MANILA, 14 March 2003 — Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. yesterday warned the military against holding of RP-US Balikatan military exercises in populated centers of Central Mindanao, saying this could trigger more violence and bloodshed. “The Balikatan was really intended (to be held) in safe areas if they stick to its original intent,” he said.
“Our debates show that the exercises should be conducted outside populated areas like in Fort Magsaysay (army camp) in Nueva Ecija,” added Guingona, who was a senator before being appointed to the post of vice president by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
North Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Piñol had earlier asked Malacañang to allow his province to host the Balikatan war games.
Piñol said the North Cotabato provincial board had passed a resolution affirming his request, adding that development projects undertaken in Basilan during last year’s Balikatan could be replicated in North Cotabato.
Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes said he has asked defense department and armed forces officials to study the proposal of Piñol. Reyes said apart from Sulu, other venues are being considered for the Balikatan 03-1.
But Guingona pointed out that the current conflict in Central Mindanao between the military and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) would make the area too risky for war games. The presence of American troops in Central Mindanao could “exacerbate” the conflict and lead to more violence and bloodshed, warned Guingona, who is from Butuan City in northern Mindanao.
He noted that proposals to hold the exercises in Central Mindanao were broached following the bombing at the Davao Airport and the decision of the Philippine and US governments to suspend the holding of the Balikatan exercises in Sulu because of opposition from local leaders.
Guingona is now the leader of a broad-based coalition of militant and moderate peace advocates opposing the resumption of armed hostilities in Mindanao and the planned US military preemptive strike against Iraq.
