Author Topic: Wikileaks-sourced Philippine news and reactions (Read 4421 times)

islander · « **Reply #40 on:** April 13, 2013, 11:49:44 AM »

Meeting with the Fords

An earlier memo by Kissinger said that Imelda was in Washington on November 19, 1975 to serve as a keynote speaker at the World Population Conference. She and her daughter, Imee, even had tea with Betty Ford, wife of former US President Gerald Ford, at the White House on the same day.

Imelda then stayed in New York for a few more days until her November 21 flight to Madrid to attend Franco's funeral.

"She likes the pomp and ceremony of such international occasions,â€ Anderson wrote, as shown in Kissinger's cable. â€œMeanwhile, she asked to be received at the White House. There was a bickering over schedules but a 45-minute tea break was arranged with Betty Ford."

He said when Imelda showed up at the White House, she was held at the gate because the guards were not notified about her arrival.

Former first ladies Betty Ford and Imelda Marcos

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islander · « **Reply #41 on:** April 13, 2013, 11:51:34 AM »

"She was furious,â€ Anderson said. â€œThen, President Ford neglected to drop by to greet her at the tea session. She became more furious."

Anderson also said that when Imelda and Betty exchanged gifts, Imelda was "so disappointed" with her gift that she left it behind. "She was literally sputtering with rage, according to my sources, when she [flew] back to the Philippines," he said.

Aside from this, Kissinger also quoted a January 30, 1976 report by Anderson about how the Marcos family and their "rich friends" bought all the copies of the Cosmopolitan magazine issue in the Philippines, which listed Imelda as one of the 10 richest women in the world.

"Now, this is quite an achievement for a working girl who was an airline stewardess only a few years ago. Then she married Ferdinand Marcos and he became president of the Philippines. Well, their sudden rise to riches is not a story they want to advertise in the Philippines. They didn't want to censure Cosmopolitan magazine. That would have attracted attention to the story and would have led to bad, world-wide publicity," he said.

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islander · « **Reply #42 on:** April 13, 2013, 11:53:27 AM »

Gatecrasher?

Other instances of Imelda's alleged misbehavior at international events were also mentioned in other diplomatic cables.

A US Embassy cable dated April 30, 1974 mentioned Imelda's "grandstanding" in Hong Kong when she commented about the relationship between China and the Philippines.

Another cable dated October 25, 1974 also hinted how then-US Ambassador to the Philippines William Sullivan disliked Imelda's visits to the US.

He said Imelda has "all sorts of interests [regarding her visits] which are far from reconciled."

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islander · « **Reply #43 on:** April 13, 2013, 12:02:57 PM »

"We are doing nothing at this end to stimulate hopes for meeting with [the] President, and that he will be out of [the] country for [a] good portion of her visit," Sullivan said of that specific visit.

A December 23, 1976 cable also quoted Sullivan as warning the US State Department about Imelda's claim that she was invited to the inauguration of then newly elected US President Jimmy Carter.

"It is conceivable that [the] invitation story may have surfaced [in Philippine media] in expectation [that the] US government would be reluctant [to] embarrass Mrs. Marcos if she insisted on attending [the] inauguration," he said.

Sullivan also said that it should be recalled how Imelda "attempted to invite herself" to the inauguration of former US President Richard Nixon in 1968 and to the dedication of the Sydney Opera House "where she made [an] effort to upstage the Queen." â€” KBK, GMA News

Imelda Attends the Opening of the Sydney Opera House

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islander · « **Reply #44 on:** April 13, 2013, 12:27:55 PM »

WikiLeaks: Libya used Sabah to arm PHL Moro rebels in 1970s

April 12, 2013

Sabah had played a big role in the rise of the Muslim secessionist movement in Mindanao in the 1970s when it was used as conduit in the smuggling of arms from Libya to southern Philippines, according to declassified cables published by WikiLeaks.

According to two cables, former Sabah chief minister Tun Mustapha facilitated the arms smuggling from Libya, then ruled by military dictator Muammar Gaddafi, to Mindanao to arm Moro rebels there in the hope that it will force the Philippines to abandon its claim to Sabah.

