Watch Out For Balikatan Training, MILF Urges Civil Groups

Muslim women protest the presence of US troops in Southern Philippines. (Photos by Consortium Maulana for the Mindanao Examiner)

SULTAN KUDARAT, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 28, 2008) - The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which is negotiating peace the Philippine government, urged civil society organizations to be vigilant on the resumption of a joint RP-US military training exercises in Mindanao.

Philippine officials announced the resumption next month of the Balikatan 2008, codename of this year’s military training in Cagayan de Oro City, Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur and Sulu provinces despite a series of protests from Muslim villagers and civil groups.

American troops will arrive in Cagayan de Oro City, Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte starting February 18 as part of Balikatan, and will be deployed in Sulu, Western and North Eastern Mindanao.

Mohagher Iqbal, chief MILF peace negotiator, said the MILF committee ceasefire has written to the Philippine government about the Balikatan 2008 to get an assurance that the rights of the Muslims and indigenous people would not be violated during the training.

“We are not able to get the response of the GRP as of this time,” Iqbal said “[but] we told our in Lanao to coordinate with NGOs (non-government organizations) and non-partisan groups to do something in response to these exercises, such as human rights violations. NGOs play a vital role in these issues confronting the areas,” he said.

Last month, the US threatened to cancel this year’s Balikatan after a Filipino court denied to return an American Marine Lance Corporal Daniel Smith, who was convicted of raping a Filipina, to American custody. The decision has temporarily caused severe strains in diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the US.

The Arroyo administration, bowing to the pressure caused by the worsening bilateral relations, asserted that Americans have the right of custody over Smith by virtue of 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), which governs American soldiers participating in the military exercises.

The US announced resumption of Balikatan after Smith was transferred from Makati City Jail to the US Embassy without a court order.

Smith was found guilty and sentenced to 40 years in jail for raping “Nicole,” as the victim is publicly known, when the US troops conducted war games in Subic in 2005.

A number of groups have attacked the VFA in “giving US authorities legal jurisdiction over American soldiers who commit crimes in the Philippines” and called it a “US strategy in setting up a permanent base in Mindanao.”

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) has called for a full disclosure of the status of the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) that allows US forces to use Philippine facilities as bases and forward stations.

Renato Reyes Jr., BAYAN secretary general, said they have urged Congress to shed light on how the VFA and the MLSA “actually operate in Mindanao.” Under the VFA, American troops are allowed to stay in the Philippines for an unspecified length of time. They are also allowed to use Philippine facilities for storage of supplies and pre-positioning of equipment under the MLSA, Reyes said.

“We believe that the presence of armed US Special Forces in Mindanao, under whatever guise, poses a threat to local security. We also believe that their continuing engagement in Mindanao undermines national sovereignty,” Reyes added.

Some 10,000 demonstrators in an interfaith peace caravan-rally in Iligan last week assailed the return of the Balikatan as “anti-Mindanawons” and expressed fear that it may “severely add damage to injury” in the talks between the government and the MILF.

“This interfaith peace caravan-rally intends to prevent possible conflict and to show to the parties that the Bangsamoro is in solidarity with the Christians and the Lumads” said Lacs Dalidig of the Islamic Movement for Electoral Reform and Good Governance (IMERGG) and Muslim Multi-sectoral Movement for Peace and Development (MMMPD).

“If this acts are not enough to catch the attention of the government, the interfaith civil society organizations will organize the walk for peace from Marawi City to Malacanang Palace to show to the government that we are indeed very serious in our fervor to attain just and lasting peace in Mindanao,” Dalidig added.

“We are one with the Bangsamoro in the call for lasting peace. After all only those who declared war win; we are all victims,” said Fr. Chito Sugano of the Marawi Catholic church. “The Bangsamoro homeland, our bread and butter are happily utilized as battlegrounds, leaving its inhabitants with dime of hope.”

During the military offensives in Sulu and Basilan last year, fully-armed American soldiers were spotted leading an armed Philippine military convoy. This was seen as a violation of the VFA which does not allow US troops to engage in actual combat in the Philippines, critics said. (Norodin Makalay)

Is It War On Terror Or War On Civilians Or Simply Paranoid? US Military Reprimanded In Philippines

SULU ISLAND, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 31, 2007) – The Philippine military ordered US troops away from a government hospital after they forcibly closed it down in the southern province of Sulu.

