North Cotabato execs say no to Balikatan

DAVAO CITY — Members of the North Cotabato Sangguniang Panglungsod vowed yesterday not to allow any joint military exercises between the Philippines and the United States to take place in the province as the American government continues to refuse to turn over to the local courts the four US servicemen accused of rape in Subic.

"While we respect the decision of the US government not to turn over the four accused to Philippine authorities, we would also like to assert our right and our dignity as a people not to allow any more such joint war games in our area," North Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Piñol said.

At least 32 US Elite Forces are now participating in the ongoing Balance Piston 06-02 joint military exercises inside the Philippine Army’s Camp Lucero in the town of Carmen.

A recent statement from the US Embassy in Manila noted that the Americans would retain custody of the four accused even after careful consideration of the request made by the Philippine government that they be handed over to local authorities.

The same statement said the US and the Philippines share the same goal and that is to see to it that justice is served. However, the Americans insist that the existing Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) provides the framework for the judicial process to proceed even if the four accused are in their custody.

Piñol said the provincial officials have decided that since there is nothing they can do at the moment with the ongoing Balikatan exercises at Camp Lucero, which ends on Feb. 17, they have opted not to allow anymore such joint military war games in the province.

"We shall no longer host any Balikatan exercises in our area because what the US is doing is an insult to us as a country and as a people," Piñol told The STAR.

Camp Lucero was also the venue of the same military exercises last year despite repeated protests from various militant groups in the area.

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr., on the other hand, stressed that a review of the VFA at this time would not be advantageous to the country as it may also prejudice the rape case against the four suspected American servicemen.

Pimentel expressed fears that a review and renegotiation of the VFA at this time might provide the constraints to pursue the court trial of the pending legal case.