AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH PHILIPPINE ARMED FORCES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 004808 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP, PM, AND EAP/MTS USPACOM ALSO FOR FPA HUSO AND J5 SECDEF/OSD/ISA/AP (TOOLAN/BAILEY) JOINT STAFF/J5 (WILKES/ROBINSON/CLEMMONS) E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2016 TAGS: MARR MOPS MCAP PREL PGOV RP SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH PHILIPPINE ARMED FORCES CHIEF OF STAFF REF: A. MANILA 3095 ¶B. MANILA 4742 Classified By: (U) Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Esperon is pleased with the success thus far of ongoing counterterrorism operations on the island of Jolo. He intends to enforce military discipline by court-martialing officers accused of involvement in the aborted February 2006 coup attempt. Esperon is determined to press on with defense reform after the resignation of Secretary of National Defense Cruz. A strong Chief of Staff, Esperon is providing the Philippine military the continuity and leadership it needs as President Arroyo weighs who will replace the outgoing Avelino Cruz as the next Secretary of National Defense. END SUMMARY. PLEASED WITH COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORT ON JOLO -------------- ¶2. (C) Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Hermogenes Esperon told Ambassador November 22 in a one-on-one meeting that he is pleased with the success thus far of "Operation Ultimatum," the Philippine military's ongoing effort to capture or kill the senior Abu Sayyaf Group and Jemaah Islamiyah leadership on the southern Mindanao island of Jolo. (To date, the AFP has suffered 22 killed and 103 wounded in the operation, which began on August 1.) Esperon said he is intent on "keeping everyone focused" on the mission. Noting the Ambassador's recent trip with five other ambassadors to the neighboring island of Basilan (ref B),the site of combined U.S.-AFP operations against Abu Sayyaf terrorists in 2002, Esperon emphasized the importance of sustained engagement and economic development in combating terrorism. "It is not a simple matter of declaring victory and walking away," he said. INTENT TO ENFORCE MILITARY DISCIPLINE -------------- ¶3. (C) Asked about his November 20 decision to court-martial 30 of the 38 Army and Marine officers implicated in the February 2006 coup attempt against the Arroyo government, Esperon emphasized he intended to enforce military discipline. "I'm not interested in politics, but only in doing my job, which does not mean making everyone happy," he said, adding that he intended to meet privately with Senator Biazon, a prominent critic of the court-martial decision. Esperon agreed with Ambassador on the need to reinforce in the AFP respect for the rule of law and civilian control of the military, and welcomed her offer to make these points in upcoming speeches to the Philippine Air Force and Philippine Military Academy. ¶4. (C) Esperon stated he had liked working with outgoing Secretary of National Defense Cruz. "I'll hate to see him SIPDIS go," he said, but noted ruefully that Cruz had no choice but to resign after going public with his opposition to administration plans to amend the Philippine constitution. Prodded by the Ambassador about whether he would be able to stand up to President Arroyo, who is known for her determined ways and fiery temper, Esperon said he had learned from his tenure as chief of the Presidential Security Guard to wait for the right moment to broach issues with the President. Noting that President Arroyo intended for the short-term to retain the Defense portfolio herself, Esperon said, tongue in cheek, that it was a great honor -- but also "perilous" -- to report directly to the Commander-in-Chief. DETERMINATION "NOT TO LOSE" DEFENSE REFORM -------------- ¶5. (C) Esperon said he is determined "not to lose" Philippine Defense Reform, and was emphatic on the need to procure equipment for the battalion retraining program (Battalions of Excellence). Once troops in the field saw the system worked, they would buy into the reform effort. Eager to move forward, Esperon said he wanted to use Foreign Military Sales to get the equipment his soldiers needed: "We've got the warehouses; we know what we want; let's make MANILA 00004808 002 OF 002 it happen." He said he had cut off his J6 (Communications) staff when they tried to brief him on an expanded wish list. "I told them 'Stop right there'; we don't need fancy stuff, but command and control gear for the fight we're in," Esperon said. He welcomed Ambassador's suggestion that direct consultations between JUSMAG and his staff could determine the most rapid way to procure equipment. EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS UNDERMINE RULE OF LAW -------------- ¶6. (C) Unprompted, Esperon raised the subject of extra-judicial killings. He noted that in a recent speech on the issue to a group of constitutional lawyers he had made the points that extra-judicial killings undermine respect for the rule of law and authority, and attack the very foundations of the military code of justice. Ambassador stressed that these were important points and urged him to continue emphasizing this message and to investigate all allegations of extra-judicial action. COMMENT -------------- ¶7. (C) After the departure of Secretary Cruz on November 30, Esperon will be a steady hand on the tiller of the AFP. His commitment to counterterrorism and defense reform should help see the military through the transition period to a new Secretary of National Defense and ensure that both programs, SIPDIS in which the United States has strong interest, continue. His stance on military discipline is particularly refreshing in a country where the only punishment of previous coup plotters was 30 pushups. We will continue to engage Esperon on the need to pursue aggressively all allegations of extra-judicial killing by AFP personnel. Visit Embassy Manila's Classified website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm KENNEY