HL Deb 26 February 1986 vol 471 cc1057-61

3.36 p.m.

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, with your Lordships' permission, I should like to repeat a Statement that is being made in another place by my honourable friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs about the situation in the Philippines. The Statement is as follows:

"The House will be aware of the dramatic development yesterday in the Philippines which led to Mrs. Aquino taking up office as President. I am sure that the House will wish to join me in warmly welcoming this development, the more so because it has come about with the minimum of bloodshed and violence.

"The Government wish President Aquino and her colleagues well in the fulfillment of their new and heavy responsibilities. The task of restoring the Philippines to peace, stability and economic regeneration will indeed be a challenging one.

"We have been greatly impressed by the courage President Aquino, her colleagues and the Filipino people have shown in defence of democracy. This, and the evident wish of the Government and people of the Philippines for reconciliation, bodes well for the future.

"The Government look forward to a close and positive working relationship with Mrs. Aquino and her colleagues. My right honourable friend the Prime Minister is sending the President a congratulatory message. I would also like to pay tribute to our Ambassador in Manila, Mr. Robin McLaren, and to his staff. The information and advice which they have provided and their protective role in relation to the British community have been an excellent example of our missions abroad at work.

"President Aquino said last night, 'a new life starts for our country tomorrow'. "The House will, I know, wish to send her and the people of the Philippines its warmest good wishes on this new start".

My Lords, that is the Statement.

Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos

My Lords, we are grateful to the noble Lord for repeating the Statement. We warmly support the good wishes extended to President Aquino and the new Government and wish them all success in their formidable task. We have also noticed with admiration both her courage and that of the Filipino people who stood between the conflicting armed forces and whose will prevailed, thus avoiding significant loss of life or excessive violence. We have also admired the role of the Church as a calming influence throughout recent weeks. We further recognise the quick appreciation of a dangerous situation by the United States Government and the decisive way that they acted towards a peaceful resolution of the crisis during the past few days.

I have one short question to put to the Minister; namely, to ask him what positive steps Her Majesty's Government will take with our allies and through the United Nations to help the new Government to tackle their huge economic and social problems so that stability can be restored to the Philippines.

Lord Mackie of Benshie

My Lords, I too thank the Minister for repeating the Statement, which is most welcome and with which of course we all fully agree. I was fortunate enough to be a member of the international team of observers at the election. I was immensely impressed and moved by the courage of the Filipino people and of Mrs. Cory Aquino, who had already seen her husband murdered by a vile régime—

Lord Molloy

By Marcos.

Lord Mackie of Benshie

—as I was by the courage of the National Institute for Fair Elections, led by a business man in Manila whose life had been threatened, and by the courage of many people throughout the Philippines who were opposing—not like we are in this country merely by words, but by their lives—the régime that has just been ended. They deserve positive support.

I should like to echo the question of the noble Lord the Leader of the Labour Party, by asking what positive measures we can take. Can we, for instance, try to see that we do not produce any more sugar in the EC for export and so destroy the sugar markets of the world? This is a very serious matter. We have done more to destroy the living of many third world people by our exports of sugar than we have done good by assisting with money. Such a step is necessary. The difference in the standard of life between the extreme rich and the extreme poor in the Philippines is indeed startling. If the Philippines are to be any form of bulwark and safe haven for the West, these differences need to be ironed out. I trust that the Government will do their best to help.

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, I am grateful to both noble Lords for their response to the Statement. I should like to mention two ways in which we are helping and will help the Philippines. We have already a small technical co-operation programme worth about £225,000 in 1985. We stand ready to discuss our programme of assistance with the new Government of President Aquino. More important perhaps, we have fully supported the package of assistance amounting to some 615 million special drawing rights which the IMF is providing for the Philippines and we look forward to a continuing beneficial relationship between the international financial community and the Philippines Government.

Viscount St. Davids

My Lords, is the noble Lord of the opinion which my wife and I found ourselves very strongly to hold after some six weeks on a remote Philippine island just before this election—that the Filipinos are possibly the best natural democrats seen anywhere in the world? Was this not made extremely clear by the extraordinary manner in which they conducted their recent troubles with remarkably little rioting and quite remarkably few deaths? In view of this, should we not be giving them all possible help in putting matters right, especially in view of the fact that Marcos and his family have managed to extract from the economy for themselves, or their purposes, an amount, so far as can now be made out, of some 3 billion dollars? Would the noble Lord therefore not agree that there is need for a great deal of help if the Filipinos are to get straight? Would the noble Lord find it difficult to agree with me that there are some definite advantages for a country in putting a lady in charge of it?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, I would naturally agree with the last sentiment expressed by the noble Viscount. But he is right to say that it is a matter of considerable satisfaction that it was possible for the Filipino people to overcome the obvious shortcomings in their recent election with the minimum of violence and death, to which the Statement referred and which the noble Lord has underlined. These shortcomings were, I believe, very apparent to the noble Lord, Lord Mackie, and his colleagues when they were in the Philippines at the time of the election. I know that the noble Lord was good enough to express those misgivings to my honourable friend.

Lord Molloy

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that we are all heartened by the message that our Government have sent to the new President of the Philippines? That, I sincerely believe, will give encouragement, as it will fill the hearts of many British people with happiness. However, having said that, we must have the courage to acknowledge that a murdering, terrorist president who killed people by the hundreds of thousands over a number of years and who was one of the world's greatest terrorists, received the full backing of President Reagan and the United States of America. Would not President Reagan and the United States have been well advised if they had only listened to the British Foreign Secretary, Sir Geoffrey Howe? Will the noble Lord the Minister ask his colleagues at the Foreign Office to make sure that the United States does not compound the felony by offering assistance and help to a murderous president of the Philippines who ordered the murder of the husband of the present President, to whom we have sent congratulations? Can we have an assurance that he will not receive succour from the United States or any other freedom-loving country?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, if the noble Lord will forgive me for saying so, his points are not enforced by the loudness with which he mentions them. It is nonetheless the case that the United States had and still has important interests in the Philippines. I hope that the noble Lord will not lose sight of that fact.

Lord Gladwyn

My Lords, in view of the appalling economic situation that will confront the unfortunate new President of the Philippines, will the Government assist in any efforts that may be made to alleviate the debt repayments of the Philippines that now amount, I believe, to 25 billion dollars? Will they also assist in any efforts that may be made to recover any of the vast sums appropriated and exported by the late frightful president?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, I am not sure that the Government have any role to play in the last part of the noble Lord's supplementary question. We are, however, making some assistance available and I referred to that in my answer to the noble Lord, Lord Cledwyn.

Lord Home of the Hirsel

My Lords, in talking about the international reaction to these events, can my noble friend say whether there has been any reaction from the Soviet Union?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, the Soviet Union appears to have been the only country to congratulate Mr. Marcos on his co-called election victory. I dare say it must be wondering if it did the right thing.