Enrile willing to reveal all about Aquino slaying

Former senator Juan Ponce Enrile said he is willing to reveal the name of the mastermind behind the murder of former senator Benigno Aquino at Manila international airport in 1983.

Enrile, then the defence minister of ex-dictator Ferdinand Marcos, said he will make his revelation only before a court tasked with unravelling the mystery which has remained unsolved for 19 years.

"I will testify if I get invited (and) I will respond to their questions if I know the answers," Enrile said.

Enrile said he would rather not reveal the information at this time, and added that he would not reveal it to the press.

Enrile is the author of Marcos's martial law rule in 1972. He was the defence minister when Aquino was assassinated at on August 21, 1983, while returning from exile in the United States.

Former president Fidel Ramos, who was then vice-chief of staff, also said he would testify on everything that he knew about the killing of Aquino in 1983. "It is good (that Ramos decided to do so). It would be good for him to testify," Enrile stated.

Senator Aquilino Pimentel dared Ramos to tell the people everything he knew of the plot to kill Aquino.

In response to Pimentel's challenge, Ramos said last Sunday that he was willing to face any tribunal formed to re-investigate the case.

Enrile and Ramos broke away from Marcos in February, 1986, which triggered the first people power revolution that brought down the dictator.

The former government's version of the killing was that Aquino was killed by a lone gunman, Rolando Galman, who was immediately killed by airport security men.

The former senator was brought out by the paramilitarymen of Marcos from the China Airlines plane to the service stairway.