TheWorldJournal.com

Securing U.S. Troops
By Mars W. Mosqueda Jr., TheWorldJournal.com

More US troops are coming to the Philippines for the Balikatan exercise, which, according to some, is actually aimed at wiping out terrorists groups in the country. But with threats from communists organizations and other anti-government forces who are planning to inflict several casualties on US troops, can the Philippine government assure adequate security for these soldiers?

The Philippine government assured visiting American troops that they will be accorded with adequate security to protect them from imminent threat to their safety while undergoing joint military training with their Filipino counterparts.

Press Secretary and concurrent presidential spokesperson Rigoberto Tiglao said the government has already adopted precautionary measures to ensure the safety of the American troops even before the agreement on the Philippines US joint training exercises was signed.

"Even before the start of Balikatan 02-1, they (Filipino troops) are already aware (of the security threat to visiting Americans) and they have done all the security preparations," he said.

Security measures are currently undertaken by the government following reports that local communist guerillas have been ordered to "inflict several casualties" on US troops participating in the war exercises with their Filipino counterparts.

The order, purportedly issued by "Armando Liwanag," Widely considered to be pen name for Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army (CPP-NPA) founder Jose Maria Sison, was published in the latest issue of the "Ang Bayan (The Nation)," a communist publication.

It appeared that the CPP-NPA has been ordered "to deliver lethal blows against the US imperialists and the puppet military and police forces, whatever extent that the US intervenes or aggresses against the people."

Sison's directive came as the government approved more American troops to come to the country, notably in Basilan and in some parts of Luzon, for the joint military training exercises with Filipino soldiers.

Tiglao branded Sison's recent directive to his comrades as "anti-American that is grounded on his expected frame of mind that is "equivalent to ideological racism" characteristic of a Cold War kind of ideology.

A big number of American military personnel have started arriving at Clark Special Economic zone.

At least 39 U.S. military aircraft and warship with 2,003 personnel are scheduled to arrive at Clark Field and Subic Bay Freeport for the US-RP joint war exercises.

The war games with 2,858 Filipino troops from various military services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines are scheduled to be conducted at Clark Field in Pampanga, Crow Valley target range in Capas, Tarlac, subic Bay Freeport in Zambales, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija and Tarnate, Cavite.

This year's Balikatan war games in Central Luzon will be the biggest in terms of military sea and aircraft to be used, according to Ambassador Jaime Yambao, executive director of the Presidential Commission on Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA-Com).

© April 15, 2002