US embassy cable - 05MANILA3154

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MANILA 003154 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR D, P, EAP, EAP/PMBS, EAP/PD, INR/EAP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/08/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PINS, PREL, KPAO, MOPS, RP 
SUBJECT: "MAKE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE" 
 
REF: A. OPS CENTER - MANILA 07-08-05 TELECON 
 
     B. MANILA 3139 
     C. MANILA 3133 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Andrew McClearn for 
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  The chorus has grown for President Arroyo 
to step down.  Former president Corazon Aquino held a press 
conference late July 8 and called on President Arroyo "to 
make the supreme sacrifice" and resign.  Several members of 
her former cabinet also called for her resignation on July 8, 
as did Senate President Franklin Drilon, who was speaking for 
the majority of the Liberal Party (LP), and the influential 
Makati Business Club.  Some members of her former cabinet 
went on TV in her defense, as did the Speaker of the House. 
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief Abu has pledged 
that the military will not intervene, and that it will uphold 
the law and the Constitution.  Charge went on a TV news show 
on July 8 to underscore the USG's full support for the rule 
of law, and he opposed any possible extra-constitutional or 
extra-legal moves.  End Summary. 
 
------------------ 
The Pressure Grows 
------------------ 
 
2.  (SBU) The chorus has grown for President Arroyo to step 
down.  As foretold to Charge by former finance secretary 
Purisima earlier (ref B), former president Corazon Aquino 
held a press conference late July 8 and called on President 
Arroyo voluntarily and peacefully to give up her post. 
Aquino said she had visited Arroyo on July 7 and asked her 
"to make the supreme sacrifice" and quit, and to do it "as 
soon as possible."  Aquino asserted that governmental 
institutions had become paralyzed, and that "good governance 
has become an impossible undertaking."  Aquino suggested 
there were two options for the President to take: the first, 
for Arroyo voluntarily to resign and let Vice President Noli 
de Castro assume the presidency, according to the 
Constitution; and the second, for Arroyo to face impeachment 
and provoke a long and drawn out period of political sparring 
that would ultimately weaken Filipino democracy. 
 
3.  (U) Six former Cabinet Secretaries and four other high 
officials separately called on President Arroyo to resign 
during a July 8 press conference.  (Note:  Per ref C, Arroyo 
had asked for all members of her Cabinet, to submit their 
resignations.  End Note.)  Together, the ten officials had 
formed the nucleus in Arroyo's Cabinet to implement economic 
reforms and basic social service programs.  The ten members 
of this group were: 
 
-- Cesar Purisima (Secretary of Finance); 
-- Juan Santos (Secretary of Trade and Industry); 
-- Emilia Boncodin (Secretary of Budget Management); 
-- Guillermo Parayno (Commissioner, Bureau of Internal 
Revenue); 
-- Alberto Lina (Commissioner, Bureau of Customs); 
-- Teresita "Ging" Deles (Secretary, Office of the 
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process); 
-- Corazon "Dinky" Soliman (Secretary of Social Welfare and 
Development); 
-- Florencio "Butch" Abad (Secretary of Education); 
-- Rene Villa (Secretary of Agrarian Reform); and, 
-- Imelda Nicolas (Secretary, National Anti-Poverty 
Commission). 
 
4.  (U) In a signed statement issued at the event, the ten 
noted that they would support the ascension to the presidency 
of Vice President De Castro after Arroyo resigned.  They 
claimed they were not judging the President regarding her 
involvement in the recent scandals, yet they claimed that if 
she stayed in power the country would suffer, stating: "The 
longer the President stays in office under a cloud of doubt 
and mistrust...the greater the damage to the economy and the 
more vulnerable the fragile political situation becomes to 
extremists seeking to undermine our democratic life."  The 
ten former officials immediately left the press conference 
without entertaining questions. 
 
5.  (U) Arroyo also lost the support of important allies of 
her administration throughout July 8.  Senate President and 
LP President Franklin Drilon, long a staunch ally of the 
Arroyo administration, announced July 8 that the majority of 
the LP wants Arroyo to resign.  In an earlier vote among 
party members, 20 had voted for her resignation (including 
Drilon), 11 voted to pursue Arroyo's impeachment as opposed 
to her resignation, one asked her to go on a leave of 
absence, and one voted to continue supporting Arroyo. 
Meanwhile, the Makati Business Club (MBC), a longtime 
supporter of Arroyo, also called on her resign.  A July 8 
statement signed by the influential group's chairman and 
president stated:  "It is with a heavy heart that we ask the 
President to relinquish her position...for the sake of the 
commonwealth, for the sake of national unity, and for the 
sake of moving forward." 
 
