The World - News from July 14, 1989

A Philippine military court unanimously acquitted 23 soldiers of massacring 17 civilians in a village two years ago. A six-member court-martial ruled there was insufficient evidence to convict members of the army’s 14th battalion of killing the civilians in the town of Lupao on Feb. 10, 1987. The verdict surprised military prosecutors, since witnesses had identified several of the accused as having taken part. In a separate case, another tribunal dismissed charges against a prominent officer accused of taking part in a bloody coup attempt against President Corazon Aquino in 1987. Air force Lt. Col. Eduardo (Red) Kapunan, an associate of the coup leader, former Lt. Col. Gregorio (Gringo) Honasan, allegedly organized cadets at the Philippine Military Academy to join the rebellion.