A&M officials: about $10,000
will be spent on bird control
— Page 4
Aggies close home season
with 82-75 win over Cougars
— Page 8
The Battalion
Vol. 83 Mo. 105 CJSPS 075360 12 pages
College Station, Texas
Tuesday, February 25,1986
arcos resigns, Aquino takes presidency
Associated Press
[MANILA, Philippines — Ferdi-
fcar i E. Marcos, besieged by a “peo-
Iple' power” uprising and military
\ ttvnlt, resigned today and fled the
presidential palace from which he
! B governed the Philippines for 20
* ■rs, U.S. officials announced.
■"he United States had officially
|«K)gnized (he new government of
pazon Aquino, Secretary of State
brge Shultz said in Washington
thi morning.
jlarcos went to the U.S. Air
Bee’s Clark Air Base, 50 miles
northwest of Manila, as he prepared
^ake up an American offer to fly
i out of the Philippines to an un-
mostd destination, Shultz said.
Bhtdtz said Marcos “was welcome
Bome to the United States,” but
that no decision had been made on
the vanquished leader’s ultimate
destination.
He praised the process that began
with Marcos’ claiming victory in the
Feb. 7 election amid charges of wide
spread fraud. Shultz said of the Phil
ippine people, “They have resolved
this issue non-violently and in a way
that does them honor.”
Marcos relinquished power hours
after taking the oath for a new six-
year term as president. Earlier,
Aquino took a similar, though unof
ficial, oath of office.
On Monday, President Reagan
had called for Marcos to effect a
peaceful transition of power to
Aquino. For 24 hours, there were
growing indications that Marcos
would do so if given assurances on
his and his family’s safety.
Members of Congress had said
that Marcos would be welcome in the
United States if the transfer of
power were carried out peacefully.
Shultz, speaking to reporters in
the White House briefing room,
said, “We praise the decision of Pres
ident Marcos. Reason and compas
sion have prevailed in ways that best
served the nation and the Filipino
people,” who, Shultz said, “have
high expectations for their country
and for democracy.”
The secretary said the Filipino
people “are true heroes today. They*
have resolved this issue in a way that
does them honor.”
As word of Marcos’ resignation
flashed across Manila, joyful throngs
of Filipinos set bonfires outside Mal-
acanang Palace.
“You’re the start of the rebirth of
democracy!” a radio announcer
boomed over the sounds of jubilia-
tion from demonstrators.
In Manila, Gen. Fidel V. Ramos, a
leader of the military mutiny, said he
was going to the palace, indicating
the rebels were about to take control
in the name of Corazon Aquino, the
new president.
Marcos’ reported departure
ended four days of uncertainty and
political drama in Manila and two
decades of highly personal Marcos
rule over this impoverished archipe
lago nation of 52 million people, an
important U.S. ally in the Far East.
Eourteen people were reported
slain in violence sparked by the re
volt against Marcos.
The longtime president was given
a final push Monday by the Reagan
administration, which issued a
statement calling for a peaceful tran
sition to a new government because
in the Feb. 7 presidential election, in
which the 68-year-old Marcos
claimed victory over Aquino.
Last week, the U.S. Senate ap
proved a non-binding resolution, on
a vote of 85-9, which declared that
the Philippine election was fraudu
lent and that Marcos had lost the
mandate to govern.
Earlier today, both Marcos and
Aquino, 53, were inaugurated as
president of rival Philippine govern
ments in separate ceremonies. But
within hours, both camps reported
Marcos was engaged in lengthy tele
phone negotiations over his depar
ture.
Residents in the area around the
palace said they saw four helicopters
leave the grounds at about 9 p.m. (8
a.m. EST). It was not known who
was in the helicopters.
Manila radio station DZRH later
quoted a Marcos loyalist, Romulo
Fontanilla, as saying, “Without our
knowledge he (Marcos) left us. Even
the soldiers are not here anymore.”
The station said only a small protec
tive force was left behind at the pal
ace.
Just before the helicopters took
off, about 100 Aquino supporters
broke down wooden barricades seve
ral hundred yards from the palace
and rushed toward Marcos loyalists
guarding the palace. The loyalists
hurled stones as they retreated.
Juan Ponce Enrile, the defense
minister who led the revolt against
Marcos, told reporters earlier his
See Marcos, page 11
ion
1
an man
:onvicted
of capital
liurder
d's
[ T
is
!3. b
op,£
OSTIS
T.FOfl
lECRE'
( Ha#
nr
A Bryan man accused of hiring
Bwife’s killer through an advertise-
bem in “Soldier of Fortune” mag-
Uine was convicted Monday of capi-
jalmurder.
