334. Telegram 4661 From the Embassy in the Philippines to the Department of State, April 14, 1975, 0842Z.1 2
April 14,
1975, 0842Z
TELEGRAM
Department of State
MANILA 4661
P R 140842Z APR 75
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA TO SECSTATE
WASHDC PRIORITY 2208
INFO AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
AMEMBASSY
KUALA LUMPUR
AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
AMEMBASSY SEOUL
AMEMBASSY
SINGAPORE
AMEMBASSY TOKYO
CINCPAC
MANILA 4661 LIMDIS
DEPT PASS WHITE HOUSE, DOD, USIA, CIA
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: PFOR, MARR, RP,
US
SUBJECT: PHILIPPINES “REASSESSING” SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS WITH US
- 1.
- ALL MAJOR MANILA NEWSPAPERS MAY 13 CARRIED BANNER HEADLINE STORIES STATING THAT PHILIPPINES IS REASSESSING ITS SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS WITH U.S. IN LIGHT U.S. “ABANDONMENT OF CAMBODIA AND VIET-NAM.” STORY WHICH QUOTES HIGH GOVERNMENT SOURCES, MAKES FOLLOWING POINTS: DELICATE BALANCE OF POWER IN ASIA SEEMS TO TEETER ON EDGE OF DANGER AND MAY HAVE BEEN WRECKED BY OCCURRENCES AND DEVELOPMENTS OF LAST SEVERAL MONTHS. HARD-HEADED REASSESSMENTS OF PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN SECURITY RELATIONS PREDICATED ON APPARENT NEW AMERICAN PERCEPTION OF ITS COMMITMENTS TO ITS ALLIES, PARTICULARLY IN ASIA: PHILIPPINES DISTURBED BY EMERGING VIEW THAT COMMITMENTS MADE BY AMERICAN PRESIDENTS ARE NOTHING MORE THAN STATEMENTS OF INTENT THAT DO NOT BIND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, THE CONGRESS, OR THE GOVERNMENT. CAMBODIA AND SOUTH VIET-NAM, LIKE THE PHILIPPINES, HAVE DEFENSE TREATIES WITH THE UNITED STATES. IN VIEW U.S. TURNABOUTS IN CAMBODIA AND SOUTH VIET-NAM, STRENGTH OF U.S. PAPER GUARANTEE TO PHILIPPINES SERIOUSLY PLACED IN QUESTION AND GOVERNMENT SOURCES DOUBT TODAY THAT SECURITY PROVISO OF MUTUAL DEFENSE TREATY WOULD BE HONORED BY U.S. WHILE WE HAVE THESE SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS WITH U.S., WE HAVE ALWAYS RELIED ON NO ONE BUT OURSELVES, AND THIS POLICY OF SELF-RELIANCE UNDERSCORES NEED TO REEXAMINE ARRANGEMENTS THAT COULD PROVE TO BE A LIABILITY, RATHER THAN ANYTHING ELSE. WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES WHETHER WE CAN CONTINUE TO BE INVOLVED IN THE CONFLICTS AND ANIMOSITIES ENGENDERED BY POLICIES THAT ARE NOT OUR OWN. WHAT IS NOW BEING UNDERTAKEN BY THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT IS AN UPDATED STUDY ON HOW USEFUL THE U.S. BASES ARE TO THE PHILIPPINES.
- 2.
- WHILE THIS OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT POSITION OWES MUCH OF ITS INSPIRATION TO GENUINE CONCERN ABOUT U.S. INTENTIONS IN ASIA, AND WHILE IT WAS DOUBTLESS INFLUENCED IN PART BY THE ATMOSPHERICS SURROUNDING CEAUCESCU VISIT, ITS MOST PROXIMATE CAUSE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN CONSPICUOUS ABSENCE ANY MENTION WHATSOEVER OF PHILIPPINES IN PRESIDENT FORD’S FOREIGN POLICY SPEECH WHICH TOUGHED ON AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, INDONESIA, SINGAPORE, JAPAN, AND SOUTH KOREA. MANY FILIPINOS, ALWAYS SENSITIVE TO U.S. UTTERANCES, HAVE INTERPRETED THIS CIRCUMSTANCE TO ASSUMPTION THAT U.S. HAS “REASSESSED” PHILIPPINES OUT OF ITS SECURITY COMMITMENTS.
- 3.
- EMBASSY WILL BE HARD PUT TO EXPLAIN U.S. POSITION WITHOUT FURTHER WASHINGTON GUIDANCE. IF OMISSION OF PHILIPPINES WAS DELIBERATE AND REPRESENTS CONCLUSION THAT U.S. MILITARY BASES, VOA INSTALLATIONS, AND OTHER FACILITIES IN THIS COUNTRY ARE VIEWED WITH DIMINISHED VALUE IN OUR NEW GLOBAL POSTURE, EMBASSY WOULD APPRECIATE INSTRUCTIONS SOONEST ON MANNER IN WHICH DEPARTMENT WISHES US TO SHARE THIS CONCLUSION WITH OUR PHILIPPINE ALLIES. IT WILL BE APPRECIATED THAT CAREFUL PLANNING WILL BE REQUIRED TO HANDLE THIS SORT OF READJUSTMENT IN AN ORDERLY WAY.
- 4.
- IF, ON THE OTHER HAND, OMISSION OF PHILIPPINES WAS INADVERTENT, EMBASSY BELIEVED CURRENT DAMAGE CAN BE CONTAINED, BUT AT SOME PREDICTABLE COST. PHILIPPINES WILL PROBABLY POSE ISSUE IN SPANISH TERMS; I.E., U.S. EITHER GIVE AN IRON-CLAD COMMITMENT GO AUTOMATIC DEFENSE OF PHILIPPINES, OR ELSE SHIFT U.S. MILITARY BASE RIGHTS TO A RENTAL ARRANGEMENT.
- 5.
- SINCE PHILIPPINE LEADERSHIP SERIOUSLY DOUBTS U.S. SENATE WILL ACCEPT AUTOMATIC DEFENSE COMMITMENT, THEIR FOCUS WILL DOUBTLESS BE ON BASE RENTALS. EMBASSY ESTIMATES SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT CAN BE WORKED OUT WITH REASONABLE GOOD WILL, AND CALCULATES COST TO U.S. WILL PROBABLY RUN IN NEIGHBORHOOD OF THREE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
- 6.
- SINCE WE CAN DOUBTLESS EXPECT OFFICIAL DEMARCHE OF SOME SORT IN NEAR FUTURE TO FOLLOW UP THIS PRESS BARRAGE, REQUEST DEPARTMENT’S VIEWS SOONEST.
SULLIVAN
- Source: National Archives, Record Group 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Confidential; Priority; Limdis. Repeated for information to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo, CINCPAC.↩
- The Embassy warned that the Philippines was reassessing its security arrangements with the United States.↩