PHILIPPINE "CREDIBLE VOICES" AGAINST VIOLENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANILA 002674 DEPT FOR U/S JAMES K. GLASSMAN AND EAP/PD E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2018 TAGS: RP KPAO OPRC OIIP SUBJECT: PHILIPPINE "CREDIBLE VOICES" AGAINST VIOLENT EXTREMISM REF: STATE 127045 Classified By: Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney for reasons 1.4 (B/D) ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Embassy Manila officers and staff interact regularly with influential members of the Philippine government and civil society to communicate USG messages and to encourage the further dissemination of those messages to the broader Philippine public. Our top Mission strategic goal is to promote peace and counter violent extremism throughout the country, and we focus a good deal of our attention on areas in which USG-listed terrorist groups have operated. We promote positive alternatives to extremism through a range of USAID and military assistance programs designed to highlight our shared national interests and common values. Our public diplomacy efforts, which in many cases focus on the country's youth, capitalize on the strong pro-American sentiments of the Filipino people. As a result of our subtle, often unspoken encouragement, many of our contacts serve as credible voices highlighting the importance of countering extremism and supporting peaceful solutions to long-term problems. Nurturing these voices helps us achieve our counter-terrorism and other policy goals. On the other hand, we believe that pressing our supportive contacts outside government to publicly support specific USG policies would be counter-productive as it would diminish their credibility. End summary. Cultivating Mission Contacts: A Dynamic Process ============================= ================= ¶2. (SBU) The Embassy Manila Country Team has produced a unified contact list and contact management system. This master database is managed by the Protocol Unit, which falls administratively under the supervision of the Public Affairs Officer. All USG agencies and State Department sections provide input for the contact list, and all contribute to invitation lists for specific events. We encourage all agencies and sections to reach out to new audiences, and to renew contact with people we may not have seen in a while. We especially develop new relationships with Muslim communities, young leaders in all walks of life, women, entrepreneurs in emerging technologies, etc. Because many Mission contacts are known to more than one section or agency, our contact database reflects all relationships to avoid duplication and miscommunication. Participation in Embassy programs, such as the International Visitor Leadership Program, is recorded in the database. We interact regularly with alumni of such programs to maintain the vibrancy in our relationships with influential Philippine policy shapers. Public Support from Credible Voices =================================== ¶3. (C) Many credible and influential Filipinos publicly support our messages countering violent extremism. Editorials in the many daily broadsheets, as well as op-ed columns nearly every day, decry the use of terrorism for any purpose and encourage inter-faith dialogue and mutual respect. The Ambassador and senior Embassy officers interact with these opinion makers on a regular basis, communicating our message on our shared interest in countering violent extremism. A new Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer (ACAO) position focusing on Mindanao is already paying dividends; a recent Iftaar dinner for working-level contacts was well attended and well received. Such events promise to strengthen our personal relationships with leaders in the local Muslim community. Returned participants in our International Visitor and other exchange programs often speak out in open fora about their positive experiences in the U S. Having seen it with their own eyes, they say, gives them the "ammunition" they need to spread the message of opposition to violent extremism and the importance of strengthening alternative avenues for the country's youth. ¶4. (C) We operate in an environment in which only a tiny minority, decidedly non-credible in Philippine society, publicly advocates violent extremism. Many young people who join groups that use terrorist tactics do so due to family relationships or for monetary rewards, not out of ideology. Kidnapping for ransom is a serious problem, but it does not necessarily target Americans or even foreigners. Our contacts speak for themselves in countering violent extremism. While we cultivate our relationships with them and with their institutions, it is important to their continued credibility that they not be perceived to be speaking on our behalf or at our behest. That would have the effect of reducing or eliminating their status as "credible voices." Soft power: A Highly Effective Tool =================================== ¶5. (C) One example of our success in encouraging "credible voices" here to speak out is the Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines (JSOTF-P),which supports and provides information to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to enhance the AFP's counterterrorism capacity. JSOTF-P personnel regularly participate in AFP civic action projects such as free medical and dental clinics, civil-military operations, and humanitarian assistance outreach in poor communities in conflict-ridden areas throughout the southern Philippines, including Mindanao. In this way, the USG is able to demonstrate that there are benefits to working with the AFP and the elected government of the Philippines and turning away from terrorist groups. JSOTF's mantra of "by, through, and with the AFP" ensures that Philippine institutions get credit for their own programs; this in turn serves U.S. interests in the most effective way. Senior AFP officials and spokespersons constantly echo messages of peace and security as well as public safety for all, Christian and Muslim alike -- indeed for all the people of Mindanao and of the Philippines. ¶6. (C) JSOTF-P and the Embassy Public Affairs Section (PAS) have developed a mutually supportive working relationship with the AFP. We coordinate public messages and press guidance and keep each other informed of projects. Often we suggest talking points to, and share press guidance with the AFP that they then use in their public proactive or reactive messages, so that much of the time, there is no need for comment from the Embassy. ¶7. (C) On