MANILA: A team from the Presidential Commission on the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFACom) is flying to Sulu and Zamboanga City to investigate reports that American forces have joined local troops in combat operations.
“This group headed by Undersecretary Edilberto Adan will proceed to Zamboanga and Sulu to investigate the allegations,’’ Brigadier General Jorge Segovia, acting chief of the Armed Forces command center, said at the Sulo Hotel press forum. He declined further comment so as not to preempt the results of VFACom investigation.
An American soldier was reported hurt when Abu Sayyaf rebels attacked Philippine Marines in a logistics run in Patikul, Sulu, on August 30, but the military denied this. Four Marines were killed in the ambush.
“No US personnel was involved,’’ Colonel Ernesto Torres, AFP public information officer, told reporters after the forum.
Zamboanga City Mayor Mannix Dalipe yesterday also wondered why the US forces had been allowed by the government to overstay in the city.
Segovia said he doubted that US forces had taken part in local combat, saying that the VFA prohibits this. “They’re more into humanitarian missions. But as far as engaging in combat, they’re not involved,’’ he said after the forum.
Besides, he added: “As a soldier and officer, I want the conflict to be fought by us. The military would not allow anybody to lead local operations.’’
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro yesterday justified the continued stay of American forces in Mindanao, saying this was provided for under the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between the Philippines and the United States.
Speaking on Vice President Noli De Castro’s weekly radio program, “Para Sa Iyo, Bayan,” Teodoro said the conduct of US military activities anywhere in the country was part of the mutual obligations of both countries.
Teodoro said a list of military activities to be undertaken by both forces was approved every year prior to their deployment by the Mutual Defense Board - by the US secretary of state on the US side and by the foreign affairs secretary on the Philippine side.
Local officials in Mindanao have complained about the continued stay of the American military even after six years and their putting up of structures in certain areas that appeared to be permanent.
Speaking in a mixture of English and Filipino, Teodoro said the presence of the US troops in the Philippines was consistent with the provisions of the VFA and MDT that provide for annual mutual training exercises as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster response.
He said the US has been providing assistance on training and professionalization of Filipino soldiers, as well as maintenance of Philippine military vehicles.
The defense chief cited the case of Southwestern Mindanao where US soldiers have been training Filipino soldiers on the scene-of-the-crime operations and how to convert military operations into crime fighting operations.
In the case of the Mindanao conflict, Teodoro stressed that US forces were prohibited from taking part in combat or even leaving their camps without clearance from the Philippine area commander or from the chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“I think that’s the situation right now. Sometimes, we need to emphasize our joint partnership with the US, especially in times of disaster when they are willing to help such as in the search operations for the C-130 (that crashed in the Davao Gulf recently),” he said.
Asked about limitations on the US military presence and engagement, Teodoro said that US military presence was allowed in the entire country, not just in Mindanao.
“What is forbidden is participation by the Americans in combat operations, but in the rest - military assistance, disaster assistance - they can participate. They can participate in joint training, they can extend aid to the barangays (villages) such as they are doing in Sulo,” Teodoro said.
