Marcos reacts angrily to ’stab on our borders'

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33917, 9 August 1975, Page 15

Marcos reacts angrily to ’stab on our borders'

(N’.Z Press Assn — CopyrightMANILA, August 8. With an oblique reference to Tun Harun (.Mustapha of the Malay(sian State of Sabah. (President Marcos of the Philippines has warned that the Philippines would meet “arms with arms" if any foreigners attempted to dismember the country.

‘‘We protest this naked stab upon our borders,” the President said in a speech, claiming that “never with so much certainty” did the Philippines know that others coveted this territory.

Without mentioning names, President Marcos referred to recent reports that Tun Mustapha, the Moslem Sabah Chief Minister, wished to secede from Ma- * laysia and form a new i nation with the heavily ; Moslem-populated areas of ,! Mindanao and other southern Philippine islands. He said the reports • confirmed “our long-standing I belief that the troubles in i Mindanao were encouraged ' by foreign mercenaries.” Moslem insurgents have j been fighting Government (forces in Mindanao and ; other southern islands for ! nearly 34 months, claiming I they "were seeking seif rule. ! rhe Philippine martial law government has claimed the insurgency was supported with arms and training from Sabah, the Philippines’ immediate southern neighbour. After the speech, President Marcos said that he had made no formal protest to the Federal Government of Malaysia over the accusation against the Mustapha. President Marcos spoke at the 74th anniversary of the Philippines constabulary held in a gymnasium where, until six months ago, thousands of martial law detainees had been held since the imposed absolute rule in September. 1972. i Before his speech. President Marcos read an oath of allegiance to about 300 released detainees. Most of ■ them already had been freed from the stockade at the constabulary headquarters in Crame, in nearby Quezon. Talks with U.S. The President also said today that the Philippines and the United States will J start negotiating within a:

"month or so" to iron out i what he calls "noncontroversial” questions over his Government's demand to take control of United States military bases lin the Philippines Mr Marcos said that the two Governments hope to separate the “non-con-troversial issues from the jeontroversial" and settle the non-controversial ones first. He said "lower level" officials of the countries would meet tn Manila and tn Washington to discuss the non-controversial issues. i Mr Marcos also said the I United States had submitted to the Government a list of questions about the bases to which the Philippines would reply. He refused to discuss what the United States asked or to say what he regarded as non-controversial questions about the bases After questioning the ■ value of the American com(mitment under a mutual defence treaty to come to the assistance of the Philippines following the fall of [ the American-supported Government in South Vietnam last April, President Marcos has asked for a revision of agreements under which the United States maintains two large and several smaller bases in the Philippines. He has said his Government wanted to assume full control over the installations.