JOLO ISLAND, 12 February 2006 — More than 1,000 Muslims staged a surprising pro-US rally yesterday in Jolo, where thousands of American and Filipino soldiers are to start a controversial month-long joint military drills and humanitarian mission in the impoverished island, about 950 km south of Manila.

Hundreds of placard-bearing villagers, some came as far as the Parang town, south of the island, to join the rally led by the influential Sultan of Sulu and North Borneo, Sharif Ibrahim Ajibul Mohammad Pulalun.

It was the first time the secluded Pulalun came out in the open to publicly support the Balikatan (shoulder-to-shourlder) 2006, the codename for the RP-US military drills

“I call on every Muslims in Sulu to support the government and the Balikatan program because this will bring us more humanitarian aid. Let us show the world that we are peaceful citizens. I appeal to every Muslims to welcome our American visitors and support their peaceful cause,” the 50-year old leader, who is a staunch supporter of President Gloria Arroyo, said.

Pulalun appealed to Washington to send more humanitarian aid to poor Muslims in Jolo.

Dozens of Muslim activists last week demanded that US troops leave Jolo, burning a mock US flag and raising anti-US placards, including one that read “Bud Daho, never again,” referring to a Jolo area where American forces bloodily crushed a Muslim uprising about a century ago.

The training is expected to bring humanitarian and medical aid to many poor families in Jolo, one of the poorest provinces under the Muslim autonomous region.

But Jolo is also a known stronghold of the kidnap-for-ransom Abu Sayyaf group, blamed for the spate of kidnappings and terrorism in the troubled southern region, and any attack on US soldiers could jeopardize government efforts to bring aid and development to the island.

This year’s joint training is the 22nd in a series of drills that began in 1981, and would involve about 250 US troops and 4,000 Filipino infantry and marine troops, said Brig. Gen. Nehemias Pajarito, commander of the Philippine Army in Jolo.

Security is tight during the exercises to protect the US and Filippino soldiers against possible attacks by Abu Sayyaf militants.

The Abu Sayyaf previously threatened to attack US targets in the Philippines, and had killed three Americans, including a soldier, in Zamboanga City in 2002.