RENEWED REQUEST FOR INL FUNDING FOR MARITIME

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 002258 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR S/CT AND INL/AAE BARCLAY AND BOULDIN USPACOM ALSO FOR SOCPAC SOJ3X E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PINS PREL ASEC PBTS SNAR RP SUBJECT: RENEWED REQUEST FOR INL FUNDING FOR MARITIME POLICE UNIT REF: A. E-MAIL BARCLAY/JONES 4/30/07 ¶B. STATE 24249 ¶C. 06 MANILA 3789 ¶1. (U) This is an action request - see para 10. ¶2. (U) Summary. After thorough review by all involved agencies and consultations with the Philippine National Police (PNP),Embassy would like to renew its $2 million funding request from FY2005 funds of the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) to improve the capabilities of the PNP's Maritime Group (ref c). The funds would establish a six-boat unit to interdict the transit of narcotics, terrorists, trafficking victims, and contraband through the northern edge of the Sulu Sea, off the coast of Palawan, an island on the western border of the Philippines. The unit, based in Puerto Princesa, on the eastern coast of Palawan, would also help protect the Malampaya Natural Gas Project, a $4.5 billion dollar facility that provides some 30 percent of the Philippines' power needs, and numerous high-end tourist resorts frequented by U.S. and other foreign tourists. The PNP leadership has indicated its full support for the project, and its willingness to sign a Letter of Agreement on its own operational funding obligations upon notification that we are prepared to fund the project. Embassy's Law Enforcement Working Group has reviewed INL's concerns (ref b) and offers information below to address these issues. End Summary. -------------- POST PRIORITIES -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Embassy highly appreciates the close scrutiny that INL has given to ref c request and the series of concerns INL raised. Upon full reflection, deliberations within our Law Enforcement Working Group, and discussions with the PNP leadership, Embassy continues to believe that the maritime police unit (MPU) is the best use of these FY 2005 funds. The MPU would actively complement our Mission priorities to fight terrorism, smuggling, and trafficking in persons by helping to modernize the PNP. (The 2005 Philippine-U.S. Joint Law Enforcement Assessment also noted that an infusion of resources could significantly improve the ability of the PNP MPU to combat terrorism, narcotics, and other smuggling, and trafficking in persons.) Additionally, the establishment of the MPU project would provide a platform from which the INL-funded Model Police Station project could expand into Puerto Princesa, enhancing the implementation of the PNP Transformation Plan. -------------- INFRASTRUCTURE -------------- ¶4. (U) The requested $2 million would be sufficient to purchase six boats and related equipment, as well as fund a contract maritime police advisor for one year. However, that sum would indeed be insufficient to provide for necessary infrastructure construction, such as dockside and dry-dock facilities, including boat ramps. JIATF-West representatives have confirmed that this agency is prepared to build several boat houses, ramps, training facilities, and firing ranges in Puerto Princesa, upon INL approval of the project. -------------- MAINTENANCE -------------- ¶5. (U) Long-term maintenance will remain a major issue, since, without proper maintenance of the boats, they would quickly fall into disrepair. Until the PNP could fully take over the maintenance of the boats, JIATF-West and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are willing to utilize their small boat maintenance and repair teams to provide training on preventive maintenance to the MPU and to provide some maintenance during the first year of the program. (In FY08, JIATF-West already plans two maintenance missions.) The projected boats are the same type already in use in a similar program in Indonesia, resulting in interoperability and standard training packages for preventive maintenance by USG agencies, including JIATF-West, Special Operations Command Pacific (SOCPAC),and ICITAP. MANILA 00002258 002 OF 002 -------------- TRAINING -------------- ¶6. (U) While the proposal already includes funding for a one-year contract maritime police advisor who would provide general project management, interagency coordination, and general law enforcement training, it is true that there is no "stream of funds" for long-term training to achieve full implementation of the MPU. However, SOCPAC representatives at Embassy have confirmed that SOCPAC has agreed to provide up to two SOCPAC personnel to advise and assist the MPU, stationed with the MPU for staggered six-month rotations (ensuring continuity through three-month overlap). SOCPAC's commitment is to a long-term engagement, and SOCPAC has also offered to provide focused Joint Combined Exercise Training for the MPU. ¶7. (U) The maritime police advisor would likely report to the INL-funded Senior Law Enforcement Advisor in Manila, who has significant contact with ICITAP in Indonesia and can leverage that relationship to provide opportunities for joint training and joint operations between the MPU and the Indonesian National Police maritime unit. In addition, ICITAP has already established a training structure in the Philippines for instructor development to enable the MPU to address its own training needs in the future. Finally, the Legal Attache at Post has offered to provide FBI training and assistance on topics such as sensitive site exploitation/crime scene search and processing, evidence processing and documentation, and processing of suspects in custody. -------------- OPERATIONAL SUPPORT -------------- ¶8. (SBU) The Senior Law Enforcement Advisor and poloff have discussed potential PNP obligations for various operational costs, notably fuel. PNP Deputy Director General Avelino Razon, who oversees the PNP Transformation Plan and who is most likely to succeed Director General Calderon upon retirement later this year, verbally agreed to fund the MPU operations and tasked one of his officers with preparing an estimate of projected PNP obligations; the total was a realistic $436,000 annually. Razon also indicated that the PNP would be willing to sign a Letter of Agreement (LOA) with the U.S. Embassy on this obligation upon formal INL approval of this project. -------------- LONG TERM SUPPORT -------------- ¶9. (U) Over the longer-term -- unlike the more ambitious program in Indonesia -- the MPU should not require additional INL funds beyond the initial $2 million investment and would therefore not divert resources from the PNP Transformation Program. Other Mission agencies have expressed willingness to fund any other necessary expenditures, while PNP will pay for the fuel and other operational costs. Mission does not intend to request INL FY 2006 and 2007 funds for the MPU, so these would still be available for other law enforcement projects in support of the PNP Transformational Plan. Should future funding for the MPU become desirable, Mission intends to submit 1208 funding proposals to SOCPAC. ¶10. (U) Action Request: Please advise if INL is now able formally to approve $2 million in FY 2005 funding for the maritime police unit. Visit Embassy Manila's Classified SIPRNET website:http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website: http:// www.state.sgov.gov/ KENNEY