Communist Insurgency in the Philippines (catch all)

**Dayuhan** · 01-08-2013

A few times in the past I've made the point that the most important security-related challenge facing the Philippine Government is not confronting the NPA, the MILF, or the Abu Sayyaf, but cleaning up its own security services. This little vignette illustrates why:

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/336805/...uthern-tagalog

This story broke a few days ago: a van and an SUV were stopped at a checkpoint and fired on police and military operatives; all 13 occupants of the vehicles were killed on the spot (no wounded, no survivors, nobody taken to a hospital). The dead were immediately described as members of a criminal syndicate.

Then it got more complicated: it turned out that among the dead were 3 policemen, one of them a Superintendent (equivalent to a military Colonel), and either 1 or 3 military personnel (one confirmed, 2 others may or may not have been carrying false ID).

The complications are escalating: it's now claimed that the people killed were members and protectors of a major illegal gambling syndicate, and that the people at the checkpoint were associated with a rival syndicate. There's also talk that a large amount of cash was being transported in the vans, though none was reported recovered.

Perhaps significantly, there's very little public surprise at all this: it's simply accepted, all over the country, that virtually every kind of organized crime in the Philippines operates with some degree of official collusion. It's well known, for example, that criminals, rebels, and terrorists typically acquire their arms and ammunition by buying them from the police... yet how many military and police officers have ever been prosecuted for disappearance of arms and ammunition?

This to me raises some questions about US aid to and cooperation with the Philippine security services... we talk about "capacity building", but what capacity are we talking about? Not saying that every apple in the barrel is rotten, but until the ones that aren't rotten stop looking the other way and and take action against the one that are, I can't see how progress is going to be made.

**Bill Moore** · 01-08-2013

Posted by Dayuhan

This to me raises some questions about US aid to and cooperation with the Philippine security services... we talk about "capacity building", but what capacity are we talking about? Not saying that every apple in the barrel is rotten, but until the ones that aren't rotten stop looking the other way and and take action against the one that are, I can't see how progress is going to be made.

This is a point several have made, especially Bob's World. In many cases our assistance, both training and financial aid, simply reinforces bad behavior, but if our goal is retain access and influence then maybe we get what we actually want (realpolitik), then progress is made? If we want to actually address corruption I suspect we would have to step back and completely re-evaluate how we provide assistance.