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Thursday, July 11, 2002
It's US advisers' idea: Glo on Sulu drills
By Joel San Juan
PRESIDENT Gloria Arroyo Wednesday admitted that it was the idea of the US government to conduct the next round of RP-US Balikatan exercises in Sulu.
During her informal luncheon meeting with selected mediamen, President Arroyo said the idea of having joint military exercises in Sulu came out during her one of the discussions with US Ambassador to the Philippines Francis Ricciardone.
But, Arroyo insisted that the idea would still have to be discussed in the operational level between Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Roy Cimatu and Admiral Thomas Fargo, US-Pacific commander.
The Chief Executive said there is no final decision yet on the plan to use Sulu as the next venue for another Balikatan.
"Not until they sit down and present to me what the curriculum will be. That's why I've been giving them this direction. The Sulu idea came from the US side because my own concern is that it goes back to Fort Magsaysay and to Tanay where it was from the beginning of time from the first VFA (Visiting Forces Agreement) exercise," the President said when asked whether it is already final that the next Balikatan would be conducted in Sulu.
Arroyo clarified that holding the next Balikatan in Sulu was just a general idea that was brought up by the US.
She said initially agreed with the idea but insisted that the main exercises should go back in Luzon.
"But this is like general idea but in the end, but I said yeah, yeah, but in my mind, I remember saying, yeah but I think we should basically, we should go back to Luzon. So the Sulu is find with me as long as the main exercises is in Luzon...," the President said.
Arroyo added that she has given Cimatu a strategic direction which is to bring back the Balikatan exercises in Sulu.
Such direction would be what Cimatu would try to work out with Fargo.
Aside from bringing back the joint exercises in Luzon, the President also said Cimatu and Fargo may also study the possibility of including in the curriculum the proposal of Vice President Teofisto Guingona to conduct have a Balikatan exercises on combating piracy and poaching.
"Well that can be in the curriculum, that is really something for Cimatu and Fargo to work out. You can see for instance what happened to the three Indonesians, that's was piracy," the Chief Executive noted.
Arroyo also dismissed the apprehension of US Defense Secretary Donald Wurster that holding a Balikatan in Sulu might pose some security problems for US and Filipinos soldiers due to the presence of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels in the area.
"That's really not for him to say because the negotiations are done at the level of Cimatu and Fargo," the President said.
Arroyo acknowledged that the end of the hostage crisis in Basilan partly influenced her decision to return the exercises in Luzon.
"Maybe indirectly because the end of the Burnham crisis indicated to me that the soldiers have already learned to fight terrorism in that kind of terrain and because that was a very unusual Balikatan, transferring it there. I felt let's go back to where it has been traditionally. So it will be more generic," the President said.
Meanwhile, the President also announced that the US government would be leaving behind some of their night-flying equipment after the conduct of the RP-US Balikatan 02-1, which is scheduled to end on July 31.
The said equipment, according to the President was part of the $10 million drawdown for the Philippine military that was authorized by the US President Bush.
The President also said the US soldiers would inaugurate the airport which they constructed in Basilan before on July 31.
She said the inauguration would be part of the "goodbye" ceremonies for participants of the RP-US Balikatan 02-1. |
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