Robert Black Jr. was found guilty
pya state district court jury. He faces
pithu the death sentence or life in
risen.
Jhe punishment phase of the trial
lin immediately after the panel
cturned the conviction.
Black, 39, was convicted of adver-
jising for the killer through the mag-
pw. a publication for weapons and
Itiilitary enthusiasts.
Hmirding to prosecutors. Black
Pftred a mercenary $10,000 and
expanses to kill his wife, Sandra
Hack.
■andra Black, 36, was found shot
»death on Feb. 21, 1985, in the
rouble’s Bryan home,
ohn Wayne Hearn, 40, of Atlanta,
>a. testified Thursday that the slay-
ngtook place after he and Black dis-
Isst d several ways to stage it.
On Friday, Hearn’s mother, Mary
Ison, of Columbia, S.C., testified
ier son received an envelope con-
pinini) a letter and a $ 1,000 cashier’s
bed signed by Black.
JS Hearn, who is serving a life sen-
ton in another killing, told jurors
tic would get another life sentence
forbstifying against Black.
Hearn said Black decided to fake
5 burglary and helped him ransack
i Bhouse, even telling him what jew
els to take as collateral on the mur-
tajcontract. He said Black handed
liini;i pistol to use.
Photo by DEANSAITO
Step By Step
Construction workers put down tensile rods at the site of the new
chemistry building. The tensile rods will reinforce the concrete
when it is poured over them.
Reagan calls for elimination
of some U.S.. Soviet missiles
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — President
Reagan called Monday for eliminat
ing U.S. and Soviet medium-range
nuclear missiles in both Europe and
Asia “by the end of this decade.”
But Reagan said the United States
is not ready to consider Soviet leader
Mikhail Gorbachev’s proposal for
elimination of all nuclear weapons
within 15 years.
In a* formal response to Gorba
chev’s most recent arms control
plan, Reagan said his negotiators in
Geneva on Monday put forward “a
concrete plan calling for the elimina
tion of U.S. Pershing II, ground-
launched cruise missiles and Soviet
SS-20 missiles, not only in Europe
but in Asia as well.”
An administration official, speak
ing on the condition he not be iden
tified, said the pia
destruction of all the missiles at the
end of three years, preventing either
side from redeploying them to
threaten other targets.
The proposal is similar to Rea
gan’s “zero option” plan put forward
in 1982, before the United States be
gan deploying its modern, interme
diate-range Pershing and cruise mis
siles in Western Europe. But since
then, the United States has installed
half of the 572 missiles it plans to de
ploy in the NATO arsenal.
Both sides have agreed to try to
reach a separate accord on interme
diate-range missiles while they con
tinue to search for ways to break
their stalemate on the larger ques
tions of long-range missiles and
space weapons.
But in a written statement outlin
ing his private response to Gorba
chev, Reagan made clear that many
obstacles remain to total nuclear dis
armament.
Gorbachev’s Jan. 15 proposal
called for elimination of nuclear
weapons by the end of the century,
with both sides scrapping their me
dium-range nuclear missiles that are
within striking distance of Europe,
as a first step.
However, Reagan, who initially
had welcomed the plan as a positive
step, said Monday that many of its
details aren’t appropriate for consid
eration at this time.
A U.S. official who asked not to be
identified said that Reagan’s letter
rejected Gorbachev’s proposal to
freeze British and French interme
diate-range nuclear arsenals.
Texas Air plans to buy out Eastern
Associated Press
MIAMI — Racing strike deadlines
from unions and default threats
from creditors. Eastern Airlines an
nounced Monday it would be taken
over by aggressive, cost-slashing en
trepreneur Frank Lorenzo and his
Houston-based Texas Air Corp.
Eastern, the nation’s third largest
airline, will remain intact as a wholly
owned subsidiary of Texas Air,
which also operates New York Air
and Continental Airlines, if the deal
is approved, Texas Air said in a
statement.
Lorenzo agreed to pay $606 mil
lion for Eastern, or $10 per Eastern
share, by paying $6.25 cash and as
suming $3.75 in debt for each share,
the statement said. The buyout
agreement must be approved by
Eastern’s creditors, shareholders
and federal authorities.
Charles Bryan, president of the
International Association of Machin
ists local that represents 12,000 East
ern workers, sent Lorenzo a tele
gram offering cooperation.
Bryan, who also sits on Eastern’s
board of directors, said Chairman
Frank Borman told other board
members he would resign from the
company following their 2:45 a.m.
EST vote on Lorenzo’s offer. East
ern spokesman Glenn Parsons den
ied that, saying, “That didn’t hap
pen. Borman never said he’s going
to resign and isn’t resigning.”
