Military can stand alone but welcomes US help--spokesman

By Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 07:51pm (Mla time) 01/03/2007

THE PHILIPPINE military can "stand alone" even without training assistance from the United States, a spokesman said Wednesday.

But at the same time, Lieutenant Colonel Bartolome Bacarro said that the Armed Forces of the Philippines would welcome “anything that would boost” its capability.

Bacarro issued the statement, a day after the US announced that it would resume its war games with the Philippines following the transfer of convicted Marine Lance Corporal Daniel Smith to the US Embassy from a local jail in compliance with the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

The US had suspended the annual military activity after a local court had repeatedly denied Smith’s petition for a transfer.

"The AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] can stand alone," Bacarro told a news conference in Camp Aguinaldo.

"Even without the training with the Americans or other countries, not zeroing on Balikatan, the Armed Forces can on its own conduct training and perform its function," he said.

Bacarro said that aside from training, the US has donated weapons used
during the joint exercises, including M16 rifles, night vision goggles, and handheld radios that operate on encrypted signals that could not be intercepted by enemies.

Asked if halting US assistance would affect the AFP's anti-terrorism campaign in the south, where some Balikatan training exercises were
being held, Bacarro said: "We have an edge if we have better equipment, but we can do it on our own."

On Tuesday, the US Embassy announced that it would push through with this year's Balikatan exercises between American and Filipino troops that will be held in the Philippines.

This came after Smith was transferred to the US Embassy from the Makati City jail on December 29 even without a court order, but pursuant to the VFA, which governs the conduct of Filipino and American troops engaged in war games.

A VFA provision states that any erring American personnel should remain under the custody of the US Embassy until judicial proceedings become final and executory.

Smith, who was sentenced to 40 years in prison on December 4 after he was found guilty of raping a Filipina on Nov. 1, 2005 at the Subic Bay Freeport, has appealed his case.

The court absolved the involvement of three other US Marines.

The US Embassy cancelled the 2006 Balikatan war games on December 22, saying that the Philippines’ refusal to abide by the VFA has endangered the welfare of other US troops.

Click here to access article as posted on INQUIRER.net