A cable dated April 17, 1976, quoted then-Sabah chief minister Tun Fuad as saying that it was â€œno secretâ€ that his predecessor, Mustapha, supplied arms to Philippine guerrillas.

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islander · « **Reply #45 on:** April 13, 2013, 12:28:45 PM »

â€œHe said it was no secret that his predecessor, former chief minister Tun Mustapha, had been running guns and money from Libya's Gaddafi to the Philippine guerrillas,â€ according to the secret cable written by an unnamed American Embassy official in Kuala Lumpur.

The official reported that â€œassistance has been provided to Filipino Muslim insurgents directly by Mustapha, by Libya and perhaps other Arab countries through Mustapha, and there is evidence of GOM (Government of Malaysia) agencies collaborating with Mustapha.â€

The official added that Mustapha seemed to have resorted to arms smuggling following reports that then-Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos was training Muslims to invade Sabah, a disputed territory. This project failed and eventually led to the killing of 68 to 200 young Moros on March 18, 1968, an event now known as the Jabidah Massacre.

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islander · « **Reply #46 on:** April 13, 2013, 12:30:09 PM »

â€œ(Government of Malaysia's) involvement in the southern Philippines was triggered by evidence in 1968-89 that president Marcos was training Muslims for infiltration of Sabah (the Jabidah affair),â€ according to the cable.

The official also said the Sabah government would not stop arms smuggling unless Marcos gives up the Sabah claim.

â€œThe mission feels that while present Kuala Lumpur government may be less inclined to condone direct assistance to Moro rebels, the government of Malaysia (Mustapha) will not give up possibility of extending such assistance until President Marcos publicly and categorically abandons Philippine claim to Sabah,â€ according to the cable.

more at http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/303584/news/nation/wikileaks-libya-used-sabah-to-arm-phl-moro-rebels-in-1970s

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islander · « **Reply #47 on:** April 13, 2013, 12:42:21 PM »

WikiLeaks: Moro Islamic Liberation Front had underestimated Aquino

April 12, 2013

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which would later praise President Aquino's leadership on the peace process, had doubted his ability to "understand the complexities" of the Mindanao conflict as he was nearing victory in the 2010 elections, according to a confidential US embassy cable to Washington DC in February 2010.

The cable, written by US Charge d'Affaires Leslie Bassett, was one of some two million confidential communications by US diplomats made accessible by a new WikiLeaks search engine for state department archives.

MILF leaders lamented that none of the presidential candidates in 2010 appeared to take the peace process seriously, but only then-Senator Aquino was singled out for criticism by name.

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islander · « **Reply #48 on:** April 13, 2013, 12:43:53 PM »

"(The peace process) is too complicated for Senator Aquino to understand," MILF peace panel member Michael Mastura was quoted by the embassy cable as saying at a meeting between a US diplomat and the MILF in February 2010.

Mohagher Iqbal, MILF Peace Panel Chairman, was also at the meeting, which took place in Mastura's house in Cotabato City during the final months of the national political campaign when then-frontrunner Noynoy Aquino was being attacked by his critics as a mentally unstable intellectual lightweight.

Just months after Aquino's victory, Iqbal would begin engaging in secret peace negotiations initiated by Aquino, culminating in the Bangsamoro peace pact. The "framework agreement," signed in Malacanang in October 2012, is considered one of the crowning glories of the first half of Aquino's six-year term.

more at http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/303392/news/nation/wikileaks-moro-islamic-liberation-front-had-underestimated-aquino

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islander · « **Reply #49 on:** April 13, 2013, 01:40:10 PM »

'Omega 12' behind Marcos' martial law - US envoy

by Jojo Malig
ABS-CBN News.com
04/12/2013

MANILA - Twelve military officers personally handpicked by then President Ferdinand Marcos implemented Martial Law during his regime, according to a declassified diplomatic cable published online by anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks.

