ASKED IF THERE WAS CORRUPTION AMONG LOCAL OFFICIALS, MR. MARCOS SAID THERE WAS BUT IT WAS NOT AS WIDESPREAD AS PEOPLE SEEMED TO THINK.



"THERE IS NO PERFECT SOCIETY WHETHER HEROR IN WESTERN COUNTRIES," HE SAID.



THE PRESIDENT SAID HE EXPECTED ABOUT FIVE TO 10 PER CENT OF CORRUPT, INEFFICIENT OR LAZY LOCAL OFFICIALS WOULD BE DISMISSED OF PUNISHED.



QUESTIONED ABOUT REPORTS OF TORTURE BEING USED BY THE MARTIAL LAW AUTHORITIES, MR. MARCOS SAID THAT THE MALTREATMENT OR PRISONERS WAS AGAINST THE POLICIES OF THE GOVERNMENT.



"WE PUNISH ANYONE WHO INDULGES IN THESE ABUSES," HE SAID.



MR. MARCOS AGREED WITH THE INTERVIEWER THAT THERE HAD BEEN A "DRAMATIC" MOVE BY THE PHILIPPINES TOWARDS WARMER LINKS WITH THE SOVIET UNION, CHINA AND OTHER COMMUNIST COUNTRIES.



"WE WOULD LIKE NORMAL RELATIONS WITH ALL COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD WHO WANT TO BE FRIENDLY WITH US," MR. MARCOS SAID.



ASKED HOW HE RATIONALISED HIS COUNTRY'S WARMER LINKS WITH COMMUNIST COUNTRIES WHILE FIGHTING COMMUNIST GUERRILLAS AT HOME, THE PRESIDENT SAID: "IT IS NOT COMMUNISM WE ARE AGAINST."



HE SAID THE COMMUNIST GUERRILLAS AND THE MOSLEM SECESSIONIST REBELS IN THE PHILIPPINES WERE GROUPS USING VIOLENCE AGAINST THE STATE AND HAD TO BE MET WITH COUNTER-FORCE.



BUT HE NOTED THAT AMNESTIES HAD BEEN OFFERED TO THE REBELS AND ADDED "WE USE A STRONG RIGHT HAND AND A COMPASSIONATE LEFT HAND."




Initials REUTER GJW



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: REUTERS -- PRESIDENT FERDINAND MARCOS ADMITTED IN AN INTERVIEW TODAY THAT THERE WAS CORRUPTION AMONG SOME LOCAL PHILIPPINES GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND THEY WOULD BE DISMISSED OR PUNISHED SOON.

THE PRESIDENT SAID IN AN INTERVIEW WITH VISNEWS, THE LONDON-BASED TELEVISION NEWS AGENCY, THAT HE HAD ORDERED "A PERFORMANCE AUDIT" OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL AFTER SATURDAY'S NATIONAL REFERENDUM IN WHICH HE SOUGHT RE-ENDORSEMENT IN OFFICE.

ASKED ABOUT INDICATIONS THAT HE WOULD RECEIVE A 90 PER CENT "YES" VOTE, THE PRESIDENT REPLIED: "YES, IT COULD BE 90 PER CENT, EVEN A LITTLE BIT LESS TO MY MIND IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT WE ACTUALLY ENCOURAGED THE OPPOSITION TO DISSENT AND CRITICISE THE POLICIES OF THE ADMINISTRATION."
MR. MARCOS HAS NEVER RECEIVED LESS THAN A 90 PER CENT VOTE OF SUPPORT IN FOUR PREVIOUS REFERENDUMS.

HE TOLD NEWSMEN YESTERDAY THAT SOME OF THE "NO" VOTES RECORDED AGAINST HIM IN SATURDAY'S REFERENDUM REFLECTED IN SOME CASES ON THE LOCAL LEADERSHIP.