Marcos tells U.S. to mind own business

Press, 8 May 1978, Page 8

Marcos tells U.S. to mind own business

NZPA-Reuter Manila President Ferdinand Marcos has told the United States not to intervene in the internal affairs of the Philippines because the conduct of his Government is of no concern to the Americans.

Addressing a University of the Philippines fraternity of reserve officers, President Marcos on Saturday said he had shown his Government adhered to human rights during last week’s discussions with the visiting

United States Vice-President (Mr Walter Mondale). During his visit, which ended on Thursday, Mr Mondale said he had expressed deep American concern, about the state of human rights in the Philippines during three hours of talks with Mr Marcos.

The Philippines stipulated that it was following a policy of self-reliance that would never allow foreign soldiers to step foot on its territory and would possibly invite outside help only if faced with an invasion on the scale of the Japanese at-

tack in World War Two, President Marcos said. President Marcos, who has ruled the country for the last five years under a mar-tial-law system criticised by the United States, said the talks had also paved the way for accelerated agreement on the future American use of Philippine bases.

The United States Would return more than half the land now used by the Americans as well as allowing the Philippines, if it wished, to terminate their use before the expiry of the current treaty in 1991, he said.