The Philippines

The breathless clip of events in the Philippines last week left President Corazon Aquino with little room for herself, both figuratively and literally. A steady string of tasks, from selecting a Cabinet and ordering up various commissions to greeting diplomats and receiving journalists, crowded her time from the moment the Marcos family fled. Malacanang Palace proved unsuitable to receive the stream of visitors because Marcos loyalists had seeded the grounds with booby traps and looters had laid waste to the living quarters. Aquino was thus forced to continue operating out of the Manila building owned by her family, which, with its cramped waiting rooms, had barely sufficed as a campaign headquarters. Clad in trademark yellow, Aquino met last Friday with TIME's Hong Kong bureau chief Sandra Burton. Amid constant interruptions, she reviewed the heady days behind and the challenges ahead. Excerpts from the interview:

On toppling Marcos. I'm sure no one ever thought it would happen. It was the people who did it. I can't claim credit for it, but I am very happy that I played a major role in this.

On her activities after Lieut. General Fidel Ramos and Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile staged their revolt. The house we were staying in was very close to the army camp. (My brother) Peping said, "The sooner you can get out of this house, the better." They asked me, "Where do you think you should stay?" I said at the Carmelite monastery. I got to the monastery, which was like The Sound of Music, and these nuns welcomed me. They said, "Cory, you will be very safe here, because they will have to kill all of us before they do anything to you." I slept very well, considering that they had no mattress.

On Enrile's resignation. This was totally unexpected. How could I possibly think that at some point in my life Minister Ponce Enrile and I would be working together when all along he was the Minister of Defense when my husband (Benigno ("Ninoy") Aquino Jr.) was incarcerated for seven years and seven months? All I remember of him is each time I would go to see him to ask for some so-called privilege for Ninoy. This was the first time I talked to him since I returned from Boston (in 1983).

On Enrile's role in the government. At this point everything is so delicate, and I have to be very careful about what I say publicly. But I take it positively and a number of people agree with me. It is difficult for us to explain Enrile. Yet what consoles me more than anything else is that this unique occurrence was responsible for a minimum of bloodshed where the civilians were called upon to defend the military.

On conflicting political demands. I am getting flak from all sides. The % politicians think that I have not included enough of them; the nonpoliticians think that I have gone back to the old ways; and the mass public groups think I have forgotten them. Yesterday, Bishop Federico Escaler said, "Cory, my goodness, you have not done anything about the political prisoners." I said, "Excuse me, Bishop. Do you realize I formed a committee (that includes Enrile and Ramos) to hurry up the release of the prisoners?" He said, "Why did you include those two?" It just so happens they are part of this government.

I gave a lecture here the other day, and I told them, "Look, you people were so tolerant and so patient under Marcos for 20 years, and here I am only two days and you are expecting miracles. Then last night I talked to the nonviolent group, and again here come their protests, and I said, "This is all the thanks I get? Here I am giving my all and you people are still complaining. Why did I go through this exercise? You can get somebody else." I just wanted to make things clear.

On Marcos' request to remain in the country. At first I was told he wanted to stay two more days, and I thought maybe he wanted to die in his own country. But when I found out that was not it, I said he had to go because the longer he stays in this country, the harder it will be for things to normalize.

On whether Marcos will be permitted to return, alive or dead. It is not in the interest of this country that he be brought back. Maybe at a very much later date, but not now.

On foreign aid. I am very happy that all the ambassadors who have been visiting me have been saying that they will come to my assistance. In fact, the Canadian Ambassador said that his government will give an initial aid of $5 million in food, but they were sending it through nongovernment agencies, which was what I was asking for before. I said, "That was before, but now you can trust the Aquino government. Can't you give half directly to us?" The U.S. and Japan have told me that they will help. West Germany also.

On her changing life. The problem is that we have no space in this temporary headquarters. This morning I had to be so unpolitical and say, "From now on, nobody sees me without an appointment." So, friends or no friends, they have to make an appointment.

On herself. I told Cardinal Sin that I can no longer be humble because people don't take me seriously then, so I have to project my confidence, even more than most men would. My philosophy is to do everything within your capability and then leave the rest to God. I have honestly been living that way since Ninoy's incarceration. No one can say Cory did not give it her all.