PRESIDENT IMPOSES MARTIAL LAW IN MAGUINDANAO TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 MANILA 002502 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2019 TAGS: PGOV PINS PHUM KDEM KJUS MOPS ASEC CVIS CASC RP SUBJECT: PRESIDENT IMPOSES MARTIAL LAW IN MAGUINDANAO TO COUNTER TOP CLAN REF: A. MANILA 2491 (MORE CHARGES LIKELY) ¶B. MANILA 2469 (INFLUENTIAL MAYOR AND POLICEMEN) ¶C. MANILA 2465 (AMBASSADOR PRESSES GOVERNMENT) ¶D. MANILA 2448 (PHILIPPINE CLAN VIOLENCE) Classified By: Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney, Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d) SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) For only the third time since Philippine independence, President Arroyo imposed martial law December 5 in parts of Maguindanao province, site of a bloody election-related massacre that left 57 dead (ref D). The move followed discoveries of major arms caches held by the Ampatuan clan, widely presumed to be culpable for the November 23 massacre that targeted many women and journalists. A senior military officer took charge of military operations in the province, and the writ of habeas corpus was suspended. No expansion of martial law to other areas is anticipated at this time, but, in comments to the press, the Ambassador stressed that imposing martial law was a very serious step and that the U.S. would be watching to see how the measure is implemented. The government cited the fear of rebellion by armed Ampatuan followers, estimated to number over 2,000, and the need to quickly round up senior clan members; officials said they would not impose a curfew or restrict press freedom. While the massacre had brought widespread calls for an immediate crackdown on the Ampatuans and against private armies nationwide, numerous critics voiced concern about the possibility for human rights violations under the decree, recalling abuses following President Marcos' 1972 declaration of martial law. Embassy press guidance is attached at para ¶8. The Emergency Action Committee met and reaffirmed that the current travel warning and Mission policy against travel to Maguindanao are appropriate. The Embassy plans to review the visa status of leading suspects in the massacre for appropriate action. End Summary. DECLARATION OF MARTIAL LAW -------------- ¶2. (U) On the morning of December 5, presidential Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita announced that President Arroyo had imposed martial law in parts of Maguindanao province, excluding areas under the control of the insurgent Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The declaration explicitly suspends the writ of habeas corpus in areas under martial law (for the full text, see para 16). Control of Maguindanao province, the second-poorest in the Philippines, was turned over to Armed Forces of the Philippines LtGen Raymundo Ferrer, a respected Army officer who has worked well with U.S. officials and military forces in the region. The government said it would not impose a curfew or restrict media activities, and stressed that while the constitution permits martial law for up to 60 days, the current declaration may be revoked before the full period has expired. This marks only the third time martial law has been declared in the Philippines since independence in 1946. ¶3. (C) The declaration followed the December 4 discovery and seizure of substantial arms caches stored by leading members of the Ampatuan clan, who are widely presumed to be culpable for the November 23 massacre of 57 unarmed persons en route to file election registration papers for a leading member of the rival Mangudadatu clan. According to press reports, discovered arms included recoilless rifles, assault rifles, mortar tubes, and anti-tank weapons -- reportedly enough to arm a military battalion. ¶4. (C) The President's move came after the authorities surrounded the residence of Ampatuan clan patriarch and Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan, Sr. (One of his sons, a leading suspect, has been held in Manila in connection with the murders.) The Ampatuans challenged the government's actions, and on December 4 received a favorable result, in the form of a writ of amparo, from a Philippine appeals court. As of December 7, however, the government held Ampatuan, Sr., as well as another son Zaldy Ampatuan, Governor of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, in custody. The Philippine National Police (PNP) reported that a total of 62 individuals had been arrested since the imposition of martial law. DIFFICULT DECISION -------------- ¶5. (C) Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera justified the MANILA 00002502 002 OF 004 imposition of martial law on the grounds that the Ampatuans had usurped power from the central government. She claimed that the Ampatuans' brutal deeds were an active act of rebellion, not merely plotting. Devanadera said that she planned to file rebellion charges on December 7 against members of the Ampatuan clan, saying, "Our evidence is strong. This was not an ordinary disorder taking place in one area -- it had an armed component." She added that by closing government offices, the Ampatuans had committed an overt act showing that they are following some forces other than the central government. Other officials noted that the imposition of martial law ensured that courts in the region, which might be susceptible to threats or influence from the Ampatuan clan, would be unable to compel the Ampatuans' release. Separately, the Palace said that it would report to Congress on the martial law decision, and the legislative branch scheduled a joint House-Senate hearing for December 8. ¶6. (SBU) The Ambassador spoke with presidential Executive Secretary Ermita on December 6 and Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo on December 7, both of whom provided further information on the government's decision to impose martial law (to be reported Septel). U.S. WATCHING CAREFULLY -------------- ¶7. (U) In widely reported comments to the press, the Ambassador noted that it was essential that the government carry out a thorough, complete investigation of the brutal massacre, that those responsible for the crime must be brought to justice, and that changes must be put in place so that acts of violence like this could never happen again, and that security could be restored and vital development projects resumed. However, she also stressed that imposition of martial law was a most serious step and that like many others in the international community the United States would be watching to see how the decree was implemented, and talking with Philippine officials to ensure that human rights were respected. ¶8. (U) In the wake of the Ambassador's comments, the Embassy used the following press guidance for numerous press queries: "We believe the barbaric massacre in Maguindanao must be fully investigated and those responsible brought to justice. We hope the right conditions can be put in place so that such a heinous crime never happens again. The declaration of martial law is a serious step, with human rights implications, so we will watch its implementation carefully. