US reiterates support for RP gov’t

The United States expressed support yesterday for the Philippine government, saying that reports about alleged US intelligence assessments and spying activities on Philippine officials were "distorted."

US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Paul Jones said the distorted reports will not diminish Washington’s support for the country.

"We have a very important relationship here that focuses on substantive issues like terrorism, including our assistance to the government and to the private sector on creating economic opportunities here. So we have a very close and supportive relationship with the government here and I don’t think these reports in the press would diminish that," Jones said.

Acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Edsel Custodio said it was necessary to summon Jones, the highest US official in the country, to clarify purported embassy documents leaked to the media.

Jones told Custodio at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that the press reports presented "a distorted picture of relationships that we very highly value with political leaders here in the Philippines."

Jones, who was with US Embassy acting Deputy Chief of Mission Scott Bellard, reiterated the embassy’s policy of neither confirming nor denying alleged US intelligence reports, including a document purportedly linking former President Fidel Ramos to destabilization plots against President Arroyo.

He said he could not discuss in detail the alleged reports because of the ongoing criminal investigation and espionage cases filed in the US against former Philippine National Police official Michael Ray Aquino and former Federal Bureau of Investigation intelligence analyst Leandro Aragoncillo.

"I can’t get into that. There’s a very serious ongoing criminal investigation into allegations that classified documents were passed in the US outside of government hands," Jones said.

Asked if the documents exist, Jones declined to comment. "I think I have to leave it at that," he said.

Jones said he and Custodio had a substantial agenda during their meeting, which touched on the capture of terrorists as well as upcoming visits to Manila by officials of the United States Agency for International Development and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Eric John this month.

The US officials are set to have an open dialogue with DFA officials during their visit.

"The main point I want to convey is that we have a very substantial agenda. We work very closely with the government of the Philippines and the story that you’re talking about, I can understand the interest in it. It’s not what we focus on every day in our embassy nor in Washington, because what we focus on is more on our strategic relationship with the government here," Jones said.

Custodio, for his part, said Jones told him he would speak to Ramos about the report. He said he specifically asked Jones why Ramos was mentioned in the documents about a destabilization plot against the Arroyo administration, and Jones said the reports were all distorted.

Jones said the substance of RP-US relations is best seen when various personnel from the two countries work together in different fora on counterterrorism, and in terms of economic, trade and socio-economic agenda.

Ramos earlier challenged Washington to publicly clarify an alleged report of the US Embassy linking him to a destabilization plot against the President.

Embassy Press Attaché Matthew Lussenhop said he would not react publicly to the statement and the challenge issued by Ramos last Sunday, adding it would be better to let a senior embassy official discuss the matter with Ramos.

Meanwhile, Malacañang flatly denied a report that Mrs. Arroyo was preparing exit scenarios should the political and economic situation deteriorate.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita did not elaborate, merely saying Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo was on an official mission to the US.

Romulo attended a meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York last Monday, where a resolution was passed pressing Syria to cooperate in the investigation of the Feb. 14 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.

He met with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on the sidelines of the UNSC meeting. Before going to New York, Romulo went to Washington where he discussed bilateral ties and the Philippines’ counterterrorism efforts with John Negroponte, US director for national intelligence and a former ambassador to the Philippines.

"I’m sure (Romulo) will get US support for the country. But he is there for other scenarios," Ermita said. — With Aurea Calica