MANILA, Philippines - Seeing former President Fidel Ramos as someone who could help end their isolation in the West, Libya under Muammar Gadhafi contributed P5 million to his presidential campaign in 1992.
A diplomatic cable, released by whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks, sent July 19, 1994 by then Deputy Chief of Mission Raymond Burghardt of the US embassy in Manila to Washington, revealed the purported discussion on the Islamic movement in the Philippines during his luncheon meeting with retired De La Salle University (DLSU) Professor Joel de los Santos.
De los Santos described during the meeting the future prospects of peace with the Muslim community as less than encouraging.
He felt the main problem was the lack of understanding of Muslim culture and developments in the indigenous Muslim societies on the part of main-line political leaders, both Muslim and Christian.
The cable said De los Santos was aware of then Speaker Jose De Venecia’s efforts on behalf of Gadhafi and “claimed that Libya had directed funds to President Ramos’ 1992 campaign.”
In discussing De Venecia, De los Santos had strong words for the “demagagoic politician.”
The cable said De los Santos said De Venecia had been engaged in shady dealings in both Libya and Iraq involving construction contracts for his firm.
The cable revealed De Venecia had tried to “repay” his Libyan benefactors by acting as their front man and errand boy.
“The Libyans thought they could use De Venecia’s aid in enlisting President Fidel Ramos, with his excellent American contacts, as a wedge in helping end Libya’s diplomatic isolation in the West,” the cable said.
It also indicated the US embassy’s extensive reports on De Venecia’s efforts on behalf of the Libyan strongman.
“It was a well-kept secret, according to De los Santos, that Ramos had received P5 million (about $200,000) from the Libyans to finance his presidential campaign in 1992,” the cable said.