Parsons said Borman, a former as
tronaut who has headed the Miami-
based carrier since 1975, and other
company officials were unlikely to
hold a news conference before Tues
day. Lorenzo did not return re
peated telephone messages.
Major creditors had given Eastern
management a Feb. 28 deadline to
present a long-term plan to turn
around the airline, $2.5 billion in
debt. Ken Mills, spokesman for
Chase Manhattan, one of the largest
creditors, said it had no comment on
the takeover.
Late Sunday, Eastern reached an
agreement with its 4,200 pilots to
See Eastern, page 11
Spouses can save up to $3,000
Tax deduction aids couples
By JIM LUTHER
AP Tax Writer
Mditor’s note — This is the second in a series
B^ articles written to help taxpayers prepare
Aen 1985 income tax returns. This installment
rs the marriage penalty deduction.
ASHINGTON — If you and your spouse
t earn salaries think twice —and check the
ial “marriage penalty” deduction — before
■gseparate returns.
■he closer the wages of two spouses, the
pluer the chance they might be able to save
pwiey by filing separately. But the special de
duction of up to $3,000 has reduced consider-
tol) the number of couples hurt by what has be-
plie known as the marriage penalty.
■hat penalty is a result of the progressive na-
iufr of the tax system. The tax rate on a single
Prison is higher than the rate on a married cou-
pliwith the same income. But two single work-
Er |ean face a higher tax if they marry; their
0 |ibined earnings on a joint return can push
into a higher bracket.
^he two-earner deduction cancels a part of
that marriage penalty and is available to any
couple filing a joint return if both spouses have
earned income. If you file the long Form 1040,
take the deduction by attaching Schedule W. Fil
ers of Form 1040A must fill out Part I of Sched
ule 1.
The calculation is simple. Add the earned in
come (wages, salaries, tips and the like) of each
spouse separately and subtract any adjustments
claimed for employee business expenses and for
Individual Retirement Account or Keogh plan
contributions. Multiply the smaller of the two to
tals (up to $30,000) by 10 percent to determine
the deduction.
Even with this deduction, separate returns
may be better for some couples, such as those
living in community-property states or w'hen
one spouse has extraordinary medical expenses.
But if one spouse itemizes, so must the other.
For tax purposes, you were married for the
whole year if, on Dec. 31, you and your spouse
were living together as husband and wife, legally
or under common law, or if you were living
apart but not legally separated. Generally, you
may file a joint return even if your spouse died
during the year.
A married person who lived apart from the
spouse during the last half of the year, who has a
dependent child and who has head-of-house-
hold status does not have to file until income is
$3,430 or more (if under 65) or $4,470 (if 65 or
over). The same thresholds apply to a single per
son, including divorced and legally separated.
If you were widowed in 1983 or 1984, have
not remarried and have a dependent child living
with you, you won’t have to file a return unless
your income is $4,580 or more (if you’re under
65) or $5,620 (if you’re 65 or over).
If you were widowed before 1983 and have
not remarried, you must file a return if your in
come is $3,430 or more (if under 65) or $4,470
(over 65).
The head-of-household status allows many
taxpayers — especially divorced women with
children — to calculate their taxes on rates that
fall between those for singles and couples filing
joint returns.
No-pass, no-play rule
OK’d by high court
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Su
preme Court on Monday left in
tact Texas’ controversial “no pass,
no play” law that bars students
with failing grades from taking
part in extracurricular activities.
The court, citing the lack of a
substantial federal question, re
jected an appeal by students who
say the law violates their constitu
tional rights.
The 1984 law has disqualified
temporarily about 15 percent of
the varsity football players in
Texas’ 1,100 school districts. A
survey by the Texas High School
Coaches Association says junior
varsity and freshman teams have
been hit twice as hard.
The statute generally penalizes
students who score under 70 dur
ing a six-week grading period for
any course. The student is barred
from taking part in any extracur
ricular activity for six weeks.
Gov. Mark White, who made
the regulation a key part of his
education reform package during
a special session of the Texas Leg
islature in 1983, said he' was
pleased by the decision.
“That’s a state issue and we
won,” he said.
State Education Commissioner
W.N. Kirby said he was pleased
with the court’s action.
“I hope we will now be able to
get this issue out of the court
house and get emphasis on aca
demic achievement back into the
classroom, where it rightly be
longs,” he said.
Kirby said he believes the rule
is having a positive effect on stu
dents.
“However, at the request of the
State Board of Education we will
be studying the overall impact of
the no-pass, no-play rule very
See Court, page 11