Friday, October 03, 2008

Tight Security For Zamboanga Christian Feast

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 3, 2008) – Local authorities have beefed up security to ensure the peaceful celebration of a Catholic feast in honor of the Virgin Mary.

Senior Superintendent Lurimer Detran, city police chief, said at least 2,000 policemen would be deployed to secure the feast of the Nuestra Señora Virgen del Pilar de Zaragoza on Oct.12.

The army will also deploy soldiers to help policemen in patrolling Zamboanga City, according to Colonel Edgardo Gidaya, commander of the Task Force Zamboanga.

This early, government troops have been deployed in downtown Zamboanga, many near malls and department stores, previously bombed by the militant group Abu Sayyaf.

“We have to stay alert and vigilant to thwart any plans of atrocity that these terrorists group are planning to conduct to disrupt the celebration,” Gidaya said.

US troops are also in Zamboanga City training Filipino forces since 2002. But the presence of American forces in Zamboanga and other parts of the southern Philippines have attracted protests from militant political groups and activists.

They accused the US military of putting up secret bases in Mindanao, an accusation strongly denied by both the Filipino and American authorities. Militants accused US troops of participating in combat operations which is a violation of the Philippine Constitution.

But the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on the Visiting Forces Agreement led by Filipino Senator Rodolfo Biazon said it found no evidence that could link the US forces' participation in combat operation in restive regions in Mindanao.
Biazon, the co-chairman of the committee, said there was no evidence to prove that US soldiers are involved in combat missions. The committee composed of a senator and congressmen began its inquiry last Wednesday by visiting several major camps in Zamboanga City, where the US troops are temporarily staying for the joint military training exercises in Sulu.
Among the camps they have visited were Camp Arturo Enrile of the Philippine Army in Malagutay village; Western Mindanao Command, the Edwin Andrews Air Base and the Naval Forces Western Mindanao headquarters.
The committee said that there are no permanent military bases that were reportedly established by the US force after conducting a site inspection in these major camps and further claimed that they did not saw any violations of the VFA and neither violates the law of the country.
The pronouncement drew strong criticisms from anti-US and anti-war organizations in the country who stressed concerns over the untruthful reports of the LOVFA and accusing the committee of covering the real situation.
“This is clearly a case of feigned ignorance at best or a deliberate cover-up at worst,” said Mitzi Chan, spokesperson of Stop the War Coalition-Philippines. “This is contrary to easily verifiable facts on the ground,” said lawyer Corazon Fabros, spokesperson of Citizen Peace Watch. (Erico Rosco)

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