US slashes AFP aid to RP, cites corruption, killings

By Michaela P. del Callar

03/07/2008

Manila---The United States has slashed its development and military assistance to the Philippines from $116.6 million in 2008 to $99.2 million in 2009, citing corruption and extra-judicial killings as reasons, a report yesterday said.

In its 2009 congressional budget justification report for East Asia and the Pacific, the State Department said the aid for the Philippines “represents an overall decrease from the FY 2008 level.”

It said although the Philippines “has achieved significant peace, development, and

and security enforcement gains, armed conflict, widespread corruption, weak rule of law, extra-judicial killings, and poor economic competitiveness continue to undermine the effectiveness of governance and create conditions that terrorists seek to exploit.”

Nearly all international reports on the Philippines from various international agencies and groups all point to widespread corruption in the Philippine government, weak rule of law and extra-judicial killings.

Also in a report posted in its website, Philippine News said there will be “less funding for peace and security efforts and investing in people, which will be reinforced by ongoing joint Philippine-U.S. programs.”

However, funding will still be given “to promote democracy and human rights through improved governance, judicial reform, and greater efficiency in election administration.”

The military suffered its biggest cut in aid, as the US aid budget was slashed in half.

For 2009, US development assistance to the Philippines will increase to $56.7 million in FY 2009, up from $27.3 million in FY 2008, but military aid will suffer the deepest cut, at $15 million, or half of the FY 2008 figure of $30 million for Foreign Military Financing (FMF), Philippine News said.

FMF assistance goes to the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine Defense Reform Initiative.

The report said the U.S. can best help the Philippines in peace and security efforts by supporting the institutional, long-term Philippine Defense Reform program, and sustaining counter-terrorism capability and key support and logistics functions.

“Assistance on International Military Education and Training (Imet) of AFP officers in the U.S. will increase from $1.47 million to $1.7 million in FY 2009. The International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement (Incle) assistance program to the Philippine National Police will be raised slightly, from $4.5 million to $4.6 million,” the report said.

But child survival and health assistance aid will be slashed to $20 million in FY 2009, down from $24.9 million.

The report, meanwhile, noted that the “Philippines is on the frontlines in the war on terror,” adding the government “is currently engaged in its most sustained and successful operation against the al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf Group, while keeping Jemaah Islamiya terrorists on the run.”

It also cited increased support in areas of governance, democracy and economic growth for the Philippines and Indonesia , calling them “partners in East Asia in its global anti-terrorism war.”

Over the recent years, the US military has been providing technical assistance, financial support and training to the military to combat terrorism.

US and Philippine military cooperation has led to the capture and death of top Abu Sayyaf leaders such as Khaddafy Janjalani. The Abu Sayyaf is said to have links with Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network.