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.