PHILIPPINE TERRORIST ACTIVITY REPORTS PROMPT EAC

UNCLAS MANILA 004918 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR DS/IP/EAP, DS/IP/ITA, S/CT, EAP/EX, EAP/MTS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC PTER CASC RP SUBJECT: PHILIPPINE TERRORIST ACTIVITY REPORTS PROMPT EAC MEETING REF: A. 3/EE/4514-06 ¶B. 3/EE/4493-06 ¶C. 3/EE/4470-06 ¶D. 2/EE/3313-06 ¶E. MANILA 04481 ¶F. MANILA 04290 ¶1. The Ambassador chaired an Emergency Action Committee (EAC) meeting on December 7, 2006, to discuss reports received by various agencies within the Embassy of possible terrorist activity in the province of Cebu, an island in central Philippines. Cebu is the site of the on-going ASEAN Summit and other related meetings. There are about 1,000 AmCits, to include one American consular agent, living in Cebu, and two Embassy officers are planning to attend the ASEAN Summit meetings. ¶2. This recent threat information seems to be related to the same group from reftels E and F. ¶3. Late yesterday afternoon, the Australian Embassy reported receiving the same type of information that U.S. Embassy agencies have received. Great Britan has updated its Philippine travel advisory in response to the information warning British citizens to cancel all travel to Cebu. The Australian Embassy has now updated its travel warning as well. ¶4. The consensus of the EAC is that these individuals are capable of implementing their plans--they have bombed before--but may not be ready yet. Reporting also seems to indicate that the ASEAN meetings will be hard to hit, but there are other softer targets there that could make the same statement. RSO and CONS, with EAC concurrence, recommended that the Embassy should send out a warden message. ACS will send that out today. The information contained in all reftels has been passed to local Philippine Intel agencies and police. KENNEY