And contrary to a popular urban legend, Marcos gave them Omega watches, not Rolexes, said then US Ambassador to Manila William Sullivan in a December 24, 1974 confidential memo to the US State Department.

https://www.wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1974MANILA15083_b.html

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islander · « **Reply #50 on:** April 13, 2013, 01:43:35 PM »

Cable 1974MANILA15083_b, which was earlier released in the public domain by the US National Archives, identified the "Omega 12". They were:

Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile,
Philippine Constabulary chief Maj. Gen. Fidel V. Ramos,
National Intelligence Security Authority chief Maj. Gen. Fabian Ver,
Lt. Col. Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco, Jr.
Army chief Maj. Gen. Rafael Zagala,
Constabulary vice-chief Brig Gen. Tomas Diaz,
Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Espino,
Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Jose Rancudo,
Navy chief Rear Admiral Hilario Ruiz,
ISAFP chief Brig. Gen. Ignacio Paz,
Metrocom chief Brig Gen. Alfredo Montoya, and
Rizal province Constabulary head Col. Romeo Gatan.

Sullivan said Marcos gifted the 12 with personally inscribed Omega watches during a private ceremony in MalacaÃ±ang in 1973.

The 12 apparently took pride in the gold watches.

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islander · « **Reply #51 on:** April 13, 2013, 01:45:34 PM »

"The twelve had previously been rewarded and identified individually in private during September 1973 MalacaÃ±ang ceremonies when Marcos presented each of them with a personally inscribed gold watch leading them subsequently to title themselves 'The Omega Band,'" the US ambassador's memo said.

Without specifically naming them, Marcos cited the "Omega 12" during his 1973 address to the Armed Forces.

A year later, Marcos publicly acknowleged their primary contributions to martial law.

"Marcos re-emphasized his need for military in awarding medals to stalwart twelve who he said planned martial law," Sullivan said, referring to the dictator's address to the Armed Forces in December 21, 1974.

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islander · « **Reply #52 on:** April 13, 2013, 01:46:24 PM »

"Marcos chose to decorate the twelve men of defense establishment whom he described as instrumental in deciding and implementing martial law," he added.

It marked the first time that Marcos publicly singled out and thanked the members of the "Omega 12" were their role during the dictatorship.

"There is no question now that their fortunes are even more tightly tied to those of the New Society," Sullivan said.

During the ceremonies, Marcos' wife Imelda was also given a special military award "signed by her least favorite Cabinet member, Secretary of National Defense Juan Ponce Enrile, for her outstanding contributions to the New Society," the US envoy wrote.

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islander · « **Reply #53 on:** April 13, 2013, 01:58:04 PM »

Enrile and Ramos later launched an uprising against Marcos that led to the EDSA People Power revolution and the removal of the strongman from power.

Ramos would become Philippine president, beating fellow "Omega 12" member Cojuangco in the 1992 elections. Enrile would become Senate president.

Cojuangco, a cousin of former President Cory Aquino and uncle of current President Benigno Aquino III, would focus on business aside from politics. He is current chairman of San Miguel Corp.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/

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islander · « **Reply #54 on:** April 13, 2013, 05:39:43 PM »

back in 2011...

Arroyo knew husband involved in syndicates, US cable says

by Jojo Malig
abs-cbn NEWS.com
09/04/2011

MANILA, Philippines â€“ Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo knew of her husband's "heavy involvement" in smuggling and illegal gambling syndicates but refused to stop him because he got her elected as President, a US embassy cable published Friday by whistleblower group WikiLeaks alleges.

Some of the Philippines' top business leaders raised the issue before American government officials in 2005 as they feared for the worst for the country, according to cable 05MANILA2670, classified "Confidential" by US embassy Economic Counselor Robert Ludan and sent by then US ChargÃ© d'Affaires Joseph Mussomeli.

Washington Sycip, a founding partner of accounting giant SGV, told US officials that then First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo "is heavily involved in the illegal gambling or 'jueteng' networks and closely connected with major smuggling syndicates," according to the embassy memo.

