MILITANTS TO BLOCK BALIKATAN IN DAVAO

MILITANTS vowed Monday to block any Balikatan exercise that would be held
in Davao City.

This after learning about the anti-narcotics seminar conducted by the
American soldiers with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the city
dubbed as Baker Piston 04-2.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan spokesperson Jeppie Ramada said the Baker Piston
is just a prelude to Balikatan exercise the government and the US are
planning to hold in the city.

He said the Baker Piston 04-2, the first joint exercise to tackle narcotics
terrorism in the country, must be scrutinized even if this would supposedly
battle the drug-related problems in the country.

He said in Davao, the US wants to meddle on "drug issue," particularly the
very sensational series of summary killings, "only to pursue their (US)
economic and political interests".

Ramada said that the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) Commission under its
executive director Foreign Undersecretary Zosimo Jesus Paredes II "must
consider the local government and more importantly the peace-loving
Dabawenyos stand on this highly debatable issue, and not just force to
stage Balikatan here."

Ramada predicted that the ongoing RP-US troops exercise on anti-narcotics
terrorism at the Public Safety College Regional Training School (PSCRTS) in
the city is a prelude to the highly contested joint military exercise.

"The anti-narcotics terrorism training employed by the US is their
effective strategy to win the hearts of Dabawenyos, especially those who
are against the extra-judicial killings, yet they are up to a more vicious
plan, that is exploitation of our vast natural resources and using the
strategic location of Mindanao to maintain their status as superpower,"
Ramada said.

There are reportedly 10 American narcotics experts and 100 participants
from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine Drug
Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) who are
taking part in this month-long training, which started last week of August
and held simultaneously at various areas in the country including, Camp
Bado Dangwa in La Trinidad, Benguet and the Philippine Military Academy.

The said training is being conducted because the Philippines is allegedly
one of the major transshipment points of methamphetamine hydrochloride
(shabu) and marijuana in Southeast Asia.

Bayan affirms that they will do whatever it takes to block the entry of the
US troops and the joint war exercise in Davao.

Paredes said that Baker Piston, just like the just concluded Balance Piston
in Carmen, North Cotabato, is not a military exercise, as some people would
tend to believe.

He said these two activities are just trainings and seminars as well as
civil-military operations (CMO) aimed at sharing ideas and expertise
between the US and the Philippines.

Paredes said the Mutual Defense Board created under the VFA has not yet
convened to discuss whether or not to hold a Balikatan exercise here in
Davao City and other parts of Mindanao.

He revealed though that Balikatan exercise is nothing new, being conducted
annually for the past 20 years now under the Mutual Defense Treaty between
the two countries forged way back in 1951.