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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9591
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 000918 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, DRL/CRA, DS, CA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINS ASEC PREL KPAO RP
SUBJECT: SITREP 19: HOUSE UNANIMOUSLY VOTES TO PROVIDE PROTECTIVE 
CUSTODY TO MEMBERS CHARGED WITH REBELLION 
 
REF: MANILA 917 AND PREVIOUS 
 
¶1.  (U) Sensitive But Unclassified - Not For Internet Distribution 
 
¶2.  (U) Summary: Manila enjoyed another night of calm.  In late 
breaking news, the House of Representatives unanimously passed a 
resolution granting protective custody to the five congressmen 
charged with rebellion, claiming the charges were an attack by the 
Executive on the Legislature.  In separate statements on February 
28, GRP officials, including the Transportation Secretary, the 
National Telecommunication Commission Chairman and the Philippine 
National Police Chief, reasserted President Arroyo's prerogative 
to close media outlets reporting information that may "incite 
rebellion."  President Arroyo announced a pay raise for all 
government employees; local media questioned the timing.  The 
Philippines's main lawyers' group plans to hold a rally on March 3 
to denounce Proclamation 1017 in defiance of the ban on public 
protests.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------- 
Inching Toward Normal 
--------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) For another night, Manila was calm.  News channels, 
although focusing on events related to Proclamation 1017, returned 
to reporting on more routine stories as well.  Traffic and 
nightlife also seemed to pick up after several days of below- 
normal activity. 
 
------------------------ 
House Protecting Its Own 
------------------------ 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Declaring that it was defending itself from 
"encroachments of the presidency," the House of Representatives, 
after several hours of deliberation, unanimously passed Resolution 
1169 late on February 28 to "protect from warrantless arrest 
without due process" the five party-list members of Congress 
charged with rebellion.  (Note: The Speaker told A/S Hill Feb 28 
that custody applied to all six members implicated -- see reftel. 
End Note.)  The resolution extended the lower chamber's protective 
custody to the five lawmakers and declared that the GRP cannot 
detain them within the next 15 days while it conducts preliminary 
investigations into the charges.  The unusually united vote came 
moments after the five solons signed a document waiving their 
right to press charges of arbitrary detention if they are 
eventually taken into GRP custody.  This waiver was part of a 
compromise paving the way for a preliminary investigation into the 
rebellion charges to start as early as March 1.  Local news 
outlets reported that overnight the five lawmakers moved from the 
chambers of the House speaker to those of the minority leader, 
under protest. 
 
------------------------------------------- 
Administration Asserting Control Over Media 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) Transportation and Communication Secretary Leandro Mendoza 
claimed on February 28 the government and broadcast media 
organizations will come up with a memorandum of understanding 
within the week on the guidelines of coverage during a state of 
national emergency.  Mendoza said an ongoing dialogue among 
representatives of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas 
(Organization of Philippine Broadcasters or KBP), the National 
Telecommunications Commission (NTC), and broadcast media 
organizations will firm up what media can and cannot report on 
during a state of emergency.  The GRP's actions are not to curtail 
press freedom, but to regulate it, Mendoza said. 
 
¶6.  (U) NTC Chairman Rolando Solis and Philippine National Police 
(PNP) Chief Arturo Lomibao separately reasserted President 
Arroyo's right temporarily to shut down radio and television 
stations reporting information that may "incite rebellion," even 
without the recommendation of the NTC.  Members of the local and 
foreign press aggressively questioned Lomibao following his 
remarks to the Manila Overseas Press Club on February 28 (see 
Manila 917).  Reporters asked him to state the criteria the PNP 
are using to determine whether media outlets are reporting outside 
the standards established by the emergency proclamation.  He 
declined to give specifics about how the PNP is determining what 
information contributes to instability and urged the media to 
 
MANILA 00000918  002 OF 002 
 
 
exercise "self censorship."  He also would not clarify 
Malacanang's role in tagging which outlets the PNP should monitor 
and/or close.  PNP liaison officers will "do the rounds" to media 
offices, Lomibao said, but will not interfere with their 
operations.  He went to great pains to explain that even the Daily 
Tribune remains in operation, printing its daily editions ever 
since the police raid. 
 
----------------------------- 
Pay Raise For Troops And Cops 
----------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (U) President Arroyo announced Administrative Order 144 
increasing the monthly salary of all government employees by 1000 
pesos (approximately $19.35) per month, retroactive to January 1. 
The announcement came in a televised roundtable discussion with 
her economic cabinet members on February 28.  She emphasized the 
pay increase -- the first increase since 2001 outside of annual 
cost-of-living adjustments -- applies to the military and police 
forces as well.  This step was necessary to overcome the delay 
caused by Senate inaction in passing the GRP's 2006 budget, she 
said.  Local media noted her move came only "days after she 
claimed her government had thwarted a leftist-rightest plot to 
topple her government," although the pay hike had been part of the 
budget proposal submitted to Congress last year. 
 
---------------- 
Lawyers To March 
---------------- 
 
¶8.  (U) Philippine lawyers announced on February 28 they plan to 
defy the ban on public rallies since the issuance of Proclamation 
¶1017.  The Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the country's main 
lawyers' group, called on judges, lawyers, students and other 
activists to join in protest on Friday, March 3, exactly one week 
after Arroyo's declaration of a state of emergency.  The 
organization characterized Proclamation 1017 as a "declaration of 
martial law" that destroyed the nation's freedom of assembly and 
press. 
 
JONES