AMBASSADOR'S MAY 18 MEETING WITH NATIONAL SECURITY

S E C R E T MANILA 002136 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/19/2016 TAGS: PGOV PTER PHUM PREL SA RP SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S MAY 18 MEETING WITH NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR GONZALES REF: MANILA 2096 Classified By: DCM Paul W. Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S) The Ambassador, accompanied by the DCM and Regional Affairs Chief, visited National Security Advisor Norberto "Bert" Gonzales on May 18. Gonzales said he had useful side meetings with his Saudi counterpart during President Arroyo's May 7-10 visit to Saudi Arabia. He asked Saudi National Security Council chief Prince Bandar Bin Sultan to visit the Philippines to discuss possible counter-terrorism cooperation, in close coordination with the U.S. Before receiving Bandar, Gonzales suggested he travel to Washington to meet U.S. counter-terrorism experts in Saudi terrorist finance and religious extremism so that he is better prepared and possibly able to suggest areas where the Philippines, Saudi Arabia and the U.S. might cooperate. Gonzales assured the Ambassador that substance, not protocol, was his primary concern, and he would not seek high-level meetings (which he had during his March trip). Mission will follow up with the Department to investigate possible meetings in the coming weeks. ¶2. (S) Gonzales appeared upbeat regarding a possible peace agreement between the GRP and MILF, though he would not speculate on how soon such an agreement might be completed. He outlined GRP efforts to entice potential splinter groups within the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to participate in the peace process. To this end, he recently traveled to Mindanao to meet with MILF second-in-command Abdulaziz Mimbantes, whom he sees as a possible spoiler to the peace process. Gonzales reported that the GRP was looking at offering incentives -- such as distributing government-owned land -- to bring Mimbantes and other powerful local leaders on board with an eventual peace accord. These latest actions are further evidence that the GRP is engaged in intensive efforts to reach a peace agreement with the MILF. ¶3. (C) The Ambassador highlighted U.S. concerns over extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, which continue (see reftel for details on the most recent killings). Gonzales said he was well aware of the problem and had been meting with military commands around the country to press a human rights message. The military, not the NPA, must be seen as the protector of the people, he observed. Visit Embassy Manila's Classified SIPRNET website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/ Kenney