78-09-B2

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Asia II

Transcript Today I'd like to tell you what the Philippines looks like to an observer who had an opportunity to meet with leaders in every field with journeyman members of the press and -- for several hours -- with President and Mrs. Marcos. Marcos is very sensitive to the wave of criticism he and his administration are receiving in the American press following his declaration of martial law. We here in American have been given a story of repression, arrest of political prisoners and torture. The man I quoted last broadcast and who I quote today regarding the Philippines said --QUOTE-- "Maybe there have been human rights violations and torture. I don't know. I can tell you, however, that a close friend who has been in the Philippines as a representative of the Drug Enforcement administration for five years, told me that he has never seen or even suspected mistreatment of prisoners by the police. I questioned him closely and he told me that he had been to numerous prisons, including those for political prisoners. He said that some of the prisons having political prisoners are 'country clubs' compared to United States prisons." Then he added, "I trust my friend implicitly." --UNQUOTE-- He found both President and Mrs. Marcos still staunch friends of America and as anti-Communist as ever. They know that their insistence that our military bases there be leaseholds under Philippine sovereignty has been interpreted as anti-Americanism but President Marcos said--QUOTE-- "The people of the Philippines must be given some national pride and shown that their country is running its own affairs". --UNQUOTE-- That shouldn't be so hard for our government to understand after the way it bled over Panama's desire to feel national pride by obtaining sovereignty over the Canal. The President went on to say that the payments he was asking for the bases would be applied toward the purchase of an early warning radar system. Now, brace yourself for a slight surprise. My friend expressed the opinion that this was hardly necessary since obviously the United States already had such a system in operation there. President Marcos laughed and said that was the response of both President Carter and Secretary Vance. Neither of them were aware that we had no such long range warning system in the Philippines. Other surprise revelations--the average man in the street said living conditions had improved more in the five years of martial law than in the previous 50 years. There are stories about Mrs. Marcos "putting her arm" on industry for money with which to build some of her pet projects such as the Philippines Cultural Center. She said frankly that she did exactly that. She added that there isn't public money for such construction so she asks industry to contribute and smilingly agreed that maybe--QUOTE--"there was more leaning than asking"--UNQUOTE--but what usually isn't reported is that all such contributions are tax deductible just as they are here in America. The U.S. news agency executive I have been quoting summed up by saying that in the Philippines as elsewhere in Asia he found only friendship for the United States but worry as to what our foreign policy really was. Well, that last point we certainly have in common. This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening.		Details Batch Number 78-09-B2 Production Date 06/27/1978 Book/Page RPtV-323 Audio Youtube? No
		Added Notes