TERRORISM FINANCE: NEXT STEPS ON RSM DESIGNATION

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: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm KENNEY