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WikiLeaks is an international, online, non-profit organisation which publishes secret information, news leaks, and classified media from anonymous sources.
WikiLeaks plans to publish more than 1.7 million US diplomatic and intelligence documents from the 1970s on 8 April 2013 which includes Kissinger cables.

wikipedia/

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The WikiLeaks PlusD search engine enables one to search for documents by keyword, subject, level of secrecy, and other parameters.

“(The PlusD archives) are hidden treasures, and very hard for the general public to get access to. One form of secrecy is complexity. That’s the reason why we decided to merge these files with our existing cables and put a lot of effort into making a user-friendly and accessible database,” WikiLeaks spokesperson Kristinn Hrafnsson has been quoted as saying.

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Marcos' crossdressing generals

Within 24 hours of PlusD's launch, one particular despatch from the US embassy in Manila has gone viral because of its revealing insights into the life of then president Ferdinand Marcos.

The formerly confidential despatch, labeled 1973MANILA10390_b, was sent on September 12, 1973, by then US ambassador to the Philippines Willam H. Sullivan to the Commander in Chief of the US Pacific Command.

The letter detailed the events of Marcos' birthday celebrations, which the ambassador described as "too much, too long, and in questionable taste."

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Bongbong denies 'military drag show' in 1973, but Enrile confirms it

April 11, 2013
 
Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos on Thursday belied reports that his mother, former First Lady Imelda Marcos, had forced military generals to perform a dance number dressed as women during the 1973 birthday party of then-President Ferdinand Marcos.

"I never saw anything like that,” Marcos said in a text message to GMA News. “I remember one of my father's birthdays where the generals put on a very funny skit where they played a group of people watching a movie. It was very funny."

William Sullivan, US Ambassador to the Philippines in the mid-1970s, wrote a series of blistering criticisms of Marcos Sr. and his wife Imelda in secret cables that have since been declassified and published by WikiLeaks.


Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos

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JPE's account

But in his memoir "Juan Ponce Enrile" published September last year, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who was then Defense minister, confirmed that such an event took place, even describing it as "a very embarrassing and shameful moment."

On page 392 to 393 of chapter 10 of his memoir, Enrile recounted that the six generals—Gen. Romeo Espino, then-Armed Forces chief; Gen. Fidel Ramos, then-chief of the Philippine Constabulary; Gen. Rafael Zagala, then-commanding general of the Philippine Army; Gen. Jose Rancudo, then-commanding general of the Philippine Air Force; Admiral Hilario Ruiz, then-flag officer in command of the Philippine Navy; and Gen. Fabian Ver—were indeed asked to perform wearing artificial straw skirts and high-heeled shoes.

"They had garlands around their necks and they were wearing bras to complete their costumes. Their lips were painted red with lipstick," Enrile recalled.

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WikiLeaks: Ex-US envoy doubted probe clearing Jack Enrile from murder of Navy officer's son

Kimberly Jane Tan
GMA News
April 11, 2013
 
A former US Ambassador to the Philippines had doubted the government investigation that cleared current Cagayan lawmaker and senatorial aspirant Jack Enrile in the 1975 murder of a Navy officer's son, but hinted of a possible conspiracy to sow intrigue between Enrile's father, then-Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, and then-President Ferdinand Marcos during the height of Martial Law.

In one of the cables declassified and published by WikiLeaks, William Sullivan said despite the sudden leave of absence that the elder Enrile took at the height of the issue, and despite his pronouncement that he would not try to influence the investigation on his son, his “prestige” as a member of the Marcos Cabinet “was diminished.”

"Senior Enrile's prestige was diminished and doubt was cast on his standing with Marcos when his son was charged and he went abroad. Enrile's stock now seems to be on rebound as adverse reaction to Melchor-managed purge sets in and suspicion of Melchor power grabbing permeates bureaucracy," he said.

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Contradicting sides
 
In an interview with GMA News, Fr. Robert Reyes, an uncle of the victim, claimed that his sources during the time of the incident told him that it was Jack who shot Lucas Jr.
 
Reyes said that it was over a heated argument in an exclusive party for Ateneans.
 
He said that Jack found out that Lucas Jr. was not an Atenean and asked him what he was doing in the party.
 