---------------------- 
Malacanang's Defenders 
---------------------- 
 
6.  (U) Some members of her former Cabinet went on TV in her 
defense on July 8.  Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and 
Interior Secretary Angelo Reyes rallied behind Arroyo in a 
midday press conference.  Ermita insisted there was no basis 
for the claim that Arroyo lacked the leadership and capacity 
to govern.  In response to media questions about the damaging 
resignations by the majority of the members of Arroyo's core 
economic team, Secretary Romulo Neri of the National Economic 
Development Agency (NEDA) said that reforms would continue 
and belittled Purisima for his decision to attack the 
President.  Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz attended the 
briefing, but did not speak. 
 
7.  (U) Speaker of the House Joseph de Venecia also stated 
that he did not think Arroyo's resignation was necessary.  He 
said it was important, however, that Arroyo move promptly to 
sponsor the holding of a "Constituent Assembly" that would 
create a parliamentary-type system.  Pro-administration 
lawmakers from the House of Representatives also held a press 
conference in which they underscored their support for the 
Arroyo administration.  The legislators urged Arroyo to stand 
firm and welcome "new blood to be injected into the cabinet." 
 Prominent leaders at the event included Arroyo stalwarts 
such as Rep. Prospero "Butch" Pichay, Rep. Ronaldo Puno, and 
Rep. Marcelo Libanan. 
 
--------------------------------- 
Military Pledges Not to Interfere 
--------------------------------- 
 
8.  (U) On July 8, AFP Chief of Staff General Efren Abu 
issued a widely publicized directive entitled "Conduct of the 
Armed Forces" to all "Major Service Commanders, Unified 
Commanders, Commanding Generals, Commanding Officers, and AFP 
support units."  Abu said the ongoing appeals for Arroyo's 
resignation are part of a political and constitutional and 
legal process, and it is the AFP's duty to ensure freedom of 
expression and not interfere in that process.  Any AFP 
intervention would "betray the trust given to (it) by the 
State and would certainly put (its) understanding of military 
professionalism in the eyes of the world in doubt," he 
declared in the directive.  Abu also appealed for the AFP to 
"reestablish the noble tradition of military professionalism 
by insulating our officers and men from politics," and for 
all commanders to "act swiftly against any behavior that 
challenges or breaks away from the chain of command." 
 
9.  (C) As of late July 8, the Philippine National Police 
(PNP) is on high alert.  Director Vidal Querol, chief of the 
PNP's National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), told the 
media the alert is a standard move to keep the peace and 
maintain order.  Legatt reports that NCRPO, other local PNP 
commands, and the National Bureau of Investigation have 
confirmed they will support the rule of law and will remain 
neutral as the situation unfolds.  The AFP is likely to 
follow suit by increasing its own alert status, which also is 
not unusual.  Military contacts report no extraordinary troop 
movements.  There are several rallies taking place in Manila 
on July 8, but no reports of violence. 
 
---------------- 
Mission Reaction 
---------------- 
 
10.  (SBU) Charge gave a TV news interview on July 8 and 
underscored the USG's full support for accountability and the 
rule of law, and opposed any possible extra-constitutional or 
extra-legal moves.  He encouraged Filipino leaders from all 
sides to focus on the "welfare of the Filipino people," and 
reassured the audience that the USG would assist this process 
"by ensuring and insisting on the rule of law and democratic 
processes."  Charge stated USG opposition to a new round of 
"people power." He also expressed disappointment over the 
obligatory Cabinet resignations demanded by Arroyo on July 7, 
noting that it would likely disrupt important reforms 
underway, especially recent progress made towards economic 
modernization and the fight against corruption.  Charge 
described several of the recently resigned Cabinet 
Secretaries as "patriots, good and decent people," whose 
 
SIPDIS 
competence was highly respected in the international 
community, and whose loss will be a blow to the Arroyo 
administration and the GRP. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
11.  (C) The pressure on Arroyo is growing.  Aquino and her 
former Cabinet members' demands on Arroyo to resign was a 
real blow.  Aquino is highly respected in Catholic and civil 
society circles.  Purisima and his group command respect in 
many sectors of Philippine life and their attacks will 
resonate.  The Makati Business Club is also highly 
influential and its decision to turn against her is very 
damaging.  If the Catholic Church bishops, who are having 
their annual meeting this weekend, come out and ask for her 
resignation, Arroyo will be in even more serious political 
trouble.  Abu's directive was a welcome step and should 
provide some ballast to a volatile situation.  The good news 
is that events at this point are moving forward in a legal 
and constitutional manner.  Mission continues to underscore 
the need for full adherence to the rule of law and to make 
clear our total opposition to any extra-constitutional or 
extra-legal moves. 
 
 
MUSSOMELI