US embassy cable - 05MANILA729

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANILA 000729 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/PMBS 
NSC FOR GREEN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2013 
TAGS: MOPS, MARR, PREL, PINS, RP 
SUBJECT: CPP/NPA DENOUNCES BALIKATAN EXERCISE 
 
REF: 04 MANILA 5865 
 
Classified By: (U) Political Officer Paul O'Friel 
for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
1.  (SBU) On February 11, Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal, the 
spokesman for the Communist Party of the Philippines/New 
Peoples Army (CPP/NPA), denounced the upcoming annual 
Balikatan exercise as "a blatant mockery of Philippine 
sovereignty." Rosal claimed US troops intended to "interfere" 
in the armed conflicts in the Philippines, using the 
"pretext" of relief efforts to conduct military operations. 
 
2.  (SBU) US forces, in partnership with their Armed Forces 
of the Philippines (AFP) counterparts, will conduct 
humanitarian assistance and civil affairs programs during the 
February 21-March 6 Balikatan exercise, targeting the storm 
ravaged provinces of Quezon and Laguna, which were badly hit 
by December 2004 flooding that killed over 1,000 people. 
These projects will include medical and dental outreach to 
affected communities and light construction projects to 
rebuild schools and clinics.  In December 2004, in the 
immediate aftermath of the floods, 
Task Force 535 (reftel) airlifted over 400,000 pounds of 
badly needed relief supplies to Quezon and neighboring Aurora 
province. 
 
3.  (C) COMMENT.  The CPP/NPA has long considered Quezon 
"theirs."  The province is home to the Melito Glor Command 
formerly headed by Rosal.  Despite (or perhaps because of) 
the warm welcome received by US soldiers and Marines 
associated with JTF 535, the CPP/NPA vigorously protested the 
December 2004 US disaster assistance, calling for the 
pull-out of all US troops engaged in relief efforts. 
Although Ka Roger's December 15, 2004 press statement 
conceded that CPP/NPA's signed agreement with the government 
strictly forbids attacks against troops engaged in 
humanitarian missions, CPP/NPA leader Jose Maria Sison 
quickly clarified the following day that this agreement did 
not apply to the US military.  Sison sullenly asserted the 
NPA was "magnanimously" not targeting US troops to give them 
the chance to leave the Philippines as quickly as possible. 
Despite the Communists' bombast, we do not believe CPP/NPA 
central authorities are ready/capable to take action against 
US forces engaged in joint humanitarian assistance operations. 
 
 
Visit Embassy Manila's Classified website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm 
Ricciardone