YOUR VISIT TO THE PHILIPPINES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MANILA 002324 SIPDIS FOR THE SECRETARY FROM THE AMBASSADOR E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS EAID SCUL KDEM RP SUBJECT: YOUR VISIT TO THE PHILIPPINES Classified By: Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney, reason: 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Madam Secretary: Welcome to Manila; Filipinos are thrilled to have you visit. The Philippines is a vibrant and youthful nation, replete with young, outward-looking people concerned about global issues, and eager to apply the values that American democracy enshrines to change their own society for the better. As the first U.S. Secretary of State to visit in seven years, you have a unique opportunity to engage with and excite a new generation of Filipinos, people who admire much about the U.S. and have longed for greater U.S. interaction with the Philippines and ASEAN. Christian and Muslim Filipinos alike hope to work cooperatively with the United States, and your visit will reassure them that we are equally enthusiastic about continuing our long tradition of partnership with all segments of Filipino society. And as Filipinos move toward important national elections next May, your message of nonpartisan support for democracy will help assure the public that we strongly encourage a free, fair, and transparent election process that can bring a new generation of leaders to help the Philippines surmount its challenges - poverty, insurgency, terrorism, and human rights concerns. CREATING A NEW GENERATION OF SUPPORT -------------- ¶2. (C) The United States and the Philippines have a longstanding and deep relationship based on nearly 50 years of direct U.S. administration; a Philippines government modeled on our own; broad economic ties; and an extensive interchange of people. Many here admire the U.S. and its values, although some -- including in the Manila elite and the country's Muslim minority -- are wary of us and reflexively seek to show the Philippines is not dependent on the United States. Virtually all are eager to work with us and gratefully welcome a reciprocal expression of the respect and appreciation that Filipinos so often demonstrate for the United States. ¶3. (C) The Philippines is literally a young and vibrant nation -- high population growth has created a large segment of under-25 youth with an increasingly global and technologically savvy outlook, but who often look outside the Philippines to seek a brighter economic future and a more just government and society. Your town hall event with 
university students across the Philippines is a key opportunity to engage the country's most energetic force for change on an array of critical concerns: sustainable development, renewable energy, and improved respect for human rights, including trafficking in persons, a critical problem here. A message of renewed U.S. engagement with Asia and ASEAN will help reinforce the long ties of history and family that link our nations. OVERCOMING WARINESS ON MILITARY TIES -------------- ¶4. (SBU) You will arrive in a country shaken up by a series of storms that devastated portions of Manila and the Philippines' northernmost regions. We rapidly mobilized our military -- both our small number of in-country forces and other assets en route for a bilateral exercise -- to rescue stranded people; deliver life-saving assistance to isolated areas; provide medical treatment to the injured; and reopen vital transport links. We have received an outpouring of thanks in return. ¶5. (C) Although most Filipinos deeply appreciate the life-saving assistance provided by our uniformed servicemembers and USAID officials, some leading figures question the basis for our broad military cooperation. The Philippine Senate recently passed a resolution calling for the renegotiation of our Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA); the bill's principal sponsor wrongly claimed that the U.S. intended to reestablish military bases in the Philippines, and that our forces engage in combat operations. We have avoided wrangling publicly with detractors of the VFA, instead explaining that our approximately 600 Joint Special Operations Task Force - Philippines (JSOTF-P) soldiers are here at the invitation of the Philippine government, and they do not engage in combat. ¶6. (C) JSOTF-P's role is to assist the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in its fight against the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist organizations, both of which are active in the southern Philippines. The AFP has proven a staunch ally in counterterrorism, engaging terrorists even at the cost of heavy casualties. Tragically, MANILA 00002324 002 OF 003 two U.S. soldiers and one of their Filipino counterparts died on Jolo island on September 29. They were engaged in a civil-military operation -- helping to build a school -- when their vehicle detonated an improvised explosive device buried in the road. PROMOTING ELECTION REFORMS -------------- ¶7. (C) You will arrive in the early phase of the election season; Filipinos -- including millions of newly-registered first-time voters -- will choose their next President and Congress in May 2010. Although Filipinos are justifiably proud of their democratic ideals, the Philippines remains in some ways a nascent democracy. The country has experienced only three presidential elections since the end of Ferdinand Marcos' autocratic rule, and these have been tarnished by allegations of vote-buying and other irregularities, as well as election violence. There is also domestic anxiety over the introduction of automated vote tabulation in the upcoming election. ¶8. (C) Last year's U.S. elections had a profound impact in the Philippines, demonstrating again that a geographically and socially diverse nation could carry out a free, fair and transparent vote, provide credible results rapidly, and result in a losing candidate gracefully conceding to the victor -- while pledging to work constructively for the national good. Given that the Philippines spent decades under American administration, our influence here remains very high, and our active support for a more unbiased and transparent election process will help buoy democracy activists. Since many candidates in the coming election will present themselves as having special ties to the U.S. government, we also stress that we are strictly neutral and prepared to work with whomever the Filipino people choose as their next leader. PROMOTING PEACE -------------- ¶9. (C) The approaching Philippine elections made many doubt we would see further progress in the peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), an armed secessionist group on the southern island of Mindanao. But President Arroyo told President Obama during her July visit to Washington that she would continue to seek peace with the MILF, and she has made meaningful progress in recent weeks. A ceasefire remains in place, and GRP and MILF negotiators have agreed on modalities to establish an International Contact Group and to provide further protection for civilians in conflict areas. ¶10. (C) One of the most useful messages you can deliver is that we strongly support this peace process and hope it will continue in the run-up to the election and under the next administration. Our support comes not just in the form of diplomatic encouragement, but also in the form of foreign assistance funds from State, USAID, USDA, and DOD that we devote to development in the troubled southern Philippines region. (These totaled over 80 million USD in FY 2009.) AN ALLY ON NONPROLIFERATION -------------- ¶11. (C) When you meet with President Arroyo, you could advance our nonproliferation interests by highlighting our global concerns. Foreign Secretary Romulo has eagerly engaged with us on our agenda for the 2010 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference, which the Philippines will chair. Your reinforcing the importance of nonproliferation may encourage GRP policymakers to seek further information on the relevant technical matters and to resist pressure they may encounter from Iran or other countries hoping to divert international attention from their nuclear programs. CLIMATE CHANGE/RENEWABLE ENERGY -------------- ¶12. (C) The recent storms that devastated areas of the Philippines have focused attention here on the perils associated with climate change, and you will find President Arroyo and other interlocutors energized and eager to hear of U.S. leadership on this issue. The Philippines has played a leading role in regional efforts, with the legislature in October passing a bill to create a cabinet-level body for interagency coordination on climate change. In 2008, the Philippines enacted a renewable energy law, providing a mix of incentives and subsidies which are attracting investment MANILA 00002324 003 OF 003 in areas such as wind, solar, and ocean energy. The Philippines is the top regional producer of wind power, and second in the world in geothermal energy production. SALUTING MISSION STAFF -------------- ¶13. (SBU) Your "meet and greet" with Mission staff is an opportunity to highlight their exceptional service to others, including U.S. veterans resident in the Philippines; and their exceptional commitment, despite the fact that virtually all have been affected, directly or indirectly, by flooding or storm-related damage in recent weeks. ¶14. (U) We welcome you to the Philippines. We will do everything we can to work with your team from Washington to make your visit a success. KENNEY