Sun Star Cebu April 18, 2002
Balikatan report card
By Nini B. Cabaero
US Pacific Forces Commander Dennis Blair's visit to Zamboanga City and Basilan island comes as the Balikatan exercises in Mindanao are halfway through its term.
Reports said his visit was to check on the progress of the joint US-Philippine military operation targeting the Abu Sayyaf, believed to have links with Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network. I wonder if he would be sharing the results of his assessment with the Filipino people.
Three months have passed since the start of the Balikatan exercises and there has been no report card yet on which the Filipino people can base their own assessment. Except for motherhood statements on the partnership and goodwill generated, there is not much information on what have transpired and on which Filipinos can give Balikatan a passing or failing mark.
Halfway through the six-month joint exercises in Mindanao, an initial report card would be timely.
If we go by the reported purpose of the Balikatan - to train and assist Filipino soldiers against the Abu Sayyaf, the crushing of the extremist group can still be several exercises away. The only assessment so far received from the Philippine military is that the Abu Sayyaf group is now "a spent force," with its members down to a few dozens from the original of over 2,000.
Filipino nurse, Deborah Yap, and two American hostages, Martin and Gracia Burnham, are still to be rescued or released by the Abu Sayyaf. In the case of Italian priest Fr. Guiseppe Pierantoni, he admitted he was released by the Pentagon group after payment of board and lodging.
The term "balikatan" means "shouldering the load together" or shoulder-to-shoulder. The Balikatan series is an annual event aimed at improving RP-US combined planning, combat readiness, and interoperability while enhancing security relations and demonstrating US resolve to support the Philippine government against external aggression. (www.globalsecurity.org)
The first phase of the joint military exercises, Balikatan 02-1, started last January 15 and will run for six months. Over 600 US troops are participating, including the 160 special forces commandos deployed in Basilan island.
The Philippine government said the purpose of the operation is to eliminate the Abu Sayyaf and free hostages Yap and the Burnham couple who were taken hostage in May 2001. In addition, the US troops are to help upgrade war resources and communications of the Philippine military through an increase in military assistance of from US$2 million in 2001 to US$20 million in 2002.
The second phase of the exercises, Balikatan 02-2, will begin this month with 2,665 US soldiers expected to participate. This will take place in Luzon and will be separate from the Mindanao exercises.
It is because the exercises are two-fold and shall continue towards the third quarter of the year that an evaluation at this point is appropriate. We cannot move on blindly, without an assessment of progress of the exercises, the benefits to each party and whether there would be need for more exercises.
The Balikatan 02-1 report card is due now.
Copyright 2002 King Communications Group
