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May 11, 2004
Council on Foreign Relations
U.S. Support Vital to Bolster Valuable Asian Partner in War on Terror, Concludes Council Special Report
May 12, 2004 - Though the final results of the May 10 elections in the Philippines are not known, the steps the new government takes will be critical to ensuring the country’s economic and political stability. A critical ally in the war on terrorism and pivotal to U.S. interests in the region, the Philippines must continue to build on the important but still fragile progress made by the Arroyo administration. “The [new Philippine] administration must move quickly to avert a fiscal crisis and to halt the influx of foreign extremists and the radicalization of Philippine Muslims that threatens to turn the southern province of Mindanao into a terrorist hub.”
This is the central finding of a Council Special Report, Challenges for a Post-Election Philippines: Issues for U.S. Policy. The report, developed in consultation with experts on the Philippines, U.S. and Philippines officials, and business leaders, was authored by Catharin E. Dalpino, a former deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, who now teaches at Georgetown University and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. An initiative of the Council’s Center for Preventive Action (CPA), the report acknowledges the improved economic indicators in the years of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s tenure, but warns that the country faces serious challenges on several fronts: long-term economic viability and social stability; competitiveness in the global economy; internal security; and ability to defend against growing transnational threats.
Manila has been a strong supporter of U.S. counter-terrorism policy and has fought groups that threaten Philippine and U.S. security alike. However, since the end of the Cold War, U.S. interest in the Philippines has waned, and even with the war on terrorism, that interest remains narrow. The United States needs to both broaden and deepen its attention. This report argues that the U.S. needs to take a number of specific steps to support the Philippine government in its efforts to address domestic issues and its internal security threats. “It is in the U.S. interest to encourage greater political stability and economic prosperity in the Philippines, as well as a stronger bond between the two countries....Ultimately, however, the success or failure of that effort will belong to the Philippines itself.”
Highlights of the specific recommendations made by the report include:
The Center for Preventive Action brings together representatives of governments, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, corporations and civil society to develop and implement practical and timely strategies for promoting peace. The CPA focuses on conflicts that affect U.S. interests. The CPA has developed a new process to respond quickly to emerging crises. The Council Special Report brings together Council members, other experts, and officials from concerned countries to develop and recommend immediate actions designed to deal with emerging situations and prevent violence from starting, or to contain initial hostilities from escalating. Recommendations are disseminated to local and external actors with a stake in the conflict.
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