US embassy cable - 05MANILA2970

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 002970 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/PMBS, INR/EAP, 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/28/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINS, PINR, KPAO, RP 
SUBJECT: ARROYO SAYS "I AM SORRY" 
 
REF: A. OPS CENTER - MANILA 06/28/05 TELECON 
 
     B. MANILA 2887 
     C. MANILA 2840 
     D. MANILA 2815 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Andrew McClearn for 
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  In a brief national address on June 27, a 
subdued President Arroyo admitted that a taped telephone 
conversation with an election official last year was "a lapse 
in judgment" and said "I am sorry."  Asked subsequently for 
media comment, Charge underscored that the USG supports 
transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.  According 
to Embassy contacts, former president Aquino and Manila 
Archbishop Rosales, as well as by members of her Cabinet, 
pushed Arroyo to explain herself to the Filipino public at 
last.  Reaction to the President's speech has been mixed at 
best.  While likely worth doing, the admission may be "too 
little, too late" to (re)gain public and political support, 
much less to enable her to move forward on her substantive 
agenda.  End Summary. 
 
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Arroyo Apologizes 
----------------- 
 
2.  (U) In a 4 minute national TV and radio address delivered 
the evening of June 27, a subdued President Arroyo admitted 
that a telephone conversation with an election official -- 
whom she did not name -- last year was "a lapse in judgment" 
and she said "I am sorry."  She did not specifically admit to 
being the voice on the now widely circulated audiotape of an 
apparent wiretapped conversation, however.  In her remarks: 
 
-- Arroyo acknowledged that the issues raised by the taped 
conversations had "spun out of control" and that the nation 
deserved an explanation; 
-- she cited the slowness of the 2004 election's national 
canvassing process, and confessed to "feeling anxious to 
protect my votes," which led her to discuss the vote count 
"with a COMELEC (Commission on Elections) official;" 
-- she denied any intent to influence the outcome of the 
election and reiterated that the May 2004 electoral process 
was credible, as established by domestic and international 
observers; 
-- she expressed regret at having taken so long to address 
the public about the matter and said she took "full 
responsibility" for her actions; 
-- after repeating the short apology in Tagalog using earthy, 
populist-tinged language, Arroyo expressed a desire to push 
past the tape scandal and "move on with the business of 
governing."  She insisted she had a "mandate to govern" and 
that she had already carried out "tough but necessary 
decisions" in order to readjust the economy and raise new 
revenues in order to "reinvest in the people."  Asking for 
unity, Arroyo called for the Philippines to enter "the next 
phase of the reform agenda," which would include expanded 
social services and increased anti-corruption efforts. 
 
---------------- 
Mission Reaction 
---------------- 
 
3.  (U) Media sources asked Charge for comment after the 
conclusion of the speech.  Charge responded:  "The U.S. 
government supports transparency, accountability, and the 
rule of law.  As the U.S. has repeatedly said, the search for 
truth is always a good thing, as is also abiding by the 
Constitution and due process." 
 
---------------------------------- 
Pressure from Cory and Archbishop? 
---------------------------------- 
 
4.  (C) According to Embassy contacts, former president 
Corazon Aquino and Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales pushed 
Arroyo during a June 26 meeting at Malacanang Palace to 
explain herself publicly -- or resign --  and indicated that 
they would withdraw their support if she did not do so before 
the funeral of Cardinal Jaime Sin on June 28.  Aquino issued 
a statement immediately following Arroyo's speech that "Her 
admission of judgmental lapses leading to improper conduct on 
her part is a truly welcome statement."  Vice President Noli 
de Castro lauded the "courage" of the President and called on 
Filipinos to put the issue of the tapes behind them. 
President Aquino sat with the President and the Vice 
President during the three-hour long funeral on June 28, over 
which Archbishop Rosales presided. 
 
5.  (C) Congressman Jesli Lapus, the Chairman of the House 
Ways and Means Committee and a key GMA ally in the passage of 
her fiscal measures, separately told A/DCM that the Cabinet 
had also heightened its pressure on her to go public with an 
explanation and apology.  He cited Finance Secretary Cesar 
Purisima and Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz in particular as 
playing key roles in convincing her to address the public. 
 
 
------------------------------ 
Reaction:  The Pro and the Con 
------------------------------ 
 
6.  (C) Reaction to the President's speech has been decidedly 
mixed.  Senate President Franklin Drilon applauded the speech 
but urged the President to follow up with "concrete actions" 
to implement necessary reforms.  House Speaker Jose de 
Venecia issued a statement from his travels in Europe 
claiming that Arroyo "has regained the moral high ground" and 
expressing the hope that the President could now return to 
the business of governing.  Rep. Abraham Mitra told poloff 
that Arroyo's majority in the House remained overwhelming 
despite some slippage and predicted that any move to impeach 
her would not be successful.  Congressman Lapus, however, 
privately expressed doubt Arroyo could be able to move 
forward with additional needed economic measures.  He added 
that Cabinet members had reportedly already convinced Arroyo 
also to ask her husband Mike to leave the country for an 
undetermined timeframe, and to convince her son Mikey and 
brother-in-law Iggy to resign from Congress due to reports 
linking them to jueteng (illegal gambling) profiteering. 
 
7.  (C) Opposition members seized on the confession as a sign 
of the President's guilt and continued to insist that she 
must resign or face impeachment.  Some also called for snap 
elections.  Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson pressed Arroyo to 
quit: "Now that she has authenticated the tape, she must 
vacate."  House Minority Leader Francis Escudero said that he 
accepted Arroyo's apology but maintained that "Gloria-Gate" 
was far from over.  He declared that if "she cannot 
distinguish between what is moral and illegal, then she must 
resign."  Former president Joseph Estrada, who remains under 
house arrest on plunder charges, called her admission "a high 
crime and betrayal of the people's right to suffrage." 
Congressman Teodoro "Teddy" Casino of the leftist Bayan Muna 
party told poloff that describing the taped conversations "as 
a lapse in judgment was putting it too lightly, since she 
admitted she did something wrong."  Casino said the next 
logical step was impeachment.  One private citizen has 
already filed an impeachment petition with the House, but no 
member of the House has yet endorsed the petition, as 
required by House rules. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
8.  (C) Many believe that Arroyo's dramatic statement was 
"too little, too late" but that it may still stem the tide -- 
for now -- in the absence of new scandals.  Even some 
opposition figures have predicted that no further major 
public demonstrations are likely during the rainy season, 
which will last until late fall.  Arroyo may have bought some 
time, but her course is inherently a risky one.   The 
opposition predictably shows no signs of relenting in its 
drive to evict her from office.  Most of her supporters are 
likely even more lukewarm than before.  Her "will she or 
won't she" approach to the public confession, coupled with a 
similar apparent indecision over the extension of the current 
Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Abu 
and appointment of his successor, heighten the perception of 
a weak and vacillating politico, failing to demonstrated 
desirable leadership skills.  She will definitely face a 
difficult time to advance her substantive agenda, much less 
to (re)gain significant levels of public and political 
confidence. 
 
Visit Embassy Manila's Classified SIPRNET website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm 
 
You can also access this site through the State Department's 
Classified SIPRNET website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/ 
 
MUSSOMELI