Americans In Danger In The Philippines -- Two U.S. Airmen Gunned Down As Military-Base Negotiations Open

MANILA - The murders of two U.S. servicemen have raised concerns for American citizens in the Philippines as negotiators began talks today on the future of U.S. military bases.

U.S. officials believe communist guerrillas of the New People's Army (NPA) killed the two servicemen last night near Clark Air Base, 50 miles north of Manila. The dead servicemen were identified as Airmen John H. Raven and James C. Green. Their hometowns were not available. Nine days earlier, gunmen killed Marine Gunnery Sgt. John Fredette near Subic Bay naval base, 50 miles west of Manila.

The NPA had been threatening to kill U.S. servicemen as the base negotiations drew near, part of its 21-year insurgency to overthrow the Philippine government and force removal of all U.S. military facilities.

Security was extremely tight in Manila today for the start of the base negotiations. American diplomats in Manila were under orders to alter their hours and routes to work. All U.S. servicemen were ordered to remain on base.

The United States maintains about 40,000 troops, Defense Department civilians and military dependents at six U.S. bases in the Philippines, some in rebel strong-holds.

Thousands more come temporarily for training at Clark or aboard American warships that call at Subic.

In addition, the U.S. Embassy estimates 80,000 to 100,000 Americans live in the Philippines. Protecting all of them is impossible.

``We can provide good security for senior diplomats, ranking officers, people like that,'' said one American official who requested anonymity. ``But how do you protect every private?''

The security situation for U.S.

diplomats in Manila is considered so bad that the State Department is considering ``danger pay,'' worth 15 percent on top of current salaries, U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Platt said last week. Diplomatic sources say the proposal is opposed by the Defense Department because it would not cover service personnel.

The only way military personnel could receive extra compensation would be through combat pay. But that would mean most dependents would have to return to the United States.

The killing of the three enlisted men indicates that the NPA may have abandoned the quest for ``quality targets'' and will strike at any American serviceman.

Although the rebels have repeatedly threatened to kill Americans, U.S. officials expected them to try to assassinate a senior diplomat or military officer.

They cited the April 1989 assassination of U.S. Army Col. James ``Nick'' Rowe, a decorated Vietnam War veteran who was ambushed and slain by the rebels on his way to work at the Joint U.S. Military Assistance Group in suburban Quezon City.

``Rowe was a quality target,'' said one U.S. official, who requested anonymity. ``They don't get the same propaganda value from killing an enlisted man.''

In March, rebel commander Romulo Kintanar said the guerrillas would be ``highly selective in launching military operations in the cities.''

But all three recent victims were low-ranking enlisted men who were not even permanently assigned in the Philippines. It appeared they were selected simply because of nationality.

The rebels have been fighting the Philippine government for more than 21 years. If they now are willing to kill any U.S. service member, the security implications are serious, both for American and Filipino authorities.

A sizable reduction in the American military community would undermine Filipino support for the bases at a time when a new agreement on the installations is in doubt.

Many Filipinos who support the bases do so because of the estimated $1 billion they pump into the economy every year. Without large numbers of dependents, many of whom live and shop on the local economy, that figure would decline dramatically.

But others are opposed to the bases. Truncheon-wielding police fired tear gas at hundreds of anti-base protesters during running confrontations through the streets of the capital today.

At least 42 people were arrested and five hospitalized, witnesses and police said. Protesters, mostly students, retaliated by throwing small homemade bombs at police.

Rallies were held throughout the day.

Five truckloads of riot police were deployed outside Clark Air Base as about 400 base opponents rallied in nearby Angeles City.

As the base talks opened at the Central Bank building with about 500 police on hand, the chief U.S. negotiator condemned the killings of the two U.S. airmen and assailed the ``banditry'' of communist rebels.

``This brutal and clumsy attempt to drive a wedge between the United States and the Philippines will fail,'' said Richard Armitage, a former assistant secretary of defense.

Police Capt. Gener Manguni said it appeared the rebels were responsible for the killings because of the style of the attack. Two or three Filipinos approached the Americans and shot them in the back of their heads with .45-caliber pistols, the rebels' favored weapon in street killings.

They were among 280 airmen and support personnel assigned to the 8th Aircraft Generation Squadron on temporary duty from Kunsan Air Base, 110 miles south of Seoul, South Korea.

The rebels made no claim of responsibility for yesterday's killings. But in a media statement, the NPA denounced the base talks.

President Corazon Aquino told reporters the government was taking ``all necessary measures'' to protect Americans but ``we cannot guarantee a 100 percent, fail-safe protection. No government can.''

She has refused to say whether she will agree to extend the lease for the bases, which expires Sept. 16, 1991.

-- Compiled from Associated Press, Los Angeles Times and Knight-Ridder Newspapers.