Chapter 300
Chapter 300
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Philippine Coup (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The CIA's preparations for the military coup were far from sloppy.
“Secure the president and the media the moment the operation begins.”
Learning from the failure of the Argentine coup, the CIA had devised a precise plan to seize government offices and broadcasting stations in one fell swoop.
That said, the plan wasn't without its hurdles.
“What kind of tiny country has hundreds of radio and TV stations scattered around?”
The sheer number of radio and television stations dotting the Philippines forced the CIA to abandon the goal of taking them all.
“We'll just target the TVs and the big radio stations.”
As Langley drew up the coup plans, they took information security seriously in their own way.
“You all need to be careful with information management too.”
The Philippine military paid attention to this aspect as well.
“Avoid using phones or telegraphs if possible.”
It was a measure taken with South Korea's communications surveillance in mind.
Thanks to the CIA's thorough preparations, Korea's intelligence command couldn't provide the government with solid intel.
Even the Korean National Intelligence Service failed to detect the Philippine military's movements.
Considering that the NIS had fewer than twenty agents in the Philippines, it was hard to call it arrogance on their part.
This was simply the inevitable result of a lack of resources.
“Why only invest twenty people in the Philippines?”
The NIS had its own defenses against such questions.
“You think fluent Tagalog speakers grow on trees?”
While Korea's intelligence agencies remained completely in the dark, a group of coup forces led by the Philippine Army launched a sudden assault on Manila.
“Washington says they won't let you sit idle. Step down from that chair now.”
After arresting President Marcos, the coup forces established a National Reform Committee.
To legitimize their seizure of power, they addressed the Filipino people about the corruption of the existing politicians.
“Look at the corruption of Marcos and the politicians from the oligarchy. Would you entrust the country to these rotten bastards? That's exactly why the military has risen up. We're different from them. First, we'll clean up the land issue that's been eating away at the nation's potential. Step by step, we'll build a prosperous country—a world-leading rich nation called the Philippines.”
The Korean government first learned of the Philippine coup through TV news.
Lee Sung-jun was furious about it.
“What the hell have you all been doing?”
Lee Sung-jun summoned the heads of the intelligence agencies and tore into them over the coup in the Philippines.
After unleashing a tirade for nearly thirty minutes, the prime minister demanded countermeasures from the agency heads.
“What if we try a public opinion campaign like we did in Argentina?”
“That won't work with the president already captured.”
A public opinion war needed a focal point.
Lee Sung-jun was about to say as much when a sudden idea flashed through his mind.
“There might be a way.”
“Pardon?”
“A focal point doesn't have to be a sitting politician.”
A former politician could serve as a rallying point for the people if played right.
“Do you have something in mind?”
“How about positioning the former Speaker of the House as the center of resistance?”
Conveniently, there was Cornelio Villareal in Pyongyang, serving as a professor at Pyongyang University’s Political Science Department at their invitation.
As a heavyweight who had been Speaker until recently, he had plenty of symbolic value to exploit.
“That guy's there, huh.”
In fact, the cards Korea held didn't stop at Cornelio Villareal.
Quite a few Filipino politicians were quietly spending time in Korea under the guise of professors or researchers.
“Why Korea instead of the understanding Americans?”
The answer was simple.
“Because Korea pays well.”
While America viewed the Philippines as an important foothold, they couldn't shake the perception of it as a “third-rate Asian country” that could be treated more casually than Europe.
In contrast, Koreans didn't see the Philippines as some backwater nation.
“After all, aren't they one of the few developed democracies in Asia?”
Beyond perception, Korea viewed the Philippines as far more strategically important.
“The Philippines holds the lifeline of the Republic in its grasp.”
Because the Korean government saw the Philippines this way, when universities or research foundations invited Filipino politicians, they threw in extra “invitation fees.”
Given the circumstances, Filipino politicians preferred spending time in Korea over America.
“And there's no racial discrimination, either.”
These investments paid off in the coup crisis.
Korea immediately approached Villareal and asked him to speak out against the coup.
“Mr. Speaker, you absolutely cannot sit idly by while this coup unfolds. If a military coup succeeds even once, the Philippines will turn into a banana republic overnight. Are you going to let the long democratic tradition of the republic crumble in a day?”
“I'm not taking this lightly either. But what can I do against a military that holds all the guns?”
“Use the media. We'll provide the platform.”
“Hmm.”
After persuading Villareal, Korea positioned him as the vanguard against the military regime.
“The groundwork is ready.”
“Then let's get started.”
Korea promptly declared it would not recognize the Philippine military regime.
“Pyongyang cannot recognize the Philippine military regime that came to power illegally.”
Korea's declaration didn't end in words.
Korea unleashed harsh economic sanctions against the Philippine military regime.
“Trade with a criminal regime without Pyongyang's approval needs close scrutiny. They might even be exporting drugs, for all we know.”
