Aquino Names Ramos Defense Secretary

President Corazon Aquino announced Thursday the most significant changes in her armed forces since the military coup that swept her to power almost two years ago.

She named Gen. Fidel V. Ramos, the armed forces chief, to be secretary of defense, and his deputy, Lt. Gen. Renato de Villa, to be the new chief of staff.

The changes, triggered by the resignation of Defense Secretary Rafael Ileto earlier in the day, strengthened Ramos’ position in the government, politically and militarily, and weakened the voice of military dissidents who believe that Ramos and Aquino have been ineffective in dealing with the Communist rebellion.

The changes also ended a philosophical dispute between Ramos and Ileto, who said in his letter of resignation that he was leaving the Cabinet because of fundamental disagreements with the Aquino government on its approach to ending the rebellion and reforming the armed forces.

The elevation of Ramos and De Villa, both of whom came up through the ranks of the national police, is also expected to deepen resentment of the government among members of the army, marines and air force.

It was resentment in the military that led more than 1,000 military men to attempt a coup against Aquino last Aug. 28. Dissident soldiers, mostly from the army and air force, seized four military camps in Manila, attacked Aquino’s residence and demanded Ramos’ resignation.

During and after the aborted coup, Ileto, a combat veteran and former chief of the army, tried to serve as a conduit to Aquino for the dissidents. This reportedly put him at odds with Ramos.

In an apparent effort to blunt the military resentment, Aquino took pains to praise Ileto in Thursday’s announcement, which was nationally televised.

She called him “the guiding light of the armed forces,” and, reacting to his statement that he was leaving to allow Aquino to follow another man’s vision of how the military should be run, she said, “There is only one vision of the armed forces, and it is that which . . . his distinguished career is the best example.”

Clearly, though, Ileto’s vision and that of the government are in sharp contrast.

“I fear that divisive elements and controversial issues within the military, if not checked promptly, will erode whatever gains we have achieved since February, 1986,” Ileto said in his letter of resignation, referring to the revolt that brought down the government of President Ferdinand E. Marcos.

Officials in the Defense Department said they think the divisions will remain and possibly deepen after Ramos takes over.

“We are now in chaos,” one senior official said, asking not to be identified by name. “There’s a lack of national leadership and direction. It all comes back to the fact that the civilian government has failed to recognize that it was a product of a revolution in which the military participated very actively.”

But for Gen. Ramos, who became a national hero for his leading role in the February revolt, Thursday’s announcement was a victory.

By resigning from the military and assuming his first civilian post, Ramos will be freer to speak out publicly, and he will have powerful and direct influence on Aquino’s counterinsurgency policies.

Sources close to the president said Ramos was offered the defense post as early as last September, when, in the aftermath of the aborted coup, Aquino was trying to meet some of the coup leader’s demands and unify the military. But Ramos reportedly told Aquino he was still needed in the armed forces and that the timing was wrong because she would appear to be giving in to the dissidents.

According to advisers to the president, Ramos had been expected to retire early but not until April, when 41 generals from Ramos’ class of 1957 at the Philippine Military Academy are due to retire. It was believed that Ramos wanted to see personally to their replacement.

Still, with De Villa, 52, as his replacement, Ramos retains considerable influence in the armed forces. De Villa is close to Ramos, so close that a Western military analyst here once called him “the eyes in the back of Ramos’ head.”

The elevation of Ramos, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and an expert in psychological warfare, was applauded by top officials as a move that will bring a measure of professionalism and public stature to Aquino’s administration, which has gone through several Cabinet shake-ups.

Ramos has said consistently that the most powerful weapon the government has against the Communist insurgents is government itself--delivering goods and services to people in the remote, impoverished regions where 75% of the people live. In government, Ramos will be in a stronger position to implement that strategy.

Political analysts said that Ramos’ appointment could pave the way for a possible bid for the presidency when Aquino’s term expires in 1992.