By Ronron
February 19, 2007
The annual RP-US Balikatan exercises was formally opened on Monday by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. in simple ceremonies at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
Exercise Directors Rear Admiral Amable Tolentino of the AFP and Maj. Gen. Stephen Douglas Tom of the US Army told a news conference after the opening program that approximately 400 American forces and 1,171 Filipino counterparts will participate in the activities, starting yesterday until March 4th.
Most of the participants though will take part in humanitarian projects, particularly medical and engineering missions in Mindanao, while a few others will take part in the Staff Exercise (STAFFEX), which will be held inside Camp Aguinaldo.
During the opening ceremony, US Ambassador to Manila Kristie Kenney said that Balikatan 2007 will focus on the humanitarian assistance component of the exercises as against the field training exercises (FTX), noting the other kinds of FTX that happen within the year such as the Talon Vision.
The humanitarian civic action for this year’s Balikatan will last from yesterday until March 6th, while the STAFFEX will be held from February 19 to 27.
The former include medical, dental and veterinary missions in Lanao del Norte, Sulu, Zamboanga City, Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, and North Cotabato, and the engineering projects will be implemented in Sulu.
Approximately $300,000 will be spent by the US government for the humanitarian projects, with the following breakdown: $50,000 for medical mission; $150,000 for road renovations; $75,000 for building renovations; and, $25,000 for construction projects.
Tom said 390 American forces will participate in the humanitarian projects, and, Tolentino said, they will be secured by around 700 of the 1,171 Philippine participants.
The two officials maintained that the American soldiers will not be allowed to fire their guns unless needed for self-defense.
The STAFFEX, on the other hand, will focus on planning for maritime security that will be augmented by participants from the Western Mindanao Command, the Philippine Coast Guard, the Philippine National Police Maritime Command, and will be observed by representatives from Australia, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
“This is the first time we have this type of maritime scenario… to make sure that both sides, the US side and the AFP side, practice their techniques and procedures so that if the crisis come for real, we will be able to inter-operate a lot, smoothly and effectively,” Tom explained.
In his speech during the opening program, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said the shift in the focus for this year’s Balikatan to its socio-civic component only shows that both military forces and countries are adapting to the changing realities of the times.
He said that since there are many threats now other than terrorism, the “multi-dimensional” approach being carried out by countries to address them are only fitting.
“The partnership between the Philippines and the United States continues to be broad-based and multi-faceted, covering fresh avenues for greater cooperation. This new dimension in our collaborative efforts is reflected by the fact that this year’s version of the Balikatan exercises will focus on civic humanitarian missions, and not military exercises,” Romulo said.
In a related development, Tom confirmed yesterday the death of US Marine Corporal Timothy Lewis, 20, last Thursday in Sulu due to “cardiac arrest.”
Lewis was supposed to participate in the Balikatan exercises when he died, said Maj. John Redfield, public information officer of the RP-US Joint Special Operations Task Force based in Zamboanga City.
US Embassy spokesman Matthew Lussenhop said Lewis had a heat stroke until he collapsed.
On the following day, his remains were flown back to Okinawa, Japan where his mother unit is based.
Asked if the American participants will be restricted for their rest and recreation activities to avoid similar incidents that involved US Marine Lance Corporal Daniel Smith in November 2005, Tom replied: “What I would tell you is that the US expects its soldiers, Army and Marines, to conduct themselves at the highest standard of proper behavior. We have provided instructions, training to that extent … to be very good models of good behavior while they are here. So I am very, very confident that we will have all our US personnel conducting themselves properly, and we’ll have no incidences.”
Implying that rest and recreation activities will not be scrapped for the US servicemen, he said: “We want the US personnel to explore and understand the culture of the Philippines. And so what we will have and encourage is that organized tours and organized trips are in groups be instituted so that our soldiers can learn about the Philippines.”
Smith was convicted in December last year by a Makati City court for raping a Filipino woman in Subic, Olongapo City last November 1, 2005. He had just participated then in the RP-US Talon Vision and Amphibious Landing Exercises./DMS
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