C O N F I D E N T I A L MANILA 004166

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR S/CT, EB/ESC, IO/UNP, AND EAP/MTS
USPACOM ALSO FOR FPA HUSO
SECDEF/OSD/ISA/AP (LAWLESS/TOOLAN/BAILEY)
JOINT STAFF/J5 (WILKES/ROBINSON/CLEMMONS)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2016
TAGS: EFIN ETTC KTFN PREL PTER RP
SUBJECT: TERRORISM FINANCE: NEXT STEPS ON RSM DESIGNATION

REF: A. STATE 153845

B. MANILA 3785

C. MANILA 3471

D. STATE 128377

E. 05MANILA 2991

Classified By: (U) Deputy Chief of Mission Paul W. Jones
for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (U) THIS IS AN ACTION MESSAGE. SEE PARA. 7.


2. (C) SUMMARY. The GRP is prepared to work closely with
the United States on submitting the Rajah Solaiman Movement
to the UN 1267 Committee for designation as a terrorist
organization. In addition to seeking help in identifying
hidden assets, the GRP has requested US technical assistance,
including from US Treasury, in preparing the designation
package, its first-ever 1267 submission. END SUMMARY.


3. (C) Acting Political Counselor, Deputy Economic
Counselor, and FBI Supervisory Special Agent O'Connor met
September 26 with Malacanang Undersecretary Ricardo
Blancaflor, Department of Foreign Affairs Executive Director
for UN and International Organization Affairs Julius Torres,
and members of their staffs to discuss next steps on
designating the Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSM) as a terrorist
organization under the UN 1267 process. Blancaflor confirmed
that both National Security Advisor Gonzales and Executive
Secretary Ermita had given their verbal approval to proceed

SIPDIS
with the 1267 designation, the first-ever by the Philippines,
and said he expected the Cabinet Security Cluster to provide
written confirmation by next week.


4. (C) Blancaflor and Torres agreed to take preliminary
measures to start the designation process in expectation of
the pending Cabinet Security Cluster approval, and welcomed
the US statement of case, which they said would help the GRP
prepare its designation package. Blancaflor stated that he
would arrange a meeting between Special Agent O'Connor and
Philippine National Police counterparts to review the GRP
file on the RSM and to identify hidden assets. He noted the
importance of identifying these accounts so that the
Anti-Money Laundering Council could act quickly, once the
designation became public.


5. (C) Neither Blancaflor nor Torres was optimistic that
Malaysia or Indonesia would co-sponsor designation. US
co-sponsorship would be sufficient, they believed. Torres
commented that the Philippines, as the current chair of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), intended to
develop closer counterterrorism cooperation among ASEAN
countries, including on terrorism financing issues, adding
that the Philippines "wanted to get its act together on 1267."


6. (C) We have agreed to establish a weekly series of
meetings with our counterparts to assist them with the
designation process. US technical help with the preparation
of a designation package could expedite submission to the
1267 Committee.


7. (C) ACTION REQUEST: Request Department explore with US
Treasury the possibility of providing technical assistance to
the Philippines to help it prepare its 1267 designation
package on the Rajah Solaiman Movement.


Visit Embassy Manila's Classified website:
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KENNEY