SITREP 19: HOUSE UNANIMOUSLY VOTES TO PROVIDE PROTECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 000918 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, DRL/CRA, DS, CA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PINS ASEC PREL KPAO RP SUBJECT: SITREP 19: HOUSE UNANIMOUSLY VOTES TO PROVIDE PROTECTIVE CUSTODY TO MEMBERS CHARGED WITH REBELLION REF: MANILA 917 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. (U) Sensitive But Unclassified - Not For Internet Distribution ¶2. (U) Summary: Manila enjoyed another night of calm. In late breaking news, the House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution granting protective custody to the five congressmen charged with rebellion, claiming the charges were an attack by the Executive on the Legislature. In separate statements on February 28, GRP officials, including the Transportation Secretary, the National Telecommunication Commission Chairman and the Philippine National Police Chief, reasserted President Arroyo's prerogative to close media outlets reporting information that may "incite rebellion." President Arroyo announced a pay raise for all government employees; local media questioned the timing. The Philippines's main lawyers' group plans to hold a rally on March 3 to denounce Proclamation 1017 in defiance of the ban on public protests. End Summary. -------------- Inching Toward Normal -------------- ¶3. (U) For another night, Manila was calm. News channels, although focusing on events related to Proclamation 1017, returned to reporting on more routine stories as well. Traffic and nightlife also seemed to pick up after several days of below- normal activity. -------------- House Protecting Its Own -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Declaring that it was defending itself from "encroachments of the presidency," the House of Representatives, after several hours of deliberation, unanimously passed Resolution 1169 late on February 28 to "protect from warrantless arrest without due process" the five party-list members of Congress charged with rebellion. (Note: The Speaker told A/S Hill Feb 28 that custody applied to all six members implicated -- see reftel. End Note.) The resolution extended the lower chamber's protective custody to the five lawmakers and declared that the GRP cannot detain them within the next 15 days while it conducts preliminary investigations into the charges. The unusually united vote came moments after the five solons signed a document waiving their right to press charges of arbitrary detention if they are eventually taken into GRP custody. This waiver was part of a compromise paving the way for a preliminary investigation into the rebellion charges to start as early as March 1. Local news outlets reported that overnight the five lawmakers moved from the chambers of the House speaker to those of the minority leader, under protest. -------------- Administration Asserting Control Over Media -------------- ¶5. (U) Transportation and Communication Secretary Leandro Mendoza claimed on February 28 the government and broadcast media organizations will come up with a memorandum of understanding within the week on the guidelines of coverage during a state of national emergency. Mendoza said an ongoing dialogue among representatives of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (Organization of Philippine Broadcasters or KBP),the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC),and broadcast media organizations will firm up what media can and cannot report on during a state of emergency. The GRP's actions are not to curtail press freedom, but to regulate it, Mendoza said. ¶6. (U) NTC Chairman Rolando Solis and Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Arturo Lomibao separately reasserted President Arroyo's right temporarily to shut down radio and television stations reporting information that may "incite rebellion," even without the recommendation of the NTC. Members of the local and foreign press aggressively questioned Lomibao following his remarks to the Manila Overseas Press Club on February 28 (see Manila 917). Reporters asked him to state the criteria the PNP are using to determine whether media outlets are reporting outside the standards established by the emergency proclamation. He declined to give specifics about how the PNP is determining what information contributes to instability and urged the media to MANILA 00000918 002 OF 002 exercise "self censorship." He also would not clarify Malacanang's role in tagging which outlets the PNP should monitor and/or close. PNP liaison officers will "do the rounds" to media offices, Lomibao said, but will not interfere with their operations. He went to great pains to explain that even the Daily Tribune remains in operation, printing its daily editions ever since the police raid. -------------- Pay Raise For Troops And Cops -------------- ¶7. (U) President Arroyo announced Administrative Order 144 increasing the monthly salary of all government employees by 1000 pesos (approximately $19.35) per month, retroactive to January 1. The announcement came in a televised roundtable discussion with her economic cabinet members on February 28. She emphasized the pay increase -- the first increase since 2001 outside of annual cost-of-living adjustments -- applies to the military and police forces as well. This step was necessary to overcome the delay caused by Senate inaction in passing the GRP's 2006 budget, she said. Local media noted her move came only "days after she claimed her government had thwarted a leftist-rightest plot to topple her government," although the pay hike had been part of the budget proposal submitted to Congress last year. -------------- Lawyers To March -------------- ¶8. (U) Philippine lawyers announced on February 28 they plan to defy the ban on public rallies since the issuance of Proclamation ¶1017. The Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the country's main lawyers' group, called on judges, lawyers, students and other activists to join in protest on Friday, March 3, exactly one week after Arroyo's declaration of a state of emergency. The organization characterized Proclamation 1017 as a "declaration of martial law" that destroyed the nation's freedom of assembly and press. JONES