Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo, chief of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the Armed Forces would not be able to fill the void left by the cancellation of the exercises, dubbed Balikatan, once the US troops withdraw next year.
"The presence of the US forces here is a very big help both to the military and to the residents," Cedo said.
Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat, for his part, said the Balikatan exercises have brought development not only to Zamboanga but also to the countryside.
At least 300 American troops are deployed in Sulu and Zamboanga City as part of the US contingent in the Balikatan exercises that are assisting the Armed Forces in counter-terrorism operations against the Abu Sayyaf and foreign terrorists belonging to the Indonesian-based Jemaah Islamiyah.
The US canceled its military exercises with the Philippines after the Americans failed to regain custody of Smith, who was convicted of raping a 23-year-old Filipina.
"The Balikatan 2007 exercises, scheduled for February, have been canceled due to the current custody issue that’s still working its way through the Philippine judicial system," US Embassy Press Attache Matthew Lussenhop said.
Balikatan is the largest joint military exercise held in the Philippines each year, involving as many as 5,000 American soldiers and a bigger number of Filipino troops.
Lussenhop said all the military exercises between the US and the Philippines set for next year have been canceled until the custody issue is resolved and the government can ensure the protection of US troops participating in military exercises.
US officials said that if the Philippines cannot ensure the protection of US military personnel, it wouldn’t be prudent to bring in US troops to the country.
City Councilor Mannix Dalipe said the US government should not "blackmail" the Philippine government by withdrawing its military assistance over Smith custody dispute.
The US military has provided modern equipment and intelligence information to help track down Abu Sayyaf fighters that led to the killings and arrest of some of the leaders of the militant group in Basilan and Sulu.
Meanwhile, Paul Jones, deputy chief of mission of the US Embassy in Manila, said in a press conference held at the office of Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca, that the VFA was very explicit in the provision that the US government has the right of custody over American troops undergoing trial and even after their conviction.
Jones, who was in Isabela to scout for projects that need US assistance, said the American response to cancel the Balikatan exercises was not a reaction to the guilty verdict on Smith. — With Charlie Lagasca