According to Reyes, Lucas Jr. explained that he was just checking up on his sister who was attending the party.
 
They then had a heated argument and “afterwards, Jackie goes back to the house and gets the gun from his aide and pumps a bullet into the forehead of my nephew.”

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Questionable timing?

In a text message to reporters, the younger Enrile labeled Sullivan's information as “rumors and hearsay” and questioned the timing of its release.


Congressman and senatorial candidate Jack Enrile

"Please note that Sullivan states that the basis of his report were rumors and hearsay.  I believe I have answered this before thoroughly in print, TV, radio and the internet and would like to move forward talking about my advocacies and what we together can and should do for our country and our people," he said.

Jack was suspected to have killed Lucas, who was shot in the head on September 20, 1975 during a party in Makati. However, it was his bodyguard, Sgt. Danilo Cruz, who confessed to the crime, saying he was just defending Jack.

In a separate cable dated October 7, 1975, Sullivan relayed the announcement of Chief State Prosecutor Rodolfo Nocon a day before that homicide charges would not be filed against Jack.

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JPE's account

In his memoir "Juan Ponce Enrile" published September last year, Enrile, now Senate President, called the incident "one of the most painful and jolting experiences" of his life.

He said he was in Cebu to speak during a joint meeting of four Rotary Clubs when Lucas' father, Commander Ernesto Lucas of the Philippine Navy, told him that Jack had shot his son.

"At that moment, I realized the gravity of the problem I faced. I was the secretary of national defense whose responsibility was to enforce all criminal laws, and my own son was involved in a crime. I was in quandary because I had not heard anything about the incident, and I had to contrary fact to doubt the story of Commander Lucas," he said.

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Leave of absence

He said he wanted to resign from his position to personally defend his son, but that Marcos declined his resignation. He said Marcos just advised him to take a leave of absence and allow the NBI to investigate the case. He then stayed in Japan for two weeks.

"I refrained absolutely from any involvement in the handling of their cases.  The only thing I did was to provide them with the best available defense lawyers at the time and to let the law take its course," the elder Enrile said.

Because of his sudden leave of absence, Sullivan said news of Enrile's future in the government began to float.

"When Enrile left, President Marcos took over as acting secretary of defense. Press pointed out that President had done this on several occasions before and suggested temporary of such action. There have been a number of rumors suggesting that Enrile's career as a defense secretary may be over," he said.

He said Enrile's "long run prospects [are] probably intimately tied to how and if Marcos proceeds with military purge and to steps he must take thereafter to restore loyal and moving government."

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Mora mag way kamatayon nis Iya Imelda. Aw. buhi pa man tuod gihapon...

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Bongbong denies 'military drag show' in 1973, but Enrile confirms it... continued

Travesty of justice

Even though the government's decision not to press charges against Jack paved the way for Enrile's return to the country, Sullivan said Jack's case still had an adverse effect on his father's political career.

"Despite immediately favorable disposition of Enrile Jr.'s case, Enrile's name has been tarnished somewhat and incident does provide residual weapon that could be used against him in the future," he said.

Reyes concurred with what Sullivan said in the leaked cable, noting that there has been a cover-up during the investigaton.

“There was a travesty of justice, may whitewash, may pananakot, at wala talagang matinong probe o imbestigasyon na naganap,” lamented Reyes, who is popularly known as the running priest, in a report on GMA News’ “24 Oras” Wednesday.

“Hindi ako naniniwala [na ang aide ang bumaril] kasi ang unang mga testimonya ng mga kaibigan niya si Jackie Enrile [ang bumaril kay Lucas],” he added. — with Rouchelle Dinglasan and Andrei Medina/KBK/RSJ, GMA News

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He said he was seated between Imelda and her "sheepdog," the writer Carmen Guerrero Nakpil.
 
"Four 'intellectuals' were seated opposite us, but as the dinner progressed, they were replaced in relays by other teams of four. Not one of them ever said a word, but all were allowed, between courses, to overhear ineffable expressions of wisdom," he said.
 