US troops ordered Muslim doctors and hospital staff to close down the Panamao District Hospital at night since December 3. American troops who put up a base near the hospital even told the doctors to treat their patients at the municipal hall.

Dr. Silak Lakkian, head of the hospital, has complained about how US troops meddled into their operations.

US soldiers insist there is a threat against them in the town from suspected Abu Sayyaf militants, but the report was disputed by local security forces.

American soldiers are in Sulu since 2006 to train Filipino troops and assist and advice them in the so-called war on terror. Rebels are active in Sulu province, about 950 kilometers south of Manila.

On Monday, the Philippine military banned US soldiers from near the hospital and even sent Filipino soldiers to guard the hospital.

The governor of Sulu, Sakur Tan, allowed the resumption of the hospital operations at night to cater to emergencies and patients in Panamao after a meeting with military and town officials over the weekend.

At the meeting, the US military commanders in Sulu apologized for the incident.
“The hospital has resumed operations at night and everything is back to normal again,” Brigadier General Ruperto Pabustan, commander of the Philippines Army Special Forces in Sulu, told Mindanao Examiner.

The news of the incident only broke out Saturday after hospital staff complained to authorities and journalists about how US troops forcibly shut down the hospital at night and even threatened to shoot anybody if there was an attack against the foreigners.

“US troops have no authority to impose on us,” the governor said.

The US military tried to cover up the incident and denied it ever happened and blamed the local media for the “blunder.”

Local villagers and some Filipino troops also have complained about the arrogance of US soldiers in Sulu. Some US troops have allegedly treated Filipino soldiers like vassal.

Some US troops also prevented curious Muslim villagers to go near them in public places as though the locals were terrorists.

American troops had in the past also harassed Filipino journalists who were covering joint RP-US military war games in Zamboanga City and Sulu and in some occasions arrested and seized the cameras of reporters who took photos and videos of them.

It was also in Sulu that hundreds of US soldiers slaughtered some 800 Muslim villagers, including innocent women and children, during the Moro rebellion in March 1906 that has become known as the First Battle of Bud (Mount) Dajo also called the "Moro Crater Massacre."

During this battle, 790 men and officers, under the command of Colonel J.W. Duncan, assaulted the volcanic crater, which was held by several hundred rebels protecting Muslim villagers. (Mindanao Examiner)

US Troops Losing War For Hearts And Minds In Sulu

SULU ISLAND, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 29, 2007) – Philippine authorities have began an investigation into disturbing reports that US troops deployed in Sulu province had ordered the closure of a government hospital in the town of Panamao.

The soldiers allegedly barged into the Panamao District Hospital on Dec. 3 and ordered its closure for a still unknown reason.

US troops are in Sulu province since early this year to assist and advice Filipino forces in fighting terrorism.

Dr Silak Lakkian, head of the hospital, has complained about how US troops meddled into their operations.

The news only broke out Saturday after local journalists learned about the incident, but US military officials were not available to make any statement.

Sulu Governor Sakur Tan said he will personally on the reports involving US troops and has talked to Major General Reuben Rafael, commander of Philippine military forces in the province, about it.

“US troops have no authority to impose on us,” he said.

It was not immediately known whether the US military tried to cover up the incident, but General Rafael, also said that he will look into the reports. “We will look into this,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

Local villagers and some Filipino troops also have complained about the arrogance of US soldiers in Sulu. Some US troops have allegedly treated Filipino soldiers like janitors and laborers in the province.

Heavily-armed US troops were also preventing curious Muslim villagers to go near them in public places as though the locals were terrorists.

American troops had in the past also harassed Filipino journalists who were covering joint RP-US military war games in Zamboanga City and Sulu and in some occasions arrested and seized the cameras of reporters who took photos and videos of them.

It was also in Sulu that hundreds of US soldiers slaughtered some 800 Muslim villagers, including innocent women and children, during the Moro rebellion in March 1906 that has become known as the First Battle of Bud (Mount) Dajo also called the “Moro Crater Massacre.”

During this battle, 790 men and officers, under the command of Colonel J.W. Duncan, assaulted the volcanic crater, which was held by several hundred rebels protecting Muslim villagers.

This dark part of history always hound US troops in Sulu where activists and villagers opposed their presence in the province. It was unknown how the Panamao incident will affect the presence of Americans in Sulu. (With reports from Nickee Butlangan and Juan Magtanggol)