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Philippine and American troops are holding military exercises in the
heartland of the communist insurgency at a time that guerrillas have
stepped up attacks against private and public establishments.
The Armed Forces announced that the annual
Balikatan exercises scheduled for April 16 to 25 would have a major
component in the Bicol region.
Civil military operations there would actually
begin April 1 and benefit several municipalities in Albay, Masbate
and Sorsogon.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro says the
exercises in Bicol are meant as post-conflict exercises and for a
quick and coordinated response to disaster scenarios.
The US forces won’t be directly involved in
operations against the New People’s Army (NPA), he assures.
Even if they wanted to, they can’t. The
Constitution prohibits any foreign military from conducting
operations inside Philippine territory.
One might ask what US Joint Special Operations
Task Force is doing in Mindanao. Officially, it is advising
Philippines troops on how to conduct counter-terrorism operations.
But we can never be completely sure what else they are doing there.
Teodoro’s assurances that the Bicol Balikatan
exercises are not meant to be made a part of the government’s
counter-insurgency strategy is a marked departure from their
projection of benefits of the socio-civic operations in Sulu and
Basilan.
Authorities acknowledge that civil military
operations in Mindanao were meant to wean the civilian population
away from supporting or sympathizing with the radical Abu Sayyaf.
But now they are reluctant in exulting the
Balikatan’s benefits on government’s over-all campaign against
the NPA.
Some 10,000 people will benefit directly and
indirectly from medical-dental missions as well as engineering
projects that have been incorporated in the Balikatan program.
These beneficiaries are potential allies in the
campaign versus the NPA. The governors are already on the
government’s side. It’s now just a contest to win the people
over. That is a legitimate endeavor.
Among the CMO projects include the construction
of a farm-to-market road in Albay as well as water wells and a
school building the Masbate.
Teodoro says this type of training is as
necessary as formal military exercises considering that the US is
among the first countries to provide assistance in times of natural
calamities.
In 2000, Balikatan participants were involved in
the assisting those displaced by the unrest by Mayon volcano. In
2006, US military personnel were diverted to Guinsaugon, Leyte to
help landslide victims.
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This is an appeal from my dear friend Armand
Nocum, who has taken on the challenge of helping build peace in his
hometown in Mindanao.
“The horror of war and kidnapping came to me
early in childhood. Then and now, I know fear by one name: Sacol
Island.
“Now notorious for the recent kidnapping of
three public school teachers, Sacol Island is just half a mile away
from my hometown Barangay Manicahan in Zamboanga City.”
“Now the Abu Sayyaf Group has made Sacol
Island their home. To escape military attacks, some ASG families
also settled down in a sitio in Manicahan known as Aplaya.”
“Poverty and illiteracy have driven many in
Aplaya and Sacol Island to see kidnapping as the only effective
means of earning a living. Kidnap for ransom activity has turned
into a kind of cottage industry.”
“Although it is too late to change the minds
of their gun-totting elders, we hope that with books we could still
reach out to the children of suspected ASG members for them to take
the path of peace.”
“Thus, we are embarking on a mission to build
the first Kristiyano-Islam [Kris] Peace Library to teach Christian
and Muslim children living in Manicahan and Sacol Island that there
are other means of livelihood other than kidnapping and banditry.”
“Potential donors can call us at 799-2745,
339-3732 and 09175208013 or e-mail abooksaya@yahoo.com.”
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Announcement. Stella Maris College elementary
class of 1988 and high school class of 1992 are holding a reunion
later this year. It’s been nearly two decades since we’ve seen
each other so it’s high time that we do. The exact date and venue
have yet to be decided. For your inputs, interested Stellans may
write me an email or contact Nielette Tupas at 0919-2329578.
johnnavg@hotmail.com
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