattle of his life -- getting elected under the democratic system
\nhe had tried to overthrow.<\/p>\n
As he maps out his battle plan, teetering on the brink of a
\nsenate seat in the recently concluded elections, he has ruled out
\nany use of force.<\/p>\n
Honasan, a combat veteran in the campaign against Moslem
\nseparatists and leader of failed coup attempts against former
\npresident Corazon Aquino, was in the 12th spot Wednesday among
\nvote getters for a senate seat as votes from Monday's election
\ncontinued to be counted. The top 12 will win the seats.<\/p>\n
But he had been out of the winning column until he alleged
\nthat a deliberate effort was being made to convince the public
\nthat administration candidates were winning by a landslide in the
\nsenatorial contest.<\/p>\n
Surrounded by aides -- some former fellow officers in the army
\n-- the 45-year-old cashiered lieutenant colonel told reporters
\nthat unofficial counts by various groups, led by the independent
\nNational Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel), deliberately
\nexcluded votes from opposition bailiwicks to place them out of
\nthe \"magic 12\" group of winners.<\/p>\n
It was only after he insisted that votes from his stronghold
\n-- the Bicol region southeast of Manila -- be counted that he
\nclimbed to 12th spot with 20 percent of the 170,000 precincts
\ncounted, making him only the second opposition bet in the winning
\ncolumn.<\/p>\n
He said that based on his group's own count, he should be
\nnumber eight.<\/p>\n
\"We have no proof that President (Fidel) Ramos is involved in
\nthis. But we are sure that those people around him, they have
\nsomething different in mind, \" Honasan said. \"It would be a waste
\nbecause these elections are supposed to be orderly.\"<\/p>\n
Honasan said he chose to enter the contest and forgo armed
\nstruggle because of his perception that even people without
\n\"goons, guns and gold\" would have a fair chance in the elections.<\/p>\n
Three of Honasan's fellow rebel officers, who sought various
\ndistrict-level posts, were not faring well, according to initial
\nresults.<\/p>\n
But despite the alleged manipulation, Honasan said he and his
\nsupporters would not resort to violence and will continue to go
\nthrough the counting.<\/p>\n
\"Our plans now are to continue with the elections and to
\ncontinue checking these irregularities,\" said Honasan, once the
\nPhilippines' most wanted man with a one-million-peso (38,000
\ndollars) prize for his capture. Ramos granted sweeping amnesty
\nahead of peace talks with rightist rebels last year.<\/p>\n
\"We're not going to sound threatening again,\" Honasan said.
\n\"We will go through with the elections. We will exhaust all legal
\nmeans.\"<\/p>\n
For an independent candidate, Honasan has performed credibly,
\nbanking on his immense popularity -- or notoriety -- spawned by
\nthe publicity resulting from his attempted coups and a nationwide
\nnetwork of active and former military officers under his group
\ncalled Revolutionary Alliance of the Masses (RAM).<\/p>\n
Soldiers, grateful for salary increases as a result of the
\ncoup attempts, had voluntarily ferried Honasan's campaign posters
\nto remote towns and were active campaigners.<\/p>\n
His swasbuckling good looks also is an asset in this southeast
\nAsian country where personalities, not issues, are strong factors
\nin getting elected.<\/p>\n
But some leaders of the dominant Roman Catholic church and a
\ngroup led by former Aquino government officials had campaigned
\nhard against Honasan's electoral bid.<\/p>\n
Asked about his chances of winning, Honasan said: \"It is not
\nso much whether we win or lose. The important thing is the
\nprocedure was relatively fair.\"<\/p>",
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