AMERICAN soldiers based in Mindanao are not high-value targets of terrorists, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told a hearing conducted by the House committee on appropriations Wednesday.
During the budget hearing of the department’s proposed P178.2-billion budget for 2017, Lorenzana said the President fears that the US soldiers might be subject to reprisals by the terrorists.
“I don’t think that will happen,” Lorenzana said in Fiipino, referring to US troops who he said are helping Filipino soldiers improve their intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
“Let us remember, these people are also combatants. They are not civilians subject to kidnapping by terrorists,” Lorenzana said.
Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano, a retired Marine captain, expressed reservations about Duterte’s declaration that the US soldiers must leave Mindanao, saying they provide the country defense cover.
“We were not able to develop our own capabilities to protect our territories because we are focusing internally… We are moving towards that and the US, in one way or another, is helping us develop that capability,” Alejano said.
Lorenzana said US soldiers are confined to military camps and are also armed every time they go out for a vacation.
“They are just inside the camp. They won’t go out of their camps… or they’re also armed,” Lorenzana said.
Duterte earlier called for a pullout of US troops in Mindanao, a call that opposition Rep. Harry Roque of the Kabayan party-list group supports.
In a resolution, Roque commended Duterte for his stated intention to pursue an independent foreign policy.
He said the Philippines, under the United Nations Charter, is an independent and sovereign state entitled to respect by other members of the international community as their equal.
A Defense official, meanwhile, said looking at other countries such as Russia and China as possible sources of equipment for the Armed Forces is mandated by law.
Defense Department public affairs director Arsenio Andolong said the Government Procurement Reform Act, dictates that the Armed Forces not limit possible sources of its materiel to only a few countries, as this would rob it of the opportunity to get the best equipment.
Andolong said technical working groups of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines have been conducting market research on new hardware and technologies from many countries, including Russia and China.
“For the record, we also looked at the offerings from Sweden, Germany and France,” he said.
Andolong was commenting on Duterte’s announcement that Russia and China have agreed to provide armaments and other weaponry to the AFP for its counter-insurgency campaign.
“Of course, there are other considerations, such as cost, inter-operability with our existing equipment and personnel capacity,” Andolong said.
The Philippines has traditionally sourced its military equipment from the US, Israel, South Korea and Japan.
The head of the public affairs office of the AFP said Tuesday that if US troops are pulled out of Mindanao, they can be relocated to Metro Manila or nearby provinces.
“They are able to help even if they are Zamboanga City, they can help even if they are in Metro Manila (and other provinces) for example where they are lless in peril from reprisals from the Abu Sayyaf Group and other terrorist groups,” Armed Forces public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said Tuesday.
Currently, there are 107 US military personnel in Mindanao. With PNA