the other hand, some economic, political and social elites in Manila, and some activist groups and members of the press corps in certain parts of Mindanao, vehemently oppose the small U.S. military presence in Mindanao and occasionally spread misinformation or distorted information. This is usually heightened when military exercises temporarily increase our troop presence, or when inevitable hiccups in JSOTF's cooperation with local authorities lead to negative news reports. However, this has become so commonplace that it is usually possible to just let the news cycle pass without comment. The population's overwhelming opposition to violent extremism is unaffected by the occasional flurry of outbursts critical of our military presence. Encouraging Credible Voices - and Finding New Ones ============================ ===================== ¶8. (SBU) Officers and staff in our press section maintain constant contact with reporters and editors not only in the capital but all over the country. The Ambassador and DCM travel very frequently throughout the Philippines, but especially to Mindanao. Their trips give us additional opportunities to engage with local media and local affiliates of national media. Thanks in part to the collaboration PAS gets from USAID contractors who are also in regular touch with media in their localities, we see consistently strong turnouts from local media at our events on these trips. Moreover, we routinely receive much positive coverage, broadcasting our message that the U.S. is a longtime supporter of peace and development for the people of Mindanao and the rest of the Philippines. During all these trips, we are also able to identify new members of the regional media for International Visitor and other exchange programs, and for Foreign Press Center reporting tours. ¶9. (SBU) We use all public diplomacy programs that time and funding permit: International Visitors, speakers (both those from the U.S. and those from within our own Mission),the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, Citizens Exchanges (including especially youth programs),academic programs such as Fulbright and others, and programs focusing on art, culture, or sports. Our participation in these programs leads us to other potential participants for further programming. In fact, we consider all of our contacts to be credible voices, and we have hundreds from media, academia, government, and the expansive non-governmental organization community here. ¶10. (SBU) The Ambassador and DCM also do dozens of press events each quarter, on their trips around the country but also for significant USG public events or those sponsored by our partner organizations. For example, USAID worked with PAS to design a series of public events for the Ambassador that included ribbon-cuttings on completed projects; visits to ongoing education and development projects; and speeches at national conferences of mayors, rural bankers, and other large groups. Those activities gave us excellent opportunities to emphasize that peace and development in Mindanao will benefit not only Mindanao but all of the Philippines, and to encourage influential elites in Manila to play a greater role in investing in Mindanao, looking for business opportunities, and in other ways contributing to prospects for a more peaceful future there. ¶11. (C) Among the most influential credible voices in Philippine society are the writers, editors and publishers of the major national and regional newspapers. Television network news anchors, producers and executives have a particularly substantial impact on the masses. In this overwhelmingly Catholic country, the Catholic Church remains a highly respected institution, but it does not always speak with a single voice. Protestant and charismatic Catholic groups also have large numbers of followers. Muslim religious leaders have tremendous influence in their communities, and we have had great success encouraging the voice of moderation through speaker programs such as those of Imam ARAFAT of Baltimore. A "Credible Voice" in the Filipino Muslim Community ========================= ========================= ¶12. (C) Taha Basman, Director of the Center of Moderate Muslims, is an example of our "credible voices." Basman spoke at a recent Citizens Exchange seminar on Faith and Dialogue at the University of the Philippines' Institute of Islamic Studies. A former International Visitor participant, Basman spoke publicly about his experiences in the U.S., citing specific examples of how he came to see America as a fair and just nation. He made these statements to an audience that did not openly agree with him. Our ACAO for Mindanao was among the guests who heard his remarks. ¶13. (C) Basman described having been able to attend the Friday Prayer in the U.S. Capitol, and said he was in awe that Muslims prayed in the seat of power. This convinced him that freedom of religion is very real in America. He told his listeners that he attended a sermon in which the Imam voiced dissent to U.S. policies; he said he thought that he, the Imam, and others would be arrested upon leaving the venue. That they were not convinced him that America enjoys and defends true freedom of speech. He related that he had given a talk to a community of Jewish people who accepted his divergent views, and said he had felt welcome by them, showing that America is a place of tolerance. He said he saw more mosques throughout the U.S. than he had ever imagined. He told of watching people practice their faith openly, without repercussion. Finally, he said he had established friendships with members of all religions and felt a true and ongoing relationship with each of them. Basman's is a highly credible voice here, but his example is just one of many illustrating the value of our long-term investment in public diplomacy to counter violent extremism. Comment: A Note of Caution on the "Hard Sell" ============================================ ¶14. (C) "Credible voices" among Philippine civil society resonate here because they describe deeply rooted values that our two countries share. If we were to encourage our contacts outside of government to speak out more in support of specific USG policies, their credibility would be diminished in the eyes of their colleagues. We are grateful for the Department's continuing support of our exchange and speaker programs, which we believe have had a substantial impact toward achieving our goal of highlighting the alternatives to extremism to Philippine youth and promise to continue that trend in the years to come. KENNEY