Golez: This year's PH-US Balikatan Exercises will have a bigger impact on the public because of its humanitarian and civic action orientation and will for sure enhance in a big way the public image of the PH-US military alliance. The activities are going to be visible unlike the combat oriented CARAT and PHIBLEX which are conducted with minimal public observation. The following is a summary of the exercises:
"Sayson said Balikatan 33-2017 incorporates training events designed to enhance the capabilities of both AFP and US armed forces. The training focuses on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in order to improve response effectiveness and speed in the event of natural disasters and other crises that endanger public health and safety.
"Sayson said the Mutual Defense Board and the Security Engagement Board have carefully included President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s guidance for this year’s exercise. The series of events manifests the exercise’s refocus to humanitarian civil assistance, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, and counter-terrorism.
"The entire exercise follows a single-scenario concept where a super-typhoon devastates areas along its route in the areas of Central Command, National Capital Region, and Northern Luzon.
“This year’s exercise will have AFP and US forces partnering to improve their counter-terrorism capabilities in order to build safer communities and work towards the eradication of global terror networks,” Sayson said.
“During Balikatan, US and Philippine forces will conduct operational and counter-terrorism training exercises in diverse areas of expertise, including advanced marksmanship, counter-improvised explosive devices (IED), and maritime interdiction against piracy,” he added."
PH-US Balikatan Exercises start today
Manila Bulletin
Published
by Francis Wakefield
The 33rd Exercise Balikatan between Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) troops and United States (US) forces opens today with ceremonies at the AFP Commissioned Officers Club in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, to be followed by field activities in Panay, Leyte, and Samar in the Visayas and other sites in Luzon.
Major Celeste Frank L. Sayson of the Exercise Directorate, said AFP chief of staff Gen. Eduardo Año will lead Philippine military officials at Camp Aguinaldo.
Aside from Camp Aguinaldo, other activities for Balikatan will be held in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija; Calayan Island, Cagayan; 5th Infantry Division headquarters in Isabela and Samar.
US and Filipino service members will work together to renovate five schools and conduct community medical engagements with local residents in the opening days of the 12-day military training activity on May 8-19. Preliminary work on community infrastructure projects began in mid-April.
Sayson said Balikatan 33-2017 incorporates training events designed to enhance the capabilities of both AFP and US armed forces. The training focuses on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in order to improve response effectiveness and speed in the event of natural disasters and other crises that endanger public health and safety.
Sayson said the Mutual Defense Board and the Security Engagement Board have carefully included President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s guidance for this year’s exercise. The series of events manifests the exercise’s refocus to humanitarian civil assistance, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, and counter-terrorism.
The entire exercise follows a single-scenario concept where a super-typhoon devastates areas along its route in the areas of Central Command, National Capital Region, and Northern Luzon.
“This year’s exercise will have AFP and US forces partnering to improve their counter-terrorism capabilities in order to build safer communities and work towards the eradication of global terror networks,” Sayson said.
“During Balikatan, US and Philippine forces will conduct operational and counter-terrorism training exercises in diverse areas of expertise, including advanced marksmanship, counter-improvised explosive devices (IED), and maritime interdiction against piracy,” he added.
In this year’s Balikatan, the Philippines and the United States will continue to collaborate with regional partner nations. Forces from Australia and Japan will participate in all major training events, and the AFP has invited military forces from several other nations to be part of the International Observers Program.
ARMS FROM CHINA, RUSSIA
Meanwhile, Malacañang shrugged off the proposal of two American legislators to restrict the exportation of arms by the US to the Philippine National Police (PNP) due to the growing number of killings amid the Duterte administration’s drug war.
“I understand from the defense secretary that we have plenty of arms,” chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo said.
Even if the bill proposed by Democratic Senator Ben Cardin and Republican Senator Marco Rubio gets passed, the Philippines can still acquire arms from other sources, he said.
The two American senators had expressed opposition to the sale of some 26,000 assault rifles to the PNP. Cardin noted reports that more than 7,000 drug suspects have been killed since President Duterte took office. Rubio cited the Philippines’ and the US’ long-standing alliance as a reason why the growing number of killings is considered “deeply alarming.”
“Our legislation reflects our sincere desire to work with the Philippines to support human rights, expose narcotics networks emanating from mainland China and other countries, and use a public health approach to responsibly counter the dangers that drugs pose to our societies,” Rubio said.
Aside from a restriction on certain defense items provided by the US to the PNP, their bill also authorizes a $50-million fund for the State Department and USAID to promote a public health approach to the drug war.
President Duterte had earlier said he would rather turn to China and Russia if the US won’t sell arms to the PNP. He said the two countries have pledged to give the Philippine government a soft loan for the purchase.
DE LIMA CITES US BILL
On the other hand, Senator Leila de Lima welcomed the filing of a measure of the US Senate which seeks to restrict exports of certain defense articles to the Philippines and supports Filipino defenders of human rights and those who help victims of human rights violations.
De Lima said that once passed into law, “The Philippines Human Rights Accountability and Counternarcotic Acts of 2017” filed by Senators Cardin and Rubio would restrict the exportation of certain defense articles by the US to the PNP and the US secretary of state would be required to submit a report to the US Congress on human rights cases related to the PNP and how foreign assistance to the PNP is used.
“I support the bipartisan efforts in the US Senate to introduce such important piece of legislation to hold our law enforcement authorities accountable to the thousands of human rights violations committed under the all-out war on drugs,” De Lima said. (With reports from Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos and Hannah L. Torregoza)
No comments:
Post a Comment