VZCZCXRO1905
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHML #2258/01 1840755
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 030755Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7265
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IMMEDIATE
RUEAWJA/DOJ WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHHMUNA/CDRUSPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 002258
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR S/CT AND INL/AAE BARCLAY AND BOULDIN
USPACOM ALSO FOR SOCPAC SOJ3X
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PINS PREL ASEC PBTS SNAR RP
SUBJECT: RENEWED REQUEST FOR INL FUNDING FOR MARITIME
POLICE UNIT
REF: A. E-MAIL BARCLAY/JONES 4/30/07
B. STATE 24249
C. 06 MANILA 3789
1. (U) This is an action request - see para 10.
2. (U) Summary. After thorough review by all involved
agencies and consultations with the Philippine National
Police (PNP), Embassy would like to renew its $2 million
funding request from FY2005 funds of the Bureau for
International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) to
improve the capabilities of the PNP's Maritime Group (ref c).
The funds would establish a six-boat unit to interdict the
transit of narcotics, terrorists, trafficking victims, and
contraband through the northern edge of the Sulu Sea, off the
coast of Palawan, an island on the western border of the
Philippines. The unit, based in Puerto Princesa, on the
eastern coast of Palawan, would also help protect the
Malampaya Natural Gas Project, a $4.5 billion dollar facility
that provides some 30 percent of the Philippines' power
needs, and numerous high-end tourist resorts frequented by
U.S. and other foreign tourists. The PNP leadership has
indicated its full support for the project, and its
willingness to sign a Letter of Agreement on its own
operational funding obligations upon notification that we are
prepared to fund the project. Embassy's Law Enforcement
Working Group has reviewed INL's concerns (ref b) and offers
information below to address these issues. End Summary.
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POST PRIORITIES
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3. (SBU) Embassy highly appreciates the close scrutiny that
INL has given to ref c request and the series of concerns INL
raised. Upon full reflection, deliberations within our Law
Enforcement Working Group, and discussions with the PNP
leadership, Embassy continues to believe that the maritime
police unit (MPU) is the best use of these FY 2005 funds.
The MPU would actively complement our Mission priorities to
fight terrorism, smuggling, and trafficking in persons by
helping to modernize the PNP. (The 2005 Philippine-U.S.
Joint Law Enforcement Assessment also noted that an infusion
of resources could significantly improve the ability of the
PNP MPU to combat terrorism, narcotics, and other smuggling,
and trafficking in persons.) Additionally, the establishment
of the MPU project would provide a platform from which the
INL-funded Model Police Station project could expand into
Puerto Princesa, enhancing the implementation of the PNP
Transformation Plan.
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INFRASTRUCTURE
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4. (U) The requested $2 million would be sufficient to
purchase six boats and related equipment, as well as fund a
contract maritime police advisor for one year. However, that
sum would indeed be insufficient to provide for necessary
infrastructure construction, such as dockside and dry-dock
facilities, including boat ramps. JIATF-West representatives
have confirmed that this agency is prepared to build several
boat houses, ramps, training facilities, and firing ranges in
Puerto Princesa, upon INL approval of the project.
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MAINTENANCE
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5. (U) Long-term maintenance will remain a major issue,
since, without proper maintenance of the boats, they would
quickly fall into disrepair. Until the PNP could fully take
over the maintenance of the boats, JIATF-West and U.S.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are willing to utilize
their small boat maintenance and repair teams to provide
training on preventive maintenance to the MPU and to provide
some maintenance during the first year of the program. (In
FY08, JIATF-West already plans two maintenance missions.)
The projected boats are the same type already in use in a
similar program in Indonesia, resulting in interoperability
and standard training packages for preventive maintenance by
USG agencies, including JIATF-West, Special Operations
Command Pacific (SOCPAC), and ICITAP.
MANILA 00002258 002 OF 002
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TRAINING
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6. (U) While the proposal already includes funding for a
one-year contract maritime police advisor who would provide
general project management, interagency coordination, and
general law enforcement training, it is true that there is no
"stream of funds" for long-term training to achieve full
implementation of the MPU. However, SOCPAC representatives
at Embassy have confirmed that SOCPAC has agreed to provide
up to two SOCPAC personnel to advise and assist the MPU,
stationed with the MPU for staggered six-month rotations
(ensuring continuity through three-month overlap). SOCPAC's
commitment is to a long-term engagement, and SOCPAC has also
offered to provide focused Joint Combined Exercise Training
for the MPU.
7. (U) The maritime police advisor would likely report to
the INL-funded Senior Law Enforcement Advisor in Manila, who
has significant contact with ICITAP in Indonesia and can
leverage that relationship to provide opportunities for joint
training and joint operations between the MPU and the
Indonesian National Police maritime unit. In addition,
ICITAP has already established a training structure in the
Philippines for instructor development to enable the MPU to
address its own training needs in the future. Finally, the
Legal Attache at Post has offered to provide FBI training and
assistance on topics such as sensitive site
exploitation/crime scene search and processing, evidence
processing and documentation, and processing of suspects in
custody.
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OPERATIONAL SUPPORT
-------------------
8. (SBU) The Senior Law Enforcement Advisor and poloff have
discussed potential PNP obligations for various operational
costs, notably fuel. PNP Deputy Director General Avelino
Razon, who oversees the PNP Transformation Plan and who is
most likely to succeed Director General Calderon upon
retirement later this year, verbally agreed to fund the MPU
operations and tasked one of his officers with preparing an
estimate of projected PNP obligations; the total was a
realistic $436,000 annually. Razon also indicated that the
PNP would be willing to sign a Letter of Agreement (LOA) with
the U.S. Embassy on this obligation upon formal INL approval
of this project.
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LONG TERM SUPPORT
-----------------
9. (U) Over the longer-term -- unlike the more ambitious
program in Indonesia -- the MPU should not require additional
INL funds beyond the initial $2 million investment and would
therefore not divert resources from the PNP Transformation
Program. Other Mission agencies have expressed willingness
to fund any other necessary expenditures, while PNP will pay
for the fuel and other operational costs. Mission does not
intend to request INL FY 2006 and 2007 funds for the MPU, so
these would still be available for other law enforcement
projects in support of the PNP Transformational Plan. Should
future funding for the MPU become desirable, Mission intends
to submit 1208 funding proposals to SOCPAC.
10. (U) Action Request: Please advise if INL is now able
formally to approve $2 million in FY 2005 funding for the
maritime police unit.
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/
KENNEY