322. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon, Washington, April 18, 1973.1 2
WASHINGTON
ACTION
April 18, 1973
MEMORANDUM FOR: THE PRESIDENT
FROM: HENRY A. KISSINGER
SUBJECT: Philippines: Proposed AID
Assistance to Reorganization of Manila Police Administration
State and AID have for some time been considering the question of possible AID assistance in the reorganization of the Manila police administration. The AID program would provide AID police experts and equipment to assist the Manila police administration in integrating the present 17 separate police departments of the greater Manila area into one consolidated administration. This is only one part of a general reorganization of the Manila municipal administration — and the Philippine Government structure generally — which Marcos began soon after imposing martial law last September. The AID project is valued at about $500, 000 in FY 74, and would last for approximately four years — at lower costs in later years.
State (including AID) recommends that the project be postponed indefinitely. They acknowledge that the reorganization could improve the security of the Manila area substantially, and that our assistance would eliminate the time-consuming trial-and-error approach of the Filipinos’ doing it themselves. State believes that this is outweighed, however, by the credence our assistance would lend to the charge by Marcos’ political opposition that the U.S. supports martial law, and that it might hurt the Congressional chances for our military and economic assistance programs for the Philippines. Embassy Manila disagrees, believing the AID project should go forward.
My View
Given the importance of this project to this major reorganization of the Manila police administration and our basic interest in seeing the Marcos Administration improve the prospects for long-term stability, I believe that the risks are acceptable. Congressional comment on Marcos’ [Page 2] authoritarian turn and on our continued assistance has been notably mild. Moreover, those who will object are going to oppose the aid bill anyway. Those we must depend on for votes are favorable to Public Safety programs. As to the program’s political sensitivity in the Philippines, I believe that the possible risk involved can be reduced by maintaining a low profile in the activity of our AID personnel and in the type of equipment we furnish.
At Tab A is a proposed memorandum from me to Secretary Rogers indicating your approval of the AID project.
Recommendation:
That you authorize me to sign the memorandum to Secretary Rogers indicating your approval of the AID program to assist in the reorganization of the Manila police administration. Bill Timmons concurs.
Approve [RN initialed]
Disapprove
- Source: Library of Congress, Henry Kissinger Papers, CL 297, Memoranda to the President, April 1973. Secret. Sent for action. Concurred in by Timmons. Nixon initialed his approval of the recommendation that AID assist in the reorganization of the Manila police administration. Attached but not published is Tab A, the memorandum from Kissinger to Rogers, April 26, as sent.↩
- Kissinger recommended that the President authorize him to approve an AID program to assist in the reorganization of the Manila police administration.↩