Starting with Korea, major Third World countries successively cut off trade with the Philippines.
“We will exercise caution in dealings with Philippine authorities until a civilian government we can recognize takes power.”
America, having learned from the Argentine coup, didn't step forward to clash directly with the Third World nations.
Instead, countries like Canada took the lead, hurling criticism at the Third World's economic sanctions.
“Stop this illegal interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation.”
“Do they think we're scared of a few Anglo-Saxon lackeys yapping, when it's not even America?”
The Third World didn't even snort at the Anglo-Saxon nations' condemnation.
The economic sanctions held firm for a full month.
The results were catastrophic.
“Eighty-five percent of our trade cut off overnight! How are we supposed to run the country like this?”
Even the pro-American military faction swallowed hard once they tasted Korea's economic sanctions.
America agreed to take some of the Philippines' exports that were meant for Asia as a stopgap.
“That costs money too.”
The U.S. government shelled out considerable funds to import economically unviable goods.
Even amid this, Korea didn't let up on the offensive.
The “Provisional Government of the Philippines” led by Villareal broadcast nonstop from Taiwan under Korean control, aiming at Manila.
“Fellow citizens, we must never bow to the military's guns. If we take even one step back now, we'll be slaves to the military forever. Will we become like Argentina, which fought and defeated the military? Or a banana republic enslaved by the army?”
The message itself wasn't particularly powerful.
But the situation created by Korea's economic sanctions gave it strength.
“We can't trade or do anything because of those damn soldiers!”
In any society, when livelihoods are at stake, public discontent spreads like wildfire.
Villareal's message was more than enough to ignite that rage.
“We can't live under military rule.”
“Release President Marcos!”
The Filipino people's uprising was explosive.
The CIA was thrown into panic by these massive protests.
“We said democratization protests are impossible outside Europe! What the hell happened?”
“Well, Cornelio Villareal, the former Speaker, unluckily happened to be in Korea, and things got messy.”
“There aren't just one or two high-ranking Filipino politicians in Korea! You should've anticipated this!”
The White House tore into the CIA.
But berating the CIA didn't resolve the situation.
To drive the nail home, Korea submitted a “Philippine Democratization Resolution” to the UN.
“The victory of the Philippine military regime means a setback for liberalism. Even for the triumph of democracy, we must lend strength to the Filipino people.”
America couldn't bring itself to veto the resolution.
Even European nations voted in favor.
“It's Korea saying it, but it's right.”
With the Soviet Union and America abstaining, the Philippine Democratization Resolution passed with a majority.
The resolution was just a toothless message with no binding force, but issuing it under the UN's name was what mattered.
“The world is watching over the Philippines' democracy.”
As the situation unfolded this way, the Philippine military regime shook badly.
Pyongyang poured fuel on the protests by announcing through the press that it would lift sanctions immediately if a civilian government took power.
From the moment the Philippine economy began depending on Korea's, the options Korea could wield overshadowed America's.
With things turning out this way, Washington found itself in a bind.
“Your Excellency, we need to back the coup regime now, support them in doing whatever it takes.”
If the Filipino people kept rebelling to the end, they could set up concentration camps like in South Vietnam and run a Phoenix Program equivalent.
Kissinger argued that America couldn't back down now.
America's dominance in the Southwest Pacific hung on this decision.
Nixon thought Kissinger had a point.
“Get Manila on the phone.”
Washington conveyed to the Philippine military regime that it would have their back no matter what they did.
Hearing America's support, the Philippine military regime mustered its last strength.
The Philippine Army deployed 40,000 troops for a massive crackdown on the protesters.
But it wasn't enough to break the boiling resistance of the Filipino people.
Neither camps nor bloody suppressions worked.
Even within the military regime, controversy raged over continuing the crackdown.
“Over a hundred dead already. How many more do you want to kill before you're satisfied?”
Murmurs within the ranks.
Desertions by soldiers.
The military leadership felt it couldn't hold out.
“After all this butchery, if America washes its hands of us, we'll be the ones dying.”
In truth, America hadn't instilled confidence in the military leaders.
They'd abandoned allies like South Vietnam without hesitation—why would they hesitate over a few people?
Unable to bear the mounting political pressure, the military figures quickly boarded planes and fled to America.
The military regime collapsed in exactly two months.
“The coup regime has fallen!”
In this affair, all Korea did was impose economic sanctions and broadcast messages through Villareal.
Yet that level of involvement was enough to topple the military regime.
“Now the Southwest Pacific is ours.”
Of course, even without the coup, the Philippines would have ended up in Korea's fold.
The elderly Korean prime minister drew X marks on the map of the Philippines over Clark Air Base and Subic Bay Naval Base.
With Clark Air Base and Subic Bay Naval Base closed, who could threaten Korea's lifeline?
“No one but ourselves.”
For the first time since possessing this world, Lee Sung-jun felt a sense of relief.