North Cotabato Is Host To RP-US War Games

A military guide leads Filipino troops on a mountain trail in Mindanao. (Zamboanga Journal)

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 06 Jan) The Philippine military announced Friday that it would hold a small joint infantry training exercise with U.S. troops in North Cotabato province in the main island of Mindanao, south of Manila, where troops are pursuing Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya terrorists.

"The training would involved soldiers from both countries and will focus on light infantry and small weapons trainings," said Maj. Gamal Hayudini, a spokesman for the Southern Command.

The training, he said, will be held probably next week inside a huge military reservation area in the town of Carmen.

He said the locals were already excited and waiting for American troops to arrive after news of the training spread in the town.

"Yeah, the civilians are really excited about the training because they expect US and Filipino troops to conduct medical mission in poor villages," he said.

In July, US and Filipino soldiers also held a three-week anti-terror training exercise and medical mission in Carmen town that benefited thousands of poor villagers.

Dozens of US troops from the 1st Special Forces Division participated in small unit training of nearly 200 Filipino soldiers from the 6th Infantry Division inside the reservation area.

Mindanao, which is about the size of Indiana, is a hotbed of insurgency and is base to the Abu Sayyaf group tied to al-Qaeda terror network, and used as training and springboard for attacks by Jemaah Islamiya militants.

Manila and Washington consider these groups a serious threat to the regional security. The Indonesian Jemaah Islamiya network has been blamed for the 2002 and 2004 bombings in Bali and other Southeast Asian targets, while the Abu Sayyaf was tagged as behind the spate of bombings and kidnappings of foreigners in the Philippines.

Aside from the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya, the communist New People's Army rebels and the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front are also active in Mindanao.

While the MILF is negotiating peace with Manila, the NPA has repeatedly threatened to attack US soldiers participating in the war games in the country.

Hayudini said a larger training between US and Filipino forces, dubbed as Balikatan 2006, is also due to start next month in the southern Jolo island, a known stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf.

He said security would be tight during the conduct of the exercises, both in North Cotabato and Jolo, to protect the soldiers against possible attacks by the Abu Sayyaf or Jemaah Islamiya.

The Abu Sayyaf had killed three Americans, including a soldier, in Mindanao in 2002.

"The training is part of the US security assistance to Manila, and it is being held every year. Aside from the joint training, there will also be some humanitarian mission. The civic actions will surely benefit many poor families, Hayudini said.

He said US and Filipino troops are also to build infrastructure projects in Jolo island. "Jolo will benefit from this joint training exercises and it will also help the local economy and provide jobs to many people," he said.

Many people in Jolo, he said, are strongly supporting the presence of American troops on the island, about 950 kms south of Manila. Dozens of US soldiers are already in Jolo and actively involved in humanitarian mission.

This year's Balikatan training exercise, which means shoulder-to-shoulder, is the 22nd in a series that began in 1981.

The exercise is consistent with the Mutual Defense Treaty and Visiting Forces Agreement and will improve combined planning of the US and RP military forces, officials said.

The Balikatan 2006 demonstrates Washington's resolve to continue the commitment to train, advise and assist the Philippine military to build capacity to counter terrorism.

US and Filipino troops are also to build infrastructure projects in Jolo island. "Jolo will benefit from this joint training exercises and it will also help the local economy and provide jobs to many people," Hayudini said.

Hayudini said the joint training exercises will enhance the skills and capabilities of Filipino and American forces in combating terrorism and other internal and external security threats.

And also improve "inter-operability" between RP and US forces through the exchange of training skills and techniques; and will also upgrade the knowledge, skills and equipment of Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The training program includes support for comprehensive defense reform; security assistance modules for counter-terrorism training; operations intelligence fusion; and aspects in education programs, logistics, engineering, equipment, maintenance and helicopter programs.

US soldiers will not be allowed to join any combat operation against the Abu Sayyaf in Jolo or North Cotabato. "The Americans are prohibited to directly participate in anti-Abu Sayyaf or combat operations," Hayudini said.

The Constitution forbids foreign troops from conducting military operations in the Philippines. Hayudini, however, said U.S. troops may defend themselves in case of an attack.

In Balikatan 2002, US special operations forces trained more than 1,000 Filipino soldiers going after Abu Sayyaf militants in Basilan island.

Hayudini did not say how many US or Filipino troops will participate in both training exercises, but other reports said as many as 5,000 American soldiers would participate in the Balikatan.

The Philippines is a strong ally of the United States and also a stalwart foe of terrorism worldwide and within its borders.