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islander · « **Reply #55 on:** April 13, 2013, 05:41:37 PM »

"President Arroyo, according to Sycip, is aware of her husband's misdeeds, but she is unwilling to do anything to curb his activities because he was instrumental in marshaling campaign donations and is now keeping those supporters in line to help her maintain her grip on power," it added.

Cabinet officials were also caught in a bind. Many of their subordinates--Arroyo loyalists who were placed in key government positions--reported directly to the First Gentleman, bypassing chains of command, the cable revealed.

The memo also cited reports claiming that the President's son, Congressman Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo, "is involved in jueteng racketeering."

Sycip, described as a "long-time US embassy contact," saw the former First Gentleman "as one of the worst offenders, with a reputation for corruption seeping down to all levels of society and eroding PGMA's political standing," the cable said.

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islander · « **Reply #56 on:** April 13, 2013, 05:42:51 PM »

The memo, again quoting Sycip, said Mike Arroyo's behavior damaged the credibility of the government and affected his wife's ability to crack down on corruption.

The SGV founding partner became "increasingly pessimistic, claiming privately that corruption [under the Arroyo administration was] at its worst, surpassing even the Marcos era."

Sycip said the President also rarely followed the advice given by a special group, of which he was a member, regarding complaints about corruption in her administration.

"President Arroyo is more concerned about her ability to stay in office than developing a strategic approach to policy making, he critiqued," the cable added.

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islander · « **Reply #57 on:** April 13, 2013, 05:45:33 PM »

No confidence in Arroyo government

Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCI) President Francis Chua echoed Sycip's allegations of the then First Gentleman's involvement in syndicates, according to the June 9, 2005 memo.

Chua described Mike Arroyo as "a major problem with respect to corruption, pointing to his links to 'jueteng' and the many politicians and local officials involved in the illegal gambling racket."

Chua added that the Chinese-Filipino community was losing confidence in the government, in particular the courts.

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islander · « **Reply #58 on:** April 13, 2013, 05:46:29 PM »

"The FFCCCI maintains an internal settlement process to resolve disputes among member companies because members have so little trust in the court system. This process is being used more frequently now as an increasing number of FFCCCI members see the courts as unreliable and unpredictable because of corruption," the cable said.

"According to [Chua], the Chinese-Filipino business community encounters corruption on a regular basis in the tax bureau, customs, and other government functions... Corruption, he said, is increasingly undermining the ability of companies to operate efficiently in the RP...According to Chua, almost no business people believe the GRP's claims that its efforts are achieving results," it added.

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islander · « **Reply #59 on:** April 13, 2013, 05:47:27 PM »

"Chua said this corruption ... does make it more and more difficult to sustain economic growth," the cable said. "Capital flight is not yet a problem... [but] many of their investments are scaled back, however, from what they would be in a clean market."

US embassy officials also heard similar complaints from then Makati Business Club Director Bill Luz.

"Luz said that people should watch the rumors swirling around the first family carefully," the cable said.

"Regarding Mike Arroyo's involvement, Luz said he senses that the allegations will continue and sooner or later someone will come forward with clear evidence of wrongdoing," it added.

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islander · « **Reply #60 on:** April 13, 2013, 05:50:18 PM »

Another cable, 05MANILA2359, had also linked the husband and son of Arroyo to illegal gambling syndicates.

The memo, dated May 23, 2005, said all that it would take then to oust Arroyo from power then was "for one credible witness--like Governor Chavit Singsong [sic] in the Estrada case--to go public."

"However, there is little enthusiasm for a new impeachment process that could constitutionally bump up Vice President Noli De Castro as President, despite a fairly widespread belief in elite circles that the Arroyos are indeed directly linked to jueteng payoffs," it added.

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islander · « **Reply #61 on:** April 13, 2013, 05:51:30 PM »

"The likelihood either of stamping out or legalizing jueteng remains low; too many powerful people benefit," said the embassy cable also sent Mussomeli.

In earlier statements to media, the former First Gentleman and his son, Mikey, have denied all allegations of wrongdoing during the previous administration.

Business leaders quoted by the embassy cables, meanwhile, have yet to confirm the confidential statements made public by WikiLeaks.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/-depth/

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