VZCZCXRO0970
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHML #1837/01 2140808
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 010808Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1471
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IMMEDIATE
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 001837 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DOJ FOR ICITAP 
DEPT FOR EAP, INL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/04/2018 
TAGS: MARR PGOV PHUM PINR PINS PREL PTER RP SNAR
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR, NATIONAL POLICE CHIEF DISCUSS HUMAN 
RIGHTS, PEACE PROCESS, RESOURCE CHALLENGES 
 
REF: 2007 MANILA 3800 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C)  SUMMARY:  Over a July 31 working breakfast with 
Philippine National Police (PNP) Director, Gen. Avelino 
"Sonny" Razon, Ambassador discussed extrajudicial killings 
(EJKs), the peace process in the southern Philippines, and 
the challenges that lie ahead for the Philippines' police 
force.  Razon underscored the PNP's commitment to continued 
progress on EJKs and respect for human rights, and expressed 
profound appreciation for USG assistance in law enforcement 
training and for contributions toward the peace process. 
While acknowledging progress in the search for a lasting 
peace in the southern Philipines, Razon was frank in his 
assessment of the significant challenges that lie ahead.  The 
PNP Director outlined the need for additional police 
personnel and resources, and he described innovative 
approaches to addressing the problem in the short term.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (C)  The breakfast conversation opened with a discussion 
of Razon's upcoming mandatory retirement; the PNP chief will 
step down at the end of September, and likely assume another 
security-related position in the Arroyo administration 
cabinet.  The Ambassador thanked the PNP Director for the 
excellent security his officers have provided the Embassy 
during his tenure.  In turn, Razon expressed his appreciation 
for U.S.-Philippine intelligence cooperation, which he 
asserted had greatly improved PNP intelligence capacity 
across the board, including maritime police charged with 
interdicting smugglers, illegal foreign fishing vessels, and 
terrorist elements.  Razon went on to say how satisfied the 
PNP was with the results of the USG-funded Model Police 
Station program, which he viewed as a significant success in 
the 10 cities where it has been developed to date. 
 
¶3. (C)  Conversation turned to Philippine President Gloria 
Macapagal Arroyo's July 28 State of the Nation Address (SONA) 
in Quezon City, which was marked by traditional protests 
staged by a broad array of leftist and anti-administration 
groups.  The Ambassador complimented Razon on the 
professionalism and restraint shown by Philippine police, who 
refused to be provoked by rowdy demonstrators.  Razon 
responded that although the scale and strident tone of 
demonstrations had surprised him, the PNP was determined from 
the outset not to provide media with any images of police 
clashing with protesters.  Continuing with the theme of 
improvement in PNP human rights training, the Ambassador 
commented on the impressive work of Task Force Usig, which is 
dedicated to addressing the problem of extrajudical killings 
(EJKs).  Acknowledging the Ambassador's kind words, Razon 
stressed that while improvement in EJK statistics was 
encouraging, "it shouldn't be a question of numbers," because 
extrajudicial killings at any level were simply unacceptable 
in a democratic society. 
 
¶4. (C)  The Ambassador recalled the efficient and bloodless 
manner in which PNP Special Weapons and Tactics squads, 
supported by some 1,500 loyal soldiers and marines, had 
suppressed the November 29, 2007, coup attempt by military 
officers at the Peninsula Hotel, in Manila's upscale Makati 
business district.  (Military officers on trial for the July 
2003 "Oakwood Mutiny" walked out of court and marched to the 
luxurious Peninsula, where they fired on police forces for 
several hours prior to surrendering to authorities.  See 
reftel.)  Razon responded that the rebellion, which had been 
staged to appear spontaneous, had in fact obviously been 
planned long in advance, as evidenced by mutineers' proactive 
deployment of snipers to strategic locations.  The PNP 
Director bemoaned how, in this instance, the PNP had been 
caught flat-footed with regard to intelligence information 
beforehand, noting that even reporters had checked into the 
hotel and set up their cameras in expectation of the event. 
Recalling how coup-attempt leaders had capitulated soon after 
a PNP armored vehicle -- invulnerable to mutineer snipers -- 
crashed through the hotel's doors and drove into the lobby, 
Razon expressed relief that the uprising had been handled 
quickly before the situation could spin out of control. 
 
¶5. (C)  Turning to the subject of recently-renewed peace 
negotiations between the government and MILF separatists, 
Razon thanked the Ambassador for what the U.S. has done in 
Mindanao in support of the peace process.  Director Razon 
went on to say that the PNP stood ready to provide adequate 
security for elections scheduled for August 11 in the 
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).  Razon reflected 
 
MANILA 00001837  002 OF 002 
 
 
on how, when he was deployed to Jolo Island on his first 
assignment, government forces could hardly travel outside 
Jolo City.  The situation now was much improved, but security 
of Jolo still posed a problem.  Razon lamented the way in 
which police became unavoidably ensnared in feuds among clan 
chiefs and warlords who still exercised control in many 
areas, and he postulated that more frequent rotation of 
officers assigned to Jolo might help address the problem. 
 
 
¶6. (C)  Looking ahead, Razon asserted that the PNP needed at 
least 45,000 additional officers nationwide, and that the 
shortage of well-trained police in Jolo and elsewhere in the 
southern Philippines would be particularly significant in the 
future.  He outlined stopgap measures being undertaken to 
address the problem in the short term.  Police officers are 
being withdrawn from clerical jobs, and Razon is studying the 
possibility of contracting security for the PNP's Camp Crame 
headquarters to a private company.  Razon said that he was 
even considering dissolving PNP musical bands in order to 
mobilize their members to the field.  The PNP chief 
underscored how USG-provided police training would be crucial 
to achieving PNP goals in heretofore conflict-affected areas 
of the southern Philippines, and opined that police-military 
cooperation would likewise be key to continued progress. 
 
¶7. (C)  COMMENT:  A key figure in the Arroyo administration, 
General Razon has been a close and trusted interlocutor to 
the Embassy.  Embassy contacts in Arroyo's inner circle 
speculate that after stepping down as PNP chief, Razon may 
assume duties as head of the government's National 
Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), a position for which 
he would appear to be eminently well-qualified.  We look 
forward to continuing to work with Razon as the peace process 
moves ahead, terrorist elements are marginalized, and 
civilian authorities assume many public-security 
responsibilities that until now have often fallen on military 
personnel.  END COMMENT. 
KENNEY