Alternative venue for ‘Balikatan’ still being selected

President Arroyo said yesterday military and defense agencies are now in the process of evaluating various areas in the country where the RP-US Balikatan 03-1 joint military exercises could be held.

Because of the stiff objections in using Sulu as the venue for the war exercises, Mrs. Arroyo clarified Balikatan 03-1 would still be conducted elsewhere.

"This does not mean there is no more Balikatan. We will look for other places where there is order, strategic, where the residents welcome these exercises. So I assure our people that Balikatan will proceed. We are just making arrangements where and when," Mrs. Arroyo said.

In a hastily called press briefing at Malacañang, Mrs. Arroyo reiterated her earlier announcement ruling out Sulu for the holding of Balikatan.

"In places where it not welcomed by the people, by officials of Sulu, who said they don’t believe in holding it there, then we will not hold it there," Mrs. Arroyo said.

Noting the stiff objections by residents on the presence of American troops, Mrs. Arroyo said the Department of National Defense (DND) will decide on the choice of venue, taking into consideration other factors, including "cultural sensitivities" and strategic locations.

"Its pretty final because there are many provinces which offered to host it," Mrs. Arroyo said.

Arroyo cited that the RP-US Mutual Defense Board in Honolulu on a meeting on operational decisions on the holding of Balikatan 03-1.

Last week, the Palace received a resolution signed by the governors of the provinces of MIMAROPA (Mindoro Oriental, Mindoro Occidental, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) requesting Mrs. Arroyo to order the conduct of the Balikatan exercise in their region "to be hosted by the province of Occidental Mindoro."

The joint operations had been hounded by controversy after US officials pushed for allowing American soldiers to join in actual combat, which is against the Constitution.

It was widely expected that the planned US-Philippine military operation in Jolo would neutralize the Abu Sayyaf who have been kidnapping Christians and foreigners for decades, holding them hostage in the jungles of Jolo.

The Abu Sayyaf has been linked by both Washington and Manila to the al-Qaeda network of terror mastermind Osama bin Laden. The bandit group is still holding three Indonesian seamen and four Filipina Christian preachers in the jungles of Jolo.

In Washington, Philippine Armed Forces Southern Command (Southcom) chief Lt. Gen. Narciso Abaya is on a visit in an apparent attempt to revive the holding of Balikatan exercises.

Brig. Gen, Delfin Lorenzana, defense and Armed Forces attache at the Philippine embassy in Washington confirmed Abaya arrived on Thursday (Friday in Manila) and said he would remain "for as long as it takes to talk to people here."

Lorenzana, however, declined on Abaya’s main purpose of the visit. – With Jose Katigbak, AFP