Sullivan was Washington's man in Manila during a period in the Cold War when America's staunchest ally in Asia was led by Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos. Sullivan's colorful and caustic cables about the so-called conjugal dictatorship were among over two million US government cables made accessible by WikiLeaks through a new search engine.

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"Eventually the prose swept into the grander vistas of a queen regent expanding plans for the future of the kingdom," he said.
 
Among the so-called plans were breaking up universities and dispersing them to the provinces, forming satellite population clusters with industrial centers of their own, and mechanizing agriculture.
 
But during this "fascinating disquisition," Sullivan said several of the professors were already distracted by the music of the orchestra and invited some of the upper middle class ladies to dance.

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"One distinguished, but decidedly inebriated UP department head approached Imelda with the same intention. After gently caressing her hand several times in an effort to gain her attention, he was led quietly away to the bar by one of the security men, who occupied two smaller round tables immediately adjacent to our dais," he said.
 
After this incident, the US ambassador said writer Adrian Cristobal, another Imelda "sheepdog," pronounced that the curfew (1 a.m.) had arrived.
 
This was when Imelda told Sullivan that he was still obviously "not on her wavelength."

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heaven forbid nga siya ang star dancer.

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Life and career

Sullivan was born in Rhode Island. As Ambassador to Laos during Project 404, he had severe disagreements with the military over the secret war in that country. General William Westmoreland and other officers felt that Sullivan severely damaged the overall war effort. In the early 1970s, Sullivan participated in peace negotiations between the United States and North Vietnam.


Deputy Minister Nguyen Co Thach shook hands with Ambassador William Sullivan (two key diplomats who were responsible for the text of the Agreement and the procedures for signing of the Paris Agreement). The second from left is Mr Le Duc Tho.

During Sullivan's tenure as Ambassador to Iran, he played an important role in communicating America's directives to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the second and last Pahlavi king.

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Throughout the revolution in Iran, Sullivan served as chief American diplomat and primary messenger between the administration of President Jimmy Carter and the Shah.

Sullivan felt strongly early on that America should abandon its support of the Shah and move to form an alliance with Khomeini. He wrote in his autobiography: "I had recommended that we accept the fact that a revolution was in progress and seek to use our not inconsiderable influence to steer its success toward its more moderate protagonists." This view, however, was not shared by Washington.


42-year-old Ambassador William H. Sullivan (1964 file photo)

As the revolution gained momentum, Sullivan became increasingly opposed to America's policy, becoming insolent and carrying out the President's directives halfheartedly or, in some instances, not at all. Carter later stated in an interview that Sullivan was "specifically insubordinate" and that he should have fired Sullivan, but was dissuaded to do so by Secretary of State Cyrus Vance.

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WikiLeaks: Imelda Marcos was a 'pest more than a guest' in US

KIMBERLY JANE TAN
GMA News
April 12, 2013
 
For all her glamor and pomp, former First Lady Imelda Marcos was seen as "a pest" in the United States, a gatecrasher who would “invite herself” to important political events and grow furious over something as trivial as gifts, according to US diplomatic cables declassified and published by WikiLeaks.

No less than then-US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger informed the US Embassy in Manila of this, through a January 31, 1976 memo where he quoted two reports on Imelda by prominent American journalist Jack Anderson on ABC's Good Morning America. 

In his January 26, 1976 report, Anderson mentioned a “foreign visitor whom the State Department hates to see."


Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger with former first lady Imelda Marcos in a meeting in Washington D.C. Dr. Kissinger was considered then as the real power behind the making of American Foreign Policy.

"She happens to be one of the world's most glamorous women. She's the first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos, a beautiful woman whose beguiling smiles charm the scowls off the world's most cantankerous leaders," he said, adding the State Department's protocol people "grit their teeth" every time Imelda shows up in the US.

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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,” Anderson wrote, as shown in Kissinger's cable. “Meanwhile, 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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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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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 “no secret” that his predecessor, Mustapha, supplied arms to Philippine guerrillas.

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“(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),” according to the cable.

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

“The 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,” 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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"(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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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 Malacañang in 1973.

The 12 apparently took pride in the gold watches.

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"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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back in 2011...

Arroyo knew husband involved in syndicates, US cable says

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

MANILA, Philippines – 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 Chargé 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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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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"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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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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