News In Brief

Surprise Manila move points to civilian trial in Aquino case

Philippine government lawyers produced a surprise new legal decree Thursday which would enable three generals and 23 others charged with the murder of opposition leader Benigno Aquino to be tried by a civilian, rather than a military, court. It authorizes President Ferdinand Marcos to assign to a civilian court military cases usually tried by courts martial. Opposition sources said they would challenge the decree because it had not been formally laid out.

President Marcos declared an emergency in six typhoon-ravaged provinces yesterday while the Philippines Air Force began airlifting tons of relief supplies in the wake of a typhoon that killed hundreds of people and made hundreds of thousands homeless.