QUOTE
U.S. FORCES IN MINDANAO WON'T BE PULLED OUT - MALACAÑANG
MANILA, January 26, 2005 (STAR) By Marichu Villanueva - Malacañang rejected yesterday calls for Mindanao to be rid of American intelligence operatives who are helping government forces run after groups threatening ongoing peace efforts in the conflict-torn region.
Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye categorically stated the stand of President Arroyo to maintain intelligence fusion and assistance from the United States in line with the international campaign against terrorism as anti-American advocates demanded that US forces leave the southern Philippines.
"The Philippines and the United States continue to uphold a strategic partnership for peace, freedom and global security based on a common fight against poverty," Bunye said.
He explained the peaceful resolution of decades-long conflict in Mindanao "is a task of vigilance as well as development, a mission of defeating terror and defeating poverty."
US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone said Monday that both countries would go after renegades who pose as legitimate Muslim separatist rebels while helping train bombers, or hide kidnappers and other criminals.
He cited there are at least 70 American military personnel training troops in the southern Philippines in intelligence gathering and anti-terrorism tactics.
Speaking at the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) forum, Ricciardone however declined to comment on any specific operation between Philippine and US forces, saying only that there was "ongoing cooperation."
"We are on the side of the Philippines," said Ricciardone. "We would like to see terrorism stop. We are going to help them with substantial operations-intelligence fusion."
But left-leaning groups demanded yesterday the immediate removal of these 70 American military "spies" out of Mindanao, whose presence they said was a clear violation of Philippine sovereignty.
Bunye, however, ignored the demand and noted it was only a minority sentiment.
"The earnest thrusts of the United States are well taken and will be supported by the people," he stressed.
"We fight terror and we wage peace for the cause of the people who want to walk the streets and till the fields without fear, engaging in productive enterprise to lead a dignified life," he added.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo also defended the Americans’ presence in Mindanao, saying it is consistent with the provisions of the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement.
In a briefing, Romulo said the 70 or so US military personnel training their Filipino counterparts are still part of the joint military exercises between the two countries.
Meanwhile in a radio interview, Bunye expressed doubts whether Ricciardone was accurately quoted by newspaper reports on his supposed admission of operations of US "spies" in the South.
"Perhaps, what Ambassador Ricciardone referred to is our intelligence sharing because that is what we’ve been doing, not only with the US but also with our neighboring countries," Bunye said. "We have an arrangement whereby the information that we hold is shared with the neighbors and vice versa."
It doesn’t necessarily have to involve "warm bodies" such as the deployment of alleged American spies in Mindanao, Bunye said.
"For example, if Indonesia or Malaysia and even the United States have an information about the movement of terrorist groups that operate there, then they share it with our intelligence community," he said.
The separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which for decades has been on and off the peace table with Manila, was not bothered by America’s backing of Mrs. Arroyo’s fight against breakaway militant groups.
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu also said they are unaffected by reports that a US spy ring is closely watching their group’s movements.
"Whatever the Americans say about that intelligence group, we are not affected at all. We know their presence. They used to have bases in the country. The American influence is here and so with their technology," Kabalu noted.
"What else is new? Nothing at all," he said.
The rebel spokesman likewise said the MILF has nothing to hide from alleged American spies.
"We have been very open. Everybody knows where we are, even the Philippine military knows everything about us," Kabalu said.
In the forum with foreign correspondents, Ricciardone raised concerns that the MILF appeared to be suffering from deep divisions, with some in favor of the talks and others against.
He pointed out "there seems to be people who are into kidnapping and bombing who are still calling themselves MILF."
The MILF, which has been waging a war for independence since 1978, has denied maintaining links with the Jemaah Islamiyah terror group although the Philippine military says up to 33 JI militants were training in bomb-making in southern camps.
Nonetheless, Kabalu said the MILF would still welcome development assistance from the US for the benefit of the Bangsamoro populace.
The US has pledged over $30 million in development assistance should a final peace accord be forged between government and the MILF.
"We welcome the assistance anyway once an agreement is signed," Kabalu said.
Formal peace talks between government and the MILF are set to resume on Feb. 5 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia after this was stalled in 2001 due to heated disagreements over issues on ancestral domain and the implementation of the development package for the Bangsamoro people in Mindanao.
Malaysia, a third-party facilitator in the talks, along with the US and Indonesia are co-signatories of the Philippines in the regional anti-terrorism pact that was subsequently forged after the Sept. 11, 2001 suicide attacks on the US that killed over 5,000 people.