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims." VOICES OF CAUTION AND CONCERN -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Prior to the imposition of martial law, most Philippine politicians expressed support for a crackdown on the Ampatuans and urged strong efforts against private armies nationwide. After the declaration, however, many political figures expressed concern. Former President Fidel Ramos publicly termed the martial law decision "an overreaction." The Liberal Party spokesman characterized the move similarly, and leading Liberal Party presidential candidate Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino said he favored lifting martial law. Senator Loren Legarda, running mate of Nacionalista Party candidate Senator Manuel Villar, questioned whether the government had done everything possible short of declaring martial law. In contrast, House Speaker Prospero Nograles, an ally of President Arroyo, assessed publicly that a majority of House members would join him in supporting the decree. ¶10. (SBU) Well known critics of the Arroyo administration expressed more conspiratorial views of the martial law decision. Opposition Senator Panfilo Lacson worried that the decree might presage an effort by the President to crack down on civil liberties outside of Maguindanao province and to cling to power, despite a direct statement by Justice Secretary Devanadera that the declaration of martial law in Maguindanao was not a test for doing the same in other parts of the country. ¶11. (SBU) Opposition Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. attempted to tie the government's crackdown on the Ampatuans to the allegation of widespread election fraud in Maguindanao in past elections in favor of Arroyo administration candidates, suggesting the decree was a ploy to hide evidence of massive cheating in earlier polls. Opposition Senator Rodolfo Biazon similarly argued martial law could be an attempt to cover up MANILA 00002502 003 OF 004 alleged crimes of the Ampatuans, who were political allies of Arroyo prior to the massacre. Media commentators expressed a wide range of views, with many citing still-strong memories of the harsh martial law rule of former President Ferdinand Marcos from 1972-1981. MILF PLEDGES COOPERATION -------------- ¶12. (C) The insurgent Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which maintains several bases and thousands of fighters in Maguindanao and has had an antagonistic relationship with the Ampatuan clan, pledged cooperation with the martial law decree. An MILF spokesman said the insurgent group would allow government forces pursuing Ampatuan loyalists to enter MILF-controlled areas "so long as it is done using the appropriate process." Similarly, LtGen Ferrer said December 5 that the government would avoid any actions that might disrupt its peace talks with the MILF, due to resume in Kuala Lumpur on December 8. VISA REVIEW -------------- ¶13. (SBU) The Embassy Consular Section is reviewing the visa status of leading suspects in the massacre and their family members, and will take appropriate steps. EAC MEETING -------------- ¶14. (SBU) The Ambassador chaired a meeting of the Embassy's Emergency Action Committee December 7 to ensure that travel warnings to Mission personnel and American citizens were appropriate given the gravity of the Maguindanao massacre and the imposition of martial law. Participants agreed that the current ban on travel by Mission personnel to the province and the recently revised travel warning for American citizens were appropriate. COMMENT -------------- ¶15. (C) President Arroyo faced a very difficult decision. The November 23 massacre generated enormous pressure for her to act decisively against the Ampatuans, her long-time political allies in Mindanao, and critics were prepared to assail the President for failing to enforce the rule of law. Having moved strongly against the likely perpetrators, however, Arroyo has found that the use of martial law hits a raw nerve in the Philippines. Recalling President Marcos's harsh rule, there is a substantial segment of the Philippine public that is ready to believe the worst about Arroyo's motives. At the moment, the President's critics are louder than her supporters, although there may be a silent majority willing to accept martial law as necessary. Our initial view is that the threat posed by the Ampatuans is a very serious one and that strong steps were needed because of the weaknesses in the legal system; however, measures short of martial law might have sufficed, and we will be watching carefully how the government implements the decree. We will report further via Septel on the government's reasoning for martial law in Maguindanao. TEXT OF DECREE -------------- ¶16. (U) Begin text. MALACANANG Manila PROCLAMATION NO. 1959 PROCLAIMING A STATE OF MARTIAL LAW AND SUSPENDING THE PRIVILEGE OF THE WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS IN THE PROVINCE OF MAGUINDANAO, EXCEPT FOR CERTAIN AREAS WHEREAS, Proclamation No. 1946 was issued on 24 November 2009 declaring a state of emergency in the provinces of Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and the City of Cotabato for the purpose of preventing and suppressing lawless violence in the aforesaid areas; WHEREAS, Section 18, Art.VII of the Constitution provides that "In case of invasion or rebellion, when the public safety requires it, (the President) may, for a period not MANILA 00002502 004 OF 004 exceeding sixty days, suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus or place the Philippines or any part thereof under martial law." WHEREAS, R.A. No. 6986 provides that the crime of rebellion or insurrection is committed by rising publicly and taking arms against the Government for the purpose of depriving the Chief Executive or the Legislature, wholly or partially, of any of their powers or prerogatives." WHEREAS, heavily armed groups in the province of Maguindanao have established positions to resist government troops, thereby depriving the Executive of its powers and prerogatives to enforce the laws of the land and to maintain public order and safety; WHEREAS, the condition of peace and order in the province of Maguindanao has deteriorated to the extent that the local judicial system and other government mechanisms in the province are not functioning, thus endangering public safety; NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and by law, do hereby proclaim, as follows: SECTION 1. There is hereby declared a state of martial law in the province of Maguindanao, except for the identified areas of the Motor Islamic Liberation Front as referred to in the Implementing Operational Guidelines of the GRP-MILF Agreement on the General Cessation of Hostilities. SECTION 2. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall likewise be suspended in the aforesaid area for the duration of the state of martial law. DONE in the City of Manila, this 4th day of December in the year of our Lord, Two Thousand and Nine. (Sgd.) PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO By the President: (Sgd.) EDUARDO R. ERMITA Executive Secretary KENNEY