Wednesday, July 21, 2004 US troops arrive in North Cotabato for exercises By Jeffrey M. Tupas
CARMEN, North Cotabato -- Eight Moro villages are said to be the sites of the joint US-RP military exercises, contrary to what has been reported that the exercises will be strictly confined in the military camp.
US soldiers started to arrive Monday and at least 10 6x6 military vehicles also arrived carrying Filipino troops from the nearby town of Arakan.
Col. Isagani Cachuela, chief of the Army's 602nd Infantry Brigade, said American soldiers who are part of an "advance team" also arrived in Carmen since Monday.
"They are part of the security preparations... more administrative," Cachuela said, refusing to give more details for security purposes.
These developments irked some residents of the identified villages, some of them even warned that they evacuate the moment they see American troops enter their villages.
Akmad Magid, chair of the local youth group called United Youth for Peace and Development, said most of the residents of barangay Manarapan have already planned to flee their homes upon arrival of the US soldiers.
Manarapan, one of the highly devastated villages in Carmen during the all-out-war policy of former president Joseph Estrada against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), is said to be another area where US soldiers will "enter" during the exercises that is set to start on July 26.
Other areas identified were Nasapian, Kibayaw, Rancho, Kibinis, Katanayanan, Ugalingan, and Limbalod.
These villages are all part of what the government called as Limbalod Complex.
The complex was also one of the sites of many conflicts before.
Few years ago, North Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Piñol said the MILF had established a mayhem government inside the complex.
It is also where the controversial Malitubog-Maridagao irrigation project is located.
Rayma Katog, a resident of Kibayaw, said she might stop from going to school should her village be "encroached" by the US and RP soldiers.
"Mahihirapan na akong mag-aral n'yan. Matatakot na kaming lumabas kasi talagang takot kami sa mga Amerikano... ewan ko lang kung ano nang mangyayari nito sa amin," the 15-year-old girl said.
Villagers also expressed apprehension the joint military exercises could lead into a war between the MILF and the soldiers, as most of the outskirt villages of Carmen are identified as MILF areas.
"Aywan lang pero parang isa sa mga sadya nila dito ay ang MILF talaga," another resident of Manarapan said.
Manarapan Barangay Captain Guinaed Dalid said American soldiers visited his village at least twice in June and he was told that the village would be the venue of a humanitarian mission that includes the conduct of civic action and delivery of health services.
"Sabi nila 'good!' Gusto daw nila ang Manarapan kasi passable," Dalid said.
But Cachuela insisted there was no truth to reports about making the eight villages as venue of the exercises.
He said the exercises would be strictly confined inside the camp.
He, however, admitted that some villages of Carmen, including Manarapan, will be used as venues of the exercises' humanitarian mission component.
He said the exercises have two components, military training and humanitarian mission.
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