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O 290820Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5300
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 002055 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MTS 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL RP
SUBJECT:  TWO U.S. SERVICEMEMBERS KILLED IN ROADSIDE 
EXPLOSION ON JOLO ISLAND 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Two U.S. Joint Special Operations Task 
Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P) servicemembers on the island 
of Jolo were killed in a roadside explosion on the 
morning of September 29 as they traveled in an armored 
vehicle with Philippine military personnel to support 
humanitarian projects.  Following receipt of this tragic 
news, FBI's Legal Attache office and NCIS dispatched 
teams to assist in the investigation.  Early available 
reports indicate that the explosion was caused by an 
Improvised Explosive Device (IED), and it is unclear 
whether the explosion was specifically directed at U.S. 
forces, who are not allowed by the Philippine 
Constitution to engage in combat operations.  No group 
has claimed responsibility for this attack, although the 
terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group and other criminal groups are 
known to operate on the island.  The attack comes two 
weeks after unidentified assailants conducted a non-fatal 
ambush against an AFP and U.S. supply convoy at the Jolo 
City pier.  Names of the two U.S. personnel killed are 
being withheld pending notification of the next of kin. 
Philippine Secretary of National Defense Teodoro called 
the Ambassador to convey condolences at the loss of 
American life.  END SUMMARY 
 
EXPLOSION KILLS TWO U.S. SERVICEMEMBERS 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) A roadside explosion at approximately 0900 local 
time September 29 killed one U.S. servicemember and 
fatally injured a second.  The JSOTF-P personnel were 
transporting Philippine military personnel in a JSOTF-P 
armored vehicle between two humanitarian assistance 
sites, one of which was a school.  The explosion south of 
the village of Batong near Jolo City also killed one 
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) servicemember and 
severely injured two others.  Early JSOTF-P reports 
indicate that an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), which 
appeared to be placed outside the school gates, caused 
the explosion.  It is unclear if U.S. forces were the 
specific target of the attack.  Names of the two U.S. 
personnel killed are being withheld pending notification 
of the next of kin. 
 
MISSION SENDS TEAMS TO INVESTIGATE 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Following news of the fatal attack, FBI's Legal 
Attache office and NCIS dispatched teams to assist in the 
investigation.  JSOTF-P also dispatched personnel to 
coordinate with the AFP.  Embassy sections are continuing 
to track all available information on this attack.  The 
Mission will provide updates of the ongoing 
investigations and report septel any new developments. 
 
A RARE ATTACK ON U.S. FORCES 
---------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) While attacks against the Philippine military 
and civilians are common on Jolo, this IED attack is the 
first fatal attack against U.S. personnel since a 2002 
bombing in Zamboanga that claimed the life of a U.S. 
servicemember.  No group has thus far claimed 
responsibility.  The terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and 
other criminal groups that oppose the Philippine military 
presence on Jolo are known to operate on the island, 
often with the support of the local population.  This 
attack follows a September 14 attack by unidentified 
assailants against an AFP and U.S. resupply convoy at the 
Jolo City pier, and comes at a time of heightened 
Philippine military activity against the ASG, which has 
continued to kidnap and kill civilians throughout the 
year.  Philippine military operations against ASG rebels 
culminated in a successful but controversial September 21 
operation on the last two days of Ramadan, which 
effectively wiped out a portion of the ASG stronghold on 
Jolo. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) This tragic killing of U.S. personnel involved 
in one of many ongoing humanitarian projects on Jolo 
island could hasten a Philippine government review of the 
U.S.-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement, which the 
Philippine Senate recently urged the government to 
 
MANILA 00002055  002 OF 002 
 
 
renegotiate.  Even as the Filipino people and the 
Philippine military praise the U.S. government's 
contributions in the wake of a devastating tropical storm 
that submerged large swaths of the country, some 
politicians opposed to the U.S. presence in the 
Philippines -- and those seeking to score political 
points in advance of the May 2010 general elections -- 
may nonetheless attempt to use this tragedy to bolster 
their arguments for renegotiating the existing framework 
of U.S.-Philippines bilateral military cooperation.  Post 
will continue to monitor the situation on the island of 
Jolo and will report septel about any initial 
developments in the investigations, as well as Philippine 
government reaction to the attack. 
 
KENNEY