Marcos ‘playing it by ear’

Press, 10 February 1986, Page 6

Marcos ‘playing it by ear’

NZPA-Reuter Manila The Philippines’ President, Mr Ferdinand Marcos, refusing to yield to opposition victory claims, brushed aside assertions of manipulating election results but said he was keeping his options open. . Asked 4by reporters what he would do if teams of U.S. and international observers found that Friday’s poll was unclean, he said he had thought deeply about whether to declare the election invalid.

“As of now, I am trying to play it by ear.”

He said he was “distressed” that some people

thought the poll was fraudulent, saying “We have done everything to make it honest.”

Referring to assertions by the head of the official U.S. delegation of pollwatchers that he had cheated and was massaging the count, Mr Marcos said: "It hurts if your ally criticises you for what you think is implementation of democratic principles. If the U.S. thinks we should be considered the pariah of the region we would take it, hoping this would change as diplomatic positions have changed in the past. “But if the judgment of the United States is dif-

ferent, very sadly we go our own way. If you want to cut aid, leave the military bases, what can we do? It will be very sad for me, it will be very sad for my people.”

He said there had been “no deliberate orchestration” by his Government to delay the results and said they were impossible to change. He denied he was proclaiming himself the winner.

The Opposition leader, Corazon Aquino, claimed victory on Saturday and appealed to the United States to press Mr Marcos to arrange a transfer of power.