TRANSITIONING THE U.S.- PHILIPPINE MILITARY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 MANILA 002730 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/05/2018 TAGS: MARR MASS MCAP PREL RP SUBJECT: TRANSITIONING THE U.S.- PHILIPPINE MILITARY RELATIONSHIP Classified By: Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY AND COMMENT: U.S.-Philippine military ties have burgeoned since 2002, moving from tentative re-engagement after a decade of limited U.S. military presence to a vigorous alliance making significant progress toward our priorities of defeating terrorists and fostering peace. That positive trajectory was evident this past year, as U.S. expertise helped the Philippine military make important strategic and tactical gains, despite an ongoing scarcity of financial resources. At the national level, a comprehensive Philippine defense reform program continued to revamp the Philippines' outmoded planning, budgeting, and acquisition practices, while growing military professionalism was evident in the armed forces' refusal to be drawn into political debates and its incremental progress in prosecuting human rights violators. On the battlefield, the military scored additional successes against terrorist targets and used improved tactics to quell an outbreak of Muslim insurgent violence sparked by failed peace talks. In its roles as a regional and global partner, the Philippines contributed to eight United Nations peacekeeping operations and provided humanitarian assistance to neighboring countries, including Burma. Sixty years of shared military history and recent U.S.-Philippine cooperation on counterterrorism successes in Mindanao, coupled with over 120 visits by U.S. Naval ships and dozens of bilateral exercises and exchanges in 2008, has produced this very deep military-military relationship in Southeast Asia. COMMENT: As our five year partnership on defense reform nears conclusion in 2010, and as the Philippine military increasingly disrupts terrorist organizations with U.S. assistance, 2009 is an opportune time to consider an in-depth discussion on the future of our military relationship. Capitalizing on sustained U.S. assistance, the Philippines has made important strides in a short time toward a more modern, professional military that is increasingly capable of conducting effective internal security operations. Still, significant deficits remain, including adequate air- and sealift, intelligence capabilities, and logistics. Our challenge is to determine what key tactical components require continued support in the short-term, while moving �0A;towards a more mature long-term bilateral relationship that sees the Philippine military focusing on security challenges, taking greater responsibility for its budgetary needs, and leaving police actions to Philippine law enforcement agencies. END SUMMARY AND COMMENT. -------------- -- RE-ENGAGEMENT BRINGS COUNTERTERRORISM SUCCESSES -------------- -- ¶2. (C) After a decade of significantly reduced presence in the Philippines, the U.S. military re-engaged in a definitive way in 2002, with a focus on defeating terrorist threats from the Al-Qaeda linked Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) operating in the southern Philippines. The past year saw a continuation of this cooperation, with approximately 600 U.S. military personnel temporarily in conflict areas of the southern Philippines as part of the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines, working side by side with Philippine forces. Employing a combination of civil-military operations and support to Philippine units in the form of intelligence sharing and tactical training, the U.S. has promoted a counterterrorism/counterinsurgency strategy focused on improving the capabilities of the Philippine forces, while denying safe haven to ASG and JI terrorists, both U.S. designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations. ¶3. (C) Military forces in the Philippines have achieved important successes in counterterrorism efforts, with nine key terrorist leaders and over 250 other suspected terrorists killed or captured since August 2006, including several this year. Potentially deadly terrorist attacks were also prevented by keeping high-value individuals under constant pressure from Philippine security forces. In 2008, the U.S. supported surgical strikes by the AFP that destroyed known terrorist camps and intelligence operations that disrupted terrorist networks. Nevertheless, a relatively small number of valuable terrorists still operate in the southern Philippines. Separately, U.S. assistance has had long-term applicability in strengthening core skills of the Philippine MANILA 00002730 002 OF 004 military as it addressed continuing threats from the 5,000-strong Communist New People's Army, also a U.S. designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, whose attacks have disrupted public security and business operations throughout the Philippines for 40 years. Progress in Philippine military effectiveness