''They don't want an apology, they want money.''

Ilocos Norte Gov. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., son and namesake of the late dictator, yesterday took a defiant stance on being asked if his family would heed the call--made by victims of human rights abuse during his father's rule--for an apology.

Marcos Jr. said he and his family would apologize only if they have done something wrong.

After all, he said, it had yet to be established if the so-called ''rights claimants'' existed. He said that of the 10,000 victims seeking damages from his father's estate, not more than 1,000 had filed claims.

''And the 1,000 names we know are people who have nothing to do with human rights claimants,'' he declared.

''I think their true colors are showing because now they are fighting,'' the young Marcos added.

''Basta't may pagasang magkapera, nagaaway-away na sila (As long as there's a chance of making money, they'll fight among themselves).

''Some of these people who are claiming to be human rights victims have never been victims except (of) their own greed.''

Marcos Jr. described the Edsa uprising on Feb. 22-25, 1986, as ''nothing but a political power grab.''

The government commemorated on Monday the 13th anniversary of the historic revolt that toppled the dictatorship and swept Corazon ''Cory'' Aquino, widow of Marcos's political archrival, to power.

But Marcos Jr. thinks nothing has changed since he, together with the then ailing strongman and other members of his family, fled Malacañang on Feb. 25 13 years ago.

''My interpretation of (the Edsa uprising) is, there was no revolution,'' he said.

''A revolution is a change in social order. But the poor remain poor. Nothing has changed.''

Sincerity

Marcos Jr. said President Estrada had shown sincerity in resolving the cases involving his family.

Last week, he told reporters here that the best chance to find a settlement to the dispute over his family's alleged ill-gotten wealth was for the human rights groups, the Philippine government and the Marcoses to conduct negotiations during Mr. Estrada's term.

Settlement talks between the Marcoses and the Estrada administration had been suspended pending the resolution of a motion for reconsideration filed by the family last month with the Supreme Court.

The Marcoses asked the tribunal to reconsider its judgment on the 1993 compromise agreement they signed with then President Fidel Ramos, which calls for a 75-25 sharing in favor of the government.

Marcos Jr. said his family did not agree with the proposed 75-25 formula.

He also said he did not know of the gold deposits that Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, his father's long-time defense minister and considered an Edsa hero, had been reported as citing.

''When (Enrile) was in Hawaii, I was there,'' Marcos Jr. said.

''My father was already too ill to speak to him or make any of the arrangements that he has been talking about. I cannot imagine that my father (will issue an instruction) without me knowing it.''

Past association

Ramos, head of the Constabulary during martial law, urged Filipinos on Monday to ''remember the truth'' as he denounced the return to power of those unseated or forced into exile by the Edsa revolt.

He did not name names in his speech delivered at a breakfast forum, but he was obviously referring to the family of his former boss, the late strongman, and the cronies who once controlled major industries in the country.

But some senators yesterday advised Ramos, another key figure of the uprising, not to forget his past membership in the dictator's elite set.

Still others noted that his statement indicated a distancing from present leaders once associated with the dictator and who did not participate in the uprising.

Senate President Pro Tempore Blas Ople, labor minister of the late strongman, pointed out that Ramos ''was one of the Marcos right-hand men who managed to come back quicker than the others.''

Ople said Ramos ''must have forgotten that he was head of the PC-INP and vice chief of staff of the Armed Forces when martial law was declared.

''He should not be maligning himself,'' Ople said in an interview.

Sen. Francisco Tatad, the press secretary who read Marcos' declaration of martial law on air in 1972, said those who managed to come back ''by virtue of the electoral process'' were able to do so because of the people's will.

''There is nothing (Ramos) can do. He used to be a crony himself,'' Tatad added.

'Nothing new'

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, one of those imprisoned during the martial law years, said it was ''too bad that Ramos noticed the return of the Marcos cronies only now.''

''Some of them returned to power during the time of Cory, some during his own administration, and, of course, they're back in many places now. There's nothing new in that,'' Pimentel said.

Enrile said Ramos might as well blame democracy for the return of the cronies.

''We embrace democracy, and I don't think you can enjoin or prohibit or prevent anyone to engage in a quest for power, honor--or wealth, for that matter--unless there is a law enacted by Congress constitutionally allowing the interdiction of any person from engaging in (such) a quest,'' Enrile said.

He said it was an ''accepted fact that friends or foes, after Edsa, will be allowed to engage in politics, and these include the Marcos forces.''

Enrile added that with the way democracy worked, it was now ''up to the people to decide if they want these Marcos elements or allies or cronies to get back into power.''

''If they do, that's the operation of democracy,'' he said.

Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. noted that Marcos ''developed a lot of political leaders'' during his time, and that voters should not be blamed if they still found these leaders acceptable.

Sen. Gregorio Honasan, considered another Edsa hero, preferred to downplay Ramos' and other comments about what took place 13 years ago.

''We should not complicate warnings issued by each administration that chooses to color Edsa other than for what it is. Edsa should not be colored by partisan politics,'' he said.

Surprise

For all that, Sen. Raul Roco considers Ramos' statement ''a very good comment.''

''It is also politically surprising because you will now see that the Edsa roots--Cory and Ramos--are now declaring a breakaway from the non-Edsa roots of Estrada,'' Roco said.

''It is not party-based. But you can see that Ramos is saying that 'All these guys we defeated are creeping back. They are the guys we were saved from by the people.'''

Sen. Sergio Osmeña III, who was ordered detained by the strongman during martial law, said that while the situation had not yet deteriorated into one where freedom and civil liberties were again under threat, ''we are now faced with the danger of seeing crony capitalism rear its ugly head again.''

'Traitor'

The militant groups reserved their comments for Mr. Estrada.

''Acting as the laundryman of the Marcoses and their cronies, Mr. Estrada whitewashed their cases, ironed-out the recovery of their ill-gotten wealth, and brought them back to power,'' Karapatan secretary general Marie Hilao-Enriquez said at a news conference.

''We cringe in disgust and anger as the Marcoses and their cronies again flaunt their wealth and power, as if the Edsa revolt never happened.''

Enriquez also said that while Marcos imposed martial law eight years after he came into power, Mr. Estrada wanted it done as early as eight months after taking over the presidency.

She cited as proof the proposed mandatory filing of statements of assets and liabilities, expanded rules on warrantless arrest, national ID system and scrapping of the minimum wage law.

Teddy Casiño, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan deputy secretary general, said the President had an ''attitude problem''--''the attitude of a budding dictator.''

''We are commemorating the 13th anniversary of the Edsa uprising by vigorously exposing and protesting the treachery of the Estrada regime against the Filipino people,'' Enriquez said.

By Cristina Arzadon, PDI Northern Luzon Bureau and Cathy C. Yamsuan, with a report from Christine Herrera