(3 of 4)
Tension is high in the provinces. In Cebu, one of the country's largest cities, Communist violence has become an everyday threat for policemen, politicians and even ordinary citizens. Lawyer Antonio Oposa used to ride his horse into the mottled green hills behind his house on the edge of Cebu. No more. "It's a no-man's-land," he says. "Army helicopters buzz here every morning." In February 1986 Oposa and his friends danced in the streets when Aquino came to power. Now they often sit around his comfortable home and complain about the way the country is run. The lawyer sometimes ends the discussions with rueful sarcasm: "Well, at least we have freedom."
The N.P.A.'s shadow is almost everywhere. In Ilocos Norte last week, four mayors of small towns sought refuge in Laoag after the guerrillas kidnaped workers at a nearby construction site. One evening, after a reporter rode through the hills outside Laoag to a military camp, the commander said, "I am surprised to see you. I don't even allow my men to travel that road at this hour. Things may look normal, but they aren't." The province, which is Marcos' ancestral home, has been deprived of the pork-barrel largesse that rolled its way during his regime. Aquino has not visited the province, and she would hardly be welcomed if she did. Yet, uncharacteristically for a Philippine politician, she has not wreaked vengeance on Ilocos Norte. It merely suffers as all other provinces do.
Few provinces are as neglected as Sulu, close to the southern tip of the Philippines, about 500 miles from Manila. Sulu's capital, Jolo, has deteriorated markedly even though it gave Aquino 95% of its votes during her run for the presidency. Violent local feuds often flare, and for three months the city has had no electricity. Muslim secessionists threaten to break out in open warfare. Says Mayor Aminkadra Abubakar: "Every day I send ((Aquino)) a letter and a telegram, reminding her of what ought to be done here. I never get a direct reply."
Aquino's problems are likely to proliferate. The N.P.A. last week announced that it was including among its targets American businesses on the island of Mindanao. Some Filipinos believe the move is a ploy to cast Aquino as a lackey of U.S. imperialism. Said Opposition Senator Juan Ponce Enrile: "The N.P.A. will say, 'We're only fighting American imperialists. So why is the Philippine government shooting at us?' " The local elections scheduled for Jan. 18 are bound to be violent. For one thing, minor rivalries between small-town politicos could turn into bloody feuds multiplied hundreds of times over across the country. For another, N.P.A.-supported candidates are expected to run, coming into certain conflict with the vigilantes.