has pointed up the need for increasing the capabilities of Philippine law enforcement, which should assure day-to-day security responsibilities in conflict areas. USG assistance to police training is best delivered through USG civilian law enforcement agencies, which are well-represented, if underfunded, in the Philippines. -------------- EXERCISES, SHIP VISITS WIDEN U.S. INFLUENCE -------------- ¶4. (C) In addition to supporting Philippine operations against international terrorists, U.S. military engagement included expanded bilateral exercises and a steady increase in ship visits over the last three years. Apart from the largest annual exercise -- Balikatan ("shoulder to shoulder"),U.S. and Philippine forces also conduct the Talon Vision/PHIBLEX and the Combined Afloat Readiness and Training joint exercises, involving thousands of troops. From 11 port calls in 2002, the U.S. Navy's number of ship visits to the Philippines surpassed 120 in 2008, including a short-notice humanitarian relief mission by the USS REAGAN carrier strike group in the wake of Typhoon Frank in June 2008. The diversity of the ports visited in recent years, and the community RELATIONS and humanitarian assistance projects conducted -- highlighted by two missions of the hospital ship USNS MERCY in 2006 and 2008 that treated more than 75,000 Philippine patients -- have opened remote areas to U.S. ships and U.S. influence. At the same time, the port calls contributed millions of dollars to the local Philippine economy, often in some of the poorest areas of the country. These port calls are very popular and carefully managed to avoid incidents that could undermine their positive impact. -------------- - REFORM, MODERNIZATION, AND PROFESSIONALIZATION -------------- - ¶5. (C) As the U.S. began rebuilding the military-military relationship with the Philippines through counterterrorism operations, a broader security assistance program took shape. Joint assessments in 2001 and 2003 outlined a strategy of U.S. assistance to help the Philippine military reform all major functions, from personnel to acquisitions. The resulting Philippine Defense Reform (PDR) and modernization program, supported by U.S. foreign military financing, foreign military sales, and 1206 funds, has made substantial progress, professionalizing a force that, for many years, was accused of playing politics and supporting extra-constitutional changes of government. Despite persistent pressure from opposition groups, the Philippine military has stayed on the sidelines of recent POLITICAL debates, firmly committed to supporting the President and the Constitution. ¶6. (C) Conceived as a multi-year plan, championed by Philippine President Arroyo, and having survived changes in Philippine Department of Defense leadership, defense reform is ready to move into its next phase and is under close review from the Filipino government. Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro is a staunch advocate of the program (the Philippines spent nearly $250 million on PDR in 2008), and has taken a hands-on approach to managing modernization. Philippine defense purchases from the U.S. include more than 8,000 radios, upgrades to existing helicopters, radar stations, patrol boats, weapons, and night-vision devices. In addition to prioritizing the ongoing retraining of 82 battalions, the Armed Forces has undertaken a comprehensive restructuring of personnel, logistics, and administration systems. Teodoro is keen to conclude the existing defense reform initiative by April 2010, when President Arroyo is scheduled to leave office. ¶7. (C) Despite these advances in reform and modernization, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) still faces significant budget challenges in their efforts to overcome decades of inadequate funding. The Philippines allocates less than one percent of national budget to defense spending, and in an archipelagic nation of more than 7,000 islands, MANILA 00002730 003 OF 004 airlift and maritime logistical transport stand out as two of the most significant deficits in the Philippine military inventory. U.S. assistance has augmented the Philippine efforts, particularly in border security initiatives and counterterrorism operations, but the AFP still lacks an array of modern capabilities, including sufficient logistical support, intelligence platforms, and consistent casualty evacuation capability. -------------- DISASTER RELIEF A PRIORITY -------------- ¶8. (C) In addition to its responsibilities for internal security, the AFP is the primary support agency for disaster relief operations. With more than two dozen typhoons a year and numerous other natural catastrophes in the form of earthquakes, floods, volcanic activity, and landslides, the AFP's limited logistical capacity is frequently tapped by the national government to provide humanitarian assistance. Currently, the AFP possesses only one operational C-130 aircraft, which is in full-time use supporting ongoing military operations and disaster relief activities. Maritime transport is similarly in short supply, constraining the military's ability to conduct expeditionary operations and ferry the requisite supplies to areas affected by natural disasters. -------------- PLAYING A ROLE AS A REGIONAL, GLOBAL PARTNER -------------- ¶9. (C) Despite a lack of adequate equipment and trained personnel, the Philippines has made a firm commitment to regional disaster assistance operations and global security initiatives. When Cyclone Nargis hit Burma in May 2008, the Philippines was one of the first countries to transport relief supplies and medical teams to the ravaged country, using its C-130. Working with Malaysia and Indonesia, the USG has dedicated 1206 funds to assist the Philippines in implementing a maritime border security strategy to interdict terrorists and illegal trafficking in the porous tri-border region between the three countries. On the global front, the Philippines contributes troops to eight United Nations peacekeeping operations worldwide, and became a participant in the Global Peace Operations Initiative in 2008, for which it is awaiting funding. In 2009, the Philippines will host the first ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) multilateral event involving civilian and military components from -- a disaster relief exercise expected to involve a dozen nations that will lay the groundwork for future ARF multilateral cooperation. -------------- INSTITUTIONAL EMPHASIS ON HUMAN RIGHTS -------------- ¶10. (C) Allegations of human rights abuses have plagued the Philippine military for years. Under President Arroyo, the military consistently has expressed a commitment to resolving the complex and long-standing problem of extrajudicial killings and has taken some positive steps in this direction, including the first conviction of a soldier for human rights violations in 2008. With increased domestic and international pressure, the number of extrajudicial killings decreased dramatically in 2007 and 2008, but more still needs to be done, and the USG continues to press the issue at the highest levels of the Philippine government. While many of these deaths and disappearances are more likely attributable to local disputes than to military or police action, it is clear that the government needs to do more to ensure that these crimes are fully investigated and that responsible parties -- whether or not they are connected to military or police -- are brought to justice. The problem is closely related to frustration with a judicial system that is inefficient, corrupt, and strained beyond its capacity. ¶11. (C) A combination of improved military training within the Philippine military as part of the reform program, regular contact with U.S. personnel, and broader governmental attention to the human rights has contributed to the reduction in civilian casualties during clashes with terrorist and insurgent groups throughout the Philippines. Several recent complex AFP offensives against enemy targets in the southern Philippines have been executed successfully MANILA 00002730 004 OF 004 with no loss of civilian life, an impressive achievement given that many ASG and JI members have sought refuge among villagers in difficult terrain. -------------- LOOKING AHEAD TO A STRATEGIC DIALOGUE -------------- ¶12. (C) The United States enjoys strong military-military relations with the Philippines, but our presence here is not without scrutiny. Opposition groups question our Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the Philippines and the ongoing, albeit temporary, presence of U.S. troops in the southern Philippines. The focus on the VFA, along with media articles that routinely contend the U.S. seeks a permanent military presence here -- or even an independent Mindanao -- underscore the sensitivity surrounding the U.S.-Philippine military relationship, and these issues will continue to resurface at regular intervals. ¶13. (C) As the Philippine government looks beyond defense reform as the strategic framework for U.S-Philippine military-military RELATIONS and prepares for its own government transition with 2010 presidential elections, 2009 is an opportune time to examine the future of the U.S.-Philippine military relationship, perhaps through a strategic dialogue or another general assessment. Capitalizing on sustained U.S. assistance, the Philippines has made great strides in a short time towards a more modern, professional military that is increasingly capable of conducting effective internal security operations. Our challenge is to determine what key tactical components require continued support in the short-term, while encouraging progress towards a more mature long-term bilateral relationship in which the Philippine government provides larger budget allocations to its Armed Forces, allowing it to respond effectively to security challenges without becoming consumed with police actions in Mindanao that are more appropriately suited to better funded Philippine law enforcement agencies. KENNEY