The Philippines is currently chair of the special anti-terrorism task force of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and was recently designated to head a similar body in the United Nations Security Council. — With Edith Regalado, Marvin Sy
MANILA, January 26, 2005 (STAR) By Marichu Villanueva - Malacañang rejected yesterday calls for Mindanao to be rid of American intelligence operatives who are helping government forces run after groups threatening ongoing peace efforts in the conflict-torn region.
Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye categorically stated the stand of President Arroyo to maintain intelligence fusion and assistance from the United States in line with the international campaign against terrorism as anti-American advocates demanded that US forces leave the southern Philippines.
"The Philippines and the United States continue to uphold a strategic partnership for peace, freedom and global security based on a common fight against poverty," Bunye said.
He explained the peaceful resolution of decades-long conflict in Mindanao "is a task of vigilance as well as development, a mission of defeating terror and defeating poverty."
US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone said Monday that both countries would go after renegades who pose as legitimate Muslim separatist rebels while helping train bombers, or hide kidnappers and other criminals.
He cited there are at least 70 American military personnel training troops in the southern Philippines in intelligence gathering and anti-terrorism tactics.
Speaking at the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) forum, Ricciardone however declined to comment on any specific operation between Philippine and US forces, saying only that there was "ongoing cooperation."
"We are on the side of the Philippines," said Ricciardone. "We would like to see terrorism stop. We are going to help them with substantial operations-intelligence fusion."
But left-leaning groups demanded yesterday the immediate removal of these 70 American military "spies" out of Mindanao, whose presence they said was a clear violation of Philippine sovereignty.
Bunye, however, ignored the demand and noted it was only a minority sentiment.
"The earnest thrusts of the United States are well taken and will be supported by the people," he stressed.
"We fight terror and we wage peace for the cause of the people who want to walk the streets and till the fields without fear, engaging in productive enterprise to lead a dignified life," he added.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo also defended the Americans’ presence in Mindanao, saying it is consistent with the provisions of the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement.
In a briefing, Romulo said the 70 or so US military personnel training their Filipino counterparts are still part of the joint military exercises between the two countries.
Meanwhile in a radio interview, Bunye expressed doubts whether Ricciardone was accurately quoted by newspaper reports on his supposed admission of operations of US "spies" in the South.
"Perhaps, what Ambassador Ricciardone referred to is our intelligence sharing because that is what we’ve been doing, not only with the US but also with our neighboring countries," Bunye said. "We have an arrangement whereby the information that we hold is shared with the neighbors and vice versa."
It doesn’t necessarily have to involve "warm bodies" such as the deployment of alleged American spies in Mindanao, Bunye said.
"For example, if Indonesia or Malaysia and even the United States have an information about the movement of terrorist groups that operate there, then they share it with our intelligence community," he said.
The separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which for decades has been on and off the peace table with Manila, was not bothered by America’s backing of Mrs. Arroyo’s fight against breakaway militant groups.
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu also said they are unaffected by reports that a US spy ring is closely watching their group’s movements.
"Whatever the Americans say about that intelligence group, we are not affected at all. We know their presence. They used to have bases in the country. The American influence is here and so with their technology," Kabalu noted.
"What else is new? Nothing at all," he said.
The rebel spokesman likewise said the MILF has nothing to hide from alleged American spies.
"We have been very open. Everybody knows where we are, even the Philippine military knows everything about us," Kabalu said.
In the forum with foreign correspondents, Ricciardone raised concerns that the MILF appeared to be suffering from deep divisions, with some in favor of the talks and others against.
He pointed out "there seems to be people who are into kidnapping and bombing who are still calling themselves MILF."
The MILF, which has been waging a war for independence since 1978, has denied maintaining links with the Jemaah Islamiyah terror group although the Philippine military says up to 33 JI militants were training in bomb-making in southern camps.
Nonetheless, Kabalu said the MILF would still welcome development assistance from the US for the benefit of the Bangsamoro populace.
The US has pledged over $30 million in development assistance should a final peace accord be forged between government and the MILF.
"We welcome the assistance anyway once an agreement is signed," Kabalu said.
Formal peace talks between government and the MILF are set to resume on Feb. 5 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia after this was stalled in 2001 due to heated disagreements over issues on ancestral domain and the implementation of the development package for the Bangsamoro people in Mindanao.
Malaysia, a third-party facilitator in the talks, along with the US and Indonesia are co-signatories of the Philippines in the regional anti-terrorism pact that was subsequently forged after the Sept. 11, 2001 suicide attacks on the US that killed over 5,000 people.
The Philippines is currently chair of the special anti-terrorism task force of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and was recently designated to head a similar body in the United Nations Security Council. — With Edith Regalado, Marvin Sy