VZCZCXRO7756
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHML #2327 1910819
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 100819Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7343
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IMMEDIATE
RHHMUNA/CDRUSPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
UNCLAS MANILA 002327
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINS PREL MOPS PTER RP
SUBJECT: DEADLY COMMUNIST INSURGENCY CONTINUES
REF: A. MANILA 2284
B. MANILA 1928
C. 06 MANILA 5097
D. 06 MANILA 3356
E. 06 MANILA 2777
1. (SBU) Summary: The Communist insurgency continues to take
its deadly toll in the Philippines, with the reported deaths
in military operations since June 7 of at least 20 military
and police personnel as well as approximately 25 Communist
insurgents. Many of these incidents took place in Mindanao,
but the violence remains a problem virtually nationwide. The
new Human Security Act (ref a) should provide some new tools
for the government against the Communist forces and other
terrorist groups. End Summary.
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More Attacks
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2. (U) On June 7, an encounter between the Armed Forces of
the Philippines (AFP) and the New People's Army (NPA) in
Compostela Valley Province (southern Mindanao) left dead two
NPA and four AFP personnel, with 13 non-fatal casualties. In
the same province eight days later, the AFP's 28th Infantry
Battalion engaged an NPA position holding about 70 rebels.
Nine NPA and four AFP soldiers reportedly died in the
resulting firefight. On June 16, NPA forces murdered a
police officer and killed three others in Cataduanes Province
of the Bicol Region, seizing several weapons in the process.
On June 17, at least 10 NPA rebels disarmed two security
guards at a Globe Telecom site in Iloilo (Western Visayas),
later detonating three bombs that destroyed the generator and
control panel but did not damage the tower. On June 24,
between 20 and 30 NPA guerrillas raided the town hall in
Dangcagan, Bukidnon province (northern Mindanao), killing one
police officer and seizing eight weapons. On June 29, about
70 NPA rebels attacked a AFP patrol base in Agusan del Norte
(northeastern Mindanao). Eight NPA and seven AFP troops died
in the confrontation, while the NPA allegedly abducted three
additional AFP personnel. In the same province two days
later, three communist rebels died in a clash with the
Philippine Army's 30th Infantry Battalion.
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Unlikely resumption of Peace talks
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3. (U) Philippine government officials recently hinted that
they might be willing to resume long-stalled peace talks with
the National Democratic Front (NDF), the political voice of
the CPP/NPA, if the NPA agrees to a nationwide ceasefire.
The NDF has refused so far to do so, reiterating
long-standing demands that the Philippine government seek a
de-listing of the CPP/NPA from U.S. and EU terrorist lists.
More recently, NDF officials further warned that any
Philippine designation or additional action by the Philippine
government under the new "Human Security Act of 2007" will
make impossible the resumption of peace talks. National
Security Advisor and concurrent officer-in-charge of the
Department of National Defense Norberto Gonzales had on July
1 publicly reiterated the significance of the Communist
threat, noting that he would seek to invoke the Act against
the CPP/NPA. He added that armed guerrilla groups such as
the NPA are "attractive" to international terrorist
organizations, which might be interested in collaborating
with and/or infiltrating existing networks. A statement by
the NDF in late June provocatively vowed that "the CPP and
NPA have expressed readiness to fight every degree of
military intervention and aggression by U.S. imperialism."
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Comment
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4. (SBU) Despite vigorous Philippine efforts over decades to
reduce the Communist threat, NPA attacks continue to occur
frequently, with high human and economic costs. The Human
Security Act should give the government some new tools to use
against the CPP/NPA, but the threats from fighting,
extortion, and infiltration nationwide will continue to be
real and deadly for the foreseeable future.
Visit Embassy Manila's classified website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm
KENNEY