Philippine President Approves Joint Exercise With US Troops

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, January 14, 2002

Philippine President Approves Joint Exercise With US Troops

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has given the go-signal to the military to hold joint exercise with U.S. troops in Mindanao area, the southern Philippines.

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Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has given the go-signal to the military to hold joint exercise with U.S. troops in Mindanao area, the southern Philippines.

Presidential spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said Monday that the plan for the "Mindanao Shoulder by Shoulder" exercise to be held in Basilan and Zamboanga was submitted by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) officials and Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes and was approved by Arroyo.

The exercise to be officially started on Tuesday will involve training of Philippine troops in an actual terrain of military