32. Telegram From the Embassy in the Philippines to the Department of State1
25839. Subject: AIDS: Base Commanders and Mission Officers Meet with Secretary of Health.
1. (U) At the request of Secretary of Health Bengzon, representatives from Clark, Subic, the Embassy and DFA met with a number of Department of Health officials on August 10 to discuss AIDS. Clark AB was represented by CABCOM Col. Go, 13th AF General Snyder, Col. Haydon, Col. Rosenberg, Major Boyd and Capt. Gustin. Subic representatives included SUBCOM General Tadiar and PolMilOff Capt. Atwell. Consul General Krieg and PolMilOff Martin attended from the Em-bassy. Olongapo and Angeles City health officials were also present as was Melba Lim from DFA’s American Desk.
2. (U) The briefing began with an update of the GOP’s HIV antibody test program (through July 30, 1987). Over 58,000 tests were administered, 90 percent to prostitutes and 1.5 percent to homosexuals. 66 percent of the tests administered to prostitutes (several individuals were tested more than once) were in the Olongapo/Angeles area. 46 out of 50 individuals who tested seropositive were prostitutes (40 in Olongapo and Angeles) while 3 were homosexuals. (Comment: We note that the incidence of infections therefore were .086 percent for prostitutes and .34 percent for gays.)
3. (U) The briefer then addressed what needed to be done, including rehabilitation/support for infected individuals, a better education campaign, distribution of condoms and the provision of statistics on screening and “contacts” of US servicemen on the bases. He concluded that major efforts needed to be made, some with government funding but most at the local level.
4. (U) In the discussion that followed, General Tadiar said the GOP’s Department of Health should move quickly on its own to establish a program of care and alternate employment for infected prostitutes while the problem was still small and manageable rather than trying to get others to fund it. He was concerned that infected individuals were still working as hospitality girls and increasing the risk of further spread of AIDS.
5. (U) Representatives from the U.S. facilities reiterated DOD policy of AIDS testing of all personnel assigned abroad and our prompt [Page 84] removal of any individual testing positive. They added that specific figures on the number of individuals involved could not be released due to Privacy Act and DOD policy considerations. In response to a query, U.S. reps agreed to obtain information regarding testing of civilian workers at the bases.
6. (U) Secretary Bengzon said that the issue is not merely a public health problem but a social problem with political overtones due to the number of infected individuals near the bases. Bengzon believed the health problem was being handled adequately but that more work was needed on the social/political aspects. He wondered whether alternate employment could be found since the girls were in the business for the money and similar wages were unlikely elsewhere. He said a rehabilitation program would be a bottomless pit. He felt the solution to the public health aspect of the issue was resolution socially and politically within the local community where the problem is encountered. He added that unless the AIDS problem is addressed, there will be reverberations elsewhere. He said people from the bases are involved (in causing the problem) and so must be part of the solution, perhaps showing concern by contributing to its resolution. He concluded by saying the GOP is looking for a way to resettle those who tested positive, but the program lacks funding.
7. (C) Comment: It was apparent from the meeting and the focus of the AIDS testing program that the GOP is concentrating on the prostitute population outside the bases rather than the gay community which is large and active. The DOH officials did concede that all seven active AIDS cases in the country were “imported” by Filipinos returning from abroad or foreigners (not AmCits) living here. Consul General Krieg expressed concern to Secretary Bengzon after the meeting that if the GOP was seriously concerned about the health threat, it ought to shift more focus to the homosexual and addict communities where experience has shown the disease to be most prevalent.
8. (C) We expect pressure to continue for a U.S. financial role in the anti-AIDS program. We will continue to be responsive to Bengzon’s constructive views. USAID has excellent working relations with him and is jointly implementing a number of programs with his Department. At the same time, we will seek togcyhetn [garble]. [No additional pages of this telegram were found.]
- Source: Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, D870674–0267. Confidential. Also sent to USCINCPAC, COMUSNAVPHIL Subic Bay, and Clark Air Force Base.↩