Ramos denies Marcos' charges

Ramos denies Marcos' charges

MANILA (AFP): Philippine President Fidel Ramos yesterday dismissed charges by Imelda Marcos that he was responsible for widespread human rights abuses when he headed the national police during the regime of her late husband, deposed dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Ramos, a retired general, was responding to remarks by congresswoman Marcos last Friday blaming him and former defense secretary Juan Ponce Enrile for the imprisonment and torture of thousands of her husband's opponents.

Ramos told reporters yesterday it was Marcos' fiercely loyal military chief of staff Gen. Fabian Ver who directly controlled the armed forces at that time.

He said the allegations by the widow of the dictator were an attempt to "divert attention" from a U.S. court ruling finding the Marcoses guilty of torture and summary killings and awarding about US$2 billion in damages to 10,000 human rights victims.