AFP chief of staff Gen. Diomedio Villanueva officially opened the war games a day after US President George W. Bush pledged in his State of the Union address that America will not hesitate to act against such "parasites" if other nations act timidly against terrorism.
Villanueva, along with officials from both countries, launched the exercises in a simple ceremony amid tight security at the headquarters of the military’s Southern Command (Southcom) here.
The ceremony was also attended by small military contingents of 100 Filipino and 36 US troops, the advance party for 660 fully armed American soldiers who have been allowed — for the first time — to observe local operations in actual combat zones.
In a speech during the ceremonies, US chargé d’affaires Robert Fitts echoed Bush’s words, saying the exercises will "help eliminate the terrorist parasites who threaten Filipinos as well as the United States."
"To those of you that wish the Philippine nation ill and would terrorize its people, I can assure you that this exercise will develop the skills and maintain the determination of the Philippine Armed Forces to eliminate you," Fitts said.
He said the operation was part of Bush’s "war on terrorism on every front with our allies," and would include cooperation in law enforcement, intelligence, security and diplomatic efforts.
"Let no one in the Philippine and American society doubt we are here to train, advise and assist our allies and our friends," Fitts said.
The exercise is one of the biggest deployments of American troops since the US began its campaign in Afghanistan to wipe out the al-Qaeda terrorist network which is blamed for the Sept. 11 attacks on New York City and Washington DC.
The Abu Sayyaf is believed to have been formed by local Muslim extremists in the early 1990s with the financial assistance of groups linked to al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden.
Fitts said the US forces would "launch a round of exercises and training... to help the (AFP) hone its skills to eliminate the Abu Sayyaf scourge."
Some 660 US troops, including some 160 Special Forces, are expected to participate in the war games along with their Filipino counterparts in Abu Sayyaf strongholds on Basilan island where they are still holding an American missionary couple and a Filipino nurse.
The Abu Sayyaf kidnapped long-time Philippine residents Martin and Gracia Burnham from the Dos Palmas island resort off Palawan on May 27 last year while nurse Deborah Yap was seized from a hospital in Lamitan, Basilan on June 2.
Gracia Burnham’s sister, Mary Jones, who arrived recently to appeal for the release of her sister and brother-in-law, left for the US yesterday after making her appeal to the Abu Sayyaf during a radio interview here.
The Basilan component exercise, called "Kalayaan Aguila (Freedom Eagle)," is the first of some 16 similar exercises planned for this year and one of dozens more in recent years.
About 2,000 US Marines are expected to arrive in April for the next component exercise.
Exercise Freedom Eagle, however, marks the first time fully armed US troops would be allowed to "observe" actual combat operations and defend themselves against the Abu Sayyaf which has staged brutal murders and kidnappings over the past decade.
Southcom chief Lt. Gen. Roy Cimatu conceded the local military’s operations against Abu Sayyaf "expose our capability and feebleness in facing the challenges... feebleness in terms of modern weaponry."
But he defended the military’s record against the group, saying they had significantly decimated the ranks of the Abu Sayyaf, estimated to have numbered around 1,000 at its height, even before the Americans arrived.
Military officials from both countries said US soldiers will mainly train local troops in helicopter night flying and other tactics involving sophisticated equipment.
A recent survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed that some 84 percent of respondents supported US military assistance against local terror groups.
But other groups have expressed vehement opposition to the exercises which, they claim, violate the Constitution and Philippine sovereignty.
In Manila, about 50 leftist protesters scuffled with police in front of the US Embassy in the latest of small, almost daily demonstrations against the current exercise.
The incident prompted police to warn protesters against vandalism and admonished them to observe civility.
"As we’ve agreed before, they must get a permit before conducting their rally in ‘freedom parks’ like the Don Chino Roces Bridge and Liwasang Bonifacio," said Metro Manila police chief Director Edgar Aglipay.
Aglipay made the remark shortly before he met with organizers of the protest rallies so they would agree on "ground rules" to make the rallies peaceful and orderly.
"We will allow them to ventilate their grievances but they must also respect the rights of other people to do business or conduct their daily lives," he said.
Aglipay said police would secure the rally sites to ensure the protesters’ safety but appealed to protest organizers to prevent their colleagues from vandalizing properties and avoid violent confrontations.
The violators, he said, will be arrested and charged for violating the Public Assembly Act of 1985, or Republic Act 880. - With Non Alquitran, Perseus Echeminada, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Jose Rodel Clapano, Romel Bagares, Sandy Araneta, Christina Mendez, Aurea Calica