AMBASSADOR AND ADMIRAL FALLON MEET WITH PRESIDENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 002554 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2016 TAGS: PTER PREL MARR PINS RP SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR AND ADMIRAL FALLON MEET WITH PRESIDENT ARROYO REF: MANILA 2548 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. On June 5, the Ambassador and Admiral Fallon met for breakfast with President Arroyo. In a wide-ranging conversation, President Arroyo offered her views on GRP counterterrorism efforts; the peace process in Mindanao; and her upcoming trip to Jolo to visit the USNS Mercy. End Summary. ¶2. (C) On June 5, Ambassador Kenney and Admiral William J. Fallon, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) met for breakfast with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo at Villamor Air Force Base in Manila. President Arroyo was joined by her Chief of Staff, Michael Defensor, and Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for American Affairs Rey Carandang. President Arroyo appeared more relaxed and less formal than usual. -------------- Terrorism and the Southern Philippines -------------- ¶3. (C) Much of the discussion focused on terrorism. President Arroyo opened the conversation by stating that the GRP would like to expand its work with Indonesia and Malaysia on counterterrorism. (Note: In 2002, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia signed an Anti-Terrorist Trilateral Agreement to facilitate information-sharing on terrorism and transnational crime. End note.) President Arroyo said that she would particularly like to see greater cooperation among the countries on maritime security, and that she hoped that the Philippines could use its upcoming position as chair of ASEAN to promote this. The Ambassador and Admiral Fallon agreed that this would be a worthwhile effort and encouraged President Arroyo not only to pursue it but also to publicize it widely. ¶4. (C) Turning to the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),President Arroyo stated that she was optimistic about the ongoing peace talks, and she found Malaysia's mediation of the talks very helpful. She said, however, that Malaysia was now asking the GRP to open a consulate on Sabah, perhaps as a reward for hosting the talks. ¶5. (C) Admiral Fallon expressed his appreciation for the Security Engagement Board (SEB),and his hope that it could help move the peace process and counterterrorism efforts forward. President Arroyo agreed, and noted that Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz in particular was working to make GRP SIPDIS participation in the SEB effective. ¶6. (C) President Arroyo affirmed the GRP's commitment to mitigating Christian-Muslim tensions in Mindanao. The Ambassador agreed that the issue was important and said that it is a priority for the USG as well. She noted that ongoing USG projects in Mindanao are sensitive to such tensions and facilitate increasing cooperation between Christian and Muslim populations. -------------- Subic Case -------------- ¶7. (C) The Ambassador and Admiral Fallon used the breakfast as an opportunity to raise with the President the case of four U.S. Marines accused of raping a Filipina (reftel). The Ambassador stressed that the USG is committed to seeing that justice is served through a fair and impartial trial and that both our legal systems adhere to the concept of innocent until proven guilty. She also expressed Mission's concern about the intense media scrutiny the case has received in the Philippines. President Arroyo said that the GRP shared the USG's commitment to a fair judicial process, and that she too was concerned about the publicity surrounding the trial. She reiterated the GRP's commitment to strong and positive bilateral relations with the U.S. and noted that it was important not to let this case affect our good relations, regardless of the trial's outcome. -------------- GMA's Visit to the USNS Mercy -------------- ¶8. (C) President Arroyo said she was excited about her June 9 visit to the USNS Mercy, a hospital ship visiting the Philippines on a medical humanitarian mission and at that time anchored in Jolo. She stressed that efforts like these were important to the Philippines because of the hope they MANILA 00002554 002 OF 002 brought to terrorist-infested areas, and welcomed more such visits in the future. ¶9. (C) President Arroyo subsequently visited the USNS Mercy in Jolo on June 9, where she was greeted by the Ambassador. President Arroyo was accompanied by Governor Ben Loong of Sulu and Governor Zaldy Ampatuan of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The President said she was impressed with what she saw, and subsequently said that she would like to develop a similar hospital ship for the Philippine navy. Following her visit to the Mercy, President Arroyo visited Sulu Province Hospital and Panglima Adga Elementary School in Panamao, both of which house USG projects funded through USAID and JSOTF-P. President Arroyo's visit to the Mercy was widely and favorably covered by local media. Kenney