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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 001432 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/13/2018 
TAGS: MARR MAS MCAP PREL RP
SUBJECT: MILITARY CHIEF YANO DISCUSSES KEY CHALLENGES WITH 
AMBASSADOR 
 
REF: A. MANILA 1402: COUNTER TERRORISM AND THE PEACE 
        PROCESS IN THE PHILIPPINES 
     ¶B. MANILA 1399: TOP BROADCAST JOURNALIST ABDUCTED 
        IN MINDANAO 
     ¶C. MANILA 1192: FORMER MILITARY CHIEF TO HEAD PEACE 
        PROCESS 
     ¶D. MANILA 1177: PACOM COMMANDER AND AMBASSADOR CALL 
        ON NEW ARMED FORCES CHIEF 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: During a June 11 private breakfast with the 
Ambassador, Philippine Armed Forces Chief of Staff General 
Alexander Yano cited as major challenges over the next three 
months the stalled peace process with Muslim insurgents, a 
recent increase in violence and bombings, upcoming elections 
in Muslim Mindanao, the recent kidnapping of a popular 
television journalist by the Abu Sayyaf Group, and the 
upcoming typhoon season.  In an echo of his strong emphasis 
on ethics and personal responsibility, Yano discussed his 
recent meeting with some of the soldiers who remain in 
custody after being convicted for their participation in the 
plot to overthrow the government of President Arroyo in July 
2003, telling them they must "face the consequences" of their 
actions.  Yano also offered that the New People's Army was 
becoming more criminal than ideological in nature, as 
indicated by their recent actions against commercial 
establishments in Mindanao.  Yano also reaffirmed his 
commitment to hunting down terrorists and other high-value 
individuals.  END SUMMARY. 
 
------------------ 
CURRENT CHALLENGES 
------------------ 
 
¶2. (C) In a June 11 private breakfast with the Ambassador, 
newly appointed Philippine Armed Forces Chief of Staff 
Alexander Yano (ref d) cited issues that he considered among 
his top immediate challenges.  Yano was concerned about the 
pullout of the Malaysian contingent from the International 
Monitoring Team and its impact on the stalled peace process 
with Muslim insurgents.  Yano, the first native of Mindanao 
to serve in this position, expressed his desire for a lasting 
peace agreement.  He spoke positively of his previous 
experience as chairman of the Coordinating Committee on the 
Cessation of Hostilities, the panel overseeing the ceasefire 
with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).  He said he 
considered the ceasefire committee an effective body, and 
noted that it enabled him to get to know many of the key MILF 
leaders, many of whom he considered sensible and committed to 
achieving a lasting peace.  Yano added that he and his 
predecessor, General Esperon, who now serves as the 
Presidential Advisor on the Peace Process (ref c), are 
strongly committed to the peace process and understand the 
need for continuing progress.  But the situation would become 
increasingly difficult if the lack of progress in peace talks 
continued, especially given the rogue MILF and terrorist 
elements who were outside of the MILF leadership's control. 
Yano found himself in the position of "hoping for the best, 
but preparing for the worst" in dealing with the security 
situation in Mindanao.  Given that the peace process is 
central to the U.S. strategy to separate a few dozen 
significant terrorists from 12,000 insurgents in southern 
Philippines (ref a), the Ambassador reiterated to General 
Yano the USG's strong interest in and support for a 
negotiated settlement. 
 
¶3. (C) General Yano also voiced concerned about the recent 
kidnapping of well-known ABS-CBN television journalist Ces 
Drilon and her camera crew by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) (ref 
b).  Yano expressed concern about Drilon's fate and said the 
AFP was actively involved in efforts to resolve this incident 
peacefully, but also voiced frustration about journalists 
traveling in a dangerous, isolated area of Mindanao against 
the advice of military and law enforcement officials.  While 
he understood that journalists had a right to track stories 
wherever they might lead, now he and the military would have 
to spend considerable time and resources in trying to solve 
the problem. 
 
¶4. (C) General Yano spoke of his recent visit with some of 
the soldiers who remain in custody after being convicted for 
their participation in the plot to overthrow the government 
of President Arroyo in July 2003.  According to Yano, the 
 
MANILA 00001432  002 OF 002 
 
 
soldiers emphasized that they meant no disrespect to the 
military and that they truly "loved" the Army.  In keeping 
with his strong emphasis on ethics and respect for civilian 
authority on the part of the military, General Yano told the 
Ambassador that on the advice of his lawyer he did not 
discuss any possible plea agreement with the soldiers and 
stressed to them that they must "face the consequences" of 
their actions. 
 
---------------------------------- 
NEW POSITION, NEW RESPONSIBILITIES 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) General Yano reaffirmed his commitment to hunting down 
high value targets using targeted military operations coupled 
with civil-military activities and agreed with the Ambassador 
this combination of "hard" and "soft" power was instrumental 
in the on-going success against terrorist elements in 
Mindanao.  Yano added that gaining and maintaining the good 
will of the local populace in these regions, which were once 
considered safe havens for terrorists, is the most productive 
method of mitigating support for terrorism.  General Yano 
also informed the Ambassador that he will soon accompany 
President Arroyo on a three-day trip to eastern Mindanao to 
assess recent activities attributed to the communist New 
People's Army (NPA) in that region.  In an aside, Yano noted 
that while he has a strong relationship with Secretary of 
National Defense Teodoro, he has no track record with 
President Arroyo and this upcoming trip would be an important 
opportunity. General Yano and the Ambassador concurred that 
recent alleged NPA activity in Mindanao indicate that the NPA 
is becoming more of a criminal gang using extortion and 
kidnapping as a way to generate income, as opposed to an 
ideologically driven organization seeking political change. 
 
¶6. (C) In addition to expressing appreciation for his recent 
meetings with U.S. counterpart Admiral Mullen and PACOM 
Commander Admiral Keating shortly after assuming his new 
position (ref d), General Yano thanked the Ambassador for the 
ongoing visit of the USNS MERCY and its successful 
humanitarian missions in Samar, a region which he said has 
unfortunately been neglected in the past.  The Ambassador 
thanked him for his support of the USNS MERCY visit and 
informed him that a recent helicopter shooting incident, 
which is still being investigated, did not have any 
significant impact on USNS MERCY's humanitarian activities. 
 
 
¶7. (C) During the breakfast, General Yano reaffirmed his 
previous public comments that he would ensure Philippine 
military personnel adhere to a strict code of conduct, with 
no tolerance for favoritism.  He explained that he would be 
traveling more throughout the  Philippines in the near future 
to meet with his commanders in the field.  Despite knowing 
some of them as classmates at the Philippine Military Academy 
and many of them throughout his Army career, General Yano 
commented that, in his new position, he would have to treat 
his former colleagues "differently."  He emphasized that his 
younger brother Cesar, a Colonel in the Philippine Army, can 
expect "no special favors or treatment" from him. 
 
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COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶8. (C) General Yano, the eldest son of two public school 
teachers, is a firm believer in public service and has 
consistently professed an allegiance to the rule of law since 
his appointment as Armed Forces Chief of Staff.  Instilled 
with a strict sense of discipline from his parents at an 
early age, General Yano appears willing to take on what some 
see as pervasive graft and corruption in the military.  Thus 
far, his private comments have matched his public statements 
regarding respect for human rights and maintaining integrity 
in the Armed Forces. 
KENNEY