The Washington Times said the Philippines was an "unreliable ally" in the anti-terror campaign, citing the major jailbreak last Saturday of 53 inmates — including several suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits — from a Basilan jail.
In an editorial, the right-wing US daily said the Philippines has a "major problem of keeping terrorists behind bars" and the country’s lingering terrorism threat "will not be solved until there is more direct US involvement" in Manila’s ongoing campaign on terrorism, including direct military action against terrorist groups.
"The inability of the Philippine security apparatus to hold terrorists is embarrassing for a nation that the Bush administration has named a major non-NATO ally, status which gives Manila priority for military assistance. But worse than that, an unreliable ally against terror is risky," the paper said.
The US daily also cited last year’s embarrassing escape of Indonesian Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi and two Abu Sayyaf suspects from Camp Crame. Terror suspects are freed by the courts on technicalities, the newspaper added.
"In June 2001, the entire leadership of the Abu Sayyaf was cornered in a hospital but fled through the back door after soldiers there were ordered away by their commanding officers. Bribes to the military or police were suspected in every instance, but serious punishments were not levied for any."
The Times was referring to the hostage crisis in Lamitan, Basilan, during which several military officers were allegedly bribed by the Abu Sayyaf in exchange for safe passage.
The guerrillas escaped with dozens of hostages in tow, including three Americans and Filipina nurse Edibora Yap. One of the Americans, Guillermo Sobero, was later beheaded. Only one American, Gracia Burnham, was rescued the following year in a military operation. But her husband, Martin, and Yap were killed during the attempt.
Gracia Burnham later alleged in her book on the ordeal that military officials colluded with the Abu Sayyaf. An investigation, however, found no evidence of such.
Last weekend’s jailbreak was "typical of the consequences from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s persistent refusal to allow American GIs to take an offensive role in combat." Mrs. Arroyo has ruled out any combat role for US troops in her administration’s anti-terror campaign citing a constitutional prohibition banning foreign troops fighting on Philippine soil.
The Times said the constitutional prohibition should be changed to allow US troops to go after terrorists, arguing that "the US military is very popular, with polls consistently showing that more than 80 percent of Filipinos support its presence in the country. Nearly as many support giving US forces an active role in wiping out the Muslim extremists."
"In the age of terrorism, nations must change their laws to meet new realities. For instance, Japan is moving to modify its pacifist constitution, and both Britain and the United States are broadly reorganizing government and law to meet the threats of an increasingly dangerous world," it said.
"Giving US forces an offensive role in the Philippines has benefits from every angle — including further professionalizing Philippine forces. Huge majorities of Filipinos will support a constitutional change. It is a natural and necessary institutional adjustment for Manila to make to meet the challenges posed by the war on terror in the Philippines."
The editorial came in the wake of an unflattering report by the New York Times, which said Mrs. Arroyo was told by US embassy officials in a recent late-night meeting that her administration was not doing enough in the war on terror.
Mrs. Arroyo confirmed the meeting but denied receiving a "diplomatic reproach" a reported by the major US daily.
She maintained yesterday her government was doing everything it can to combat terrorism. US Charge d’Affaires Joseph Mussomeli likewise rejected the New York Times account of the March 22 meeting.
The New York Times reported that "over a period of months, the United States had given the Philippines intelligence that should have led to the arrest of suspected terrorists, including the leader of the Abu Sayyaf, and the Philippine government did not act."