US embassy cable - 05MANILA1799

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANILA 001799 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR THE DEPUTY SECRETARY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/2009 
TAGS: PREL, OVIP, PTER, RP 
SUBJECT: POSSIBLE VISIT OF DEPUTY SECRETARY ZOELLICK 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone, reasons 1.4 (b) and ( 
d) 
 
1.  (C)  Mr. Secretary, we would warmly welcome your visit in 
May and hope that you can make it.  Your visit would be 
timely.  The GRP may be even less stable than it appears -- 
yet paradoxically, far more capable of deliberate, positive 
redirection and reform than is now obvious.  The Philippines 
is likely to remain a high profile, hands-on account during 
your watch.  Your visit now would strengthen US influence in 
a place and at a time in history -- the GWOT, the rise of 
China -- when we will need it as much as ever. 
 
3.  (C)  Key objectives would include: 
--  Establish personal contact with key GRP decision-makers 
(most of whom have come into office since your last visit) 
and signal -- as the most senior Administration official to 
visit since the Bush II Inauguration -- the continued 
strength and vitality of our ties and shared strategic 
interests and values; 
--  Shape President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's thinking on 
China, away from her evident infatuation.  We want her and 
Foreign Secretary Romulo instead to exploit the leverage even 
the Philippines should have in influencing China's emergence 
in positive directions (Hu Jintao will have made a state 
visit to Manila April 26-28); 
--  Re-register our expectation of GRP help at the UN 
Security Council and UN General Assembly and on third country 
issues from Burma to Iraq.  GMA needs to know that an 
alliance means mutual contributions in accordance with each 
partner's means, and the GRP could frankly contribute much 
more; 
--  Reinforce the need for more progress in the GWOT, through 
our ongoing Operations/Intelligence Fusion program between 
the US military and the Armed Forces of the Philippines 
(AFP), through passage of modern anti-terrorism legislation, 
through serious leadership attention to confronting hard 
issues on the two desultory and long-standing domestic 
insurgencies (New People's Army and the Moro Islamic 
Liberation Front) and the corresponding "peace processes;" 
--  Promote meaningful trade liberalization, better fiscal 
performance, and stronger anti-corruption programs -- all of 
which may receive additional USG assistance if the 
Philippines becomes a Millennium Challenge Corporation 
Threshold Country -- as well as more effective IPR protection 
and enforcement; 
--  Support lonely but serious Filipino champions of reform 
in the Department of National Defense and the AFP through the 
ongoing Philippine Defense Reform (PDR) initiative.  With the 
PDR as touchstone, press for similar systemic reform of the 
Philippine National Police through an incipient INL-funded 
"Management Assessment of the Philippine Police;" 
--  Press GRP leaders for further progress (meaning 
aggressive prosecutions and convictions) in the campaign 
against Trafficking in Persons; 
--  Reiterate Secretary Rice's commitment to the Foreign 
Service and the well-being of Embassy employees (American and 
Filipino) and review visa operations contributing to US 
homeland security at one of our largest and busiest consular 
operations in the world. 
 
4.  (C) We would build your program on as many of the 
following major activities as time will allow: 
--  A call on President Arroyo (other key seniors would 
likely attend, including National Security Adviser Norberto 
Gonzales, but Foreign Secretary Romulo will be in the US 
during this period); 
--  Meeting with Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz -- one of the 
bright spots in an uneven GRP -- and AFP Chief of Staff 
General Ebren Abu (PDR, GWOT); 
--  Meeting with Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, another 
leading GRP reformer (new fiscal measures, MCA, energy sector 
reform); 
--  Meeting with the pro-business Trade and Industry 
Secretary Juan Santos, fresh from the global private sector 
 
SIPDIS 
as Nestle's regional chief (WTO, trade liberalization, IPR 
protection); 
--  Visit to our historic and uniquely beautiful Embassy and 
our consular section; possible town hall meeting with 
employees; 
--  Pre-departure press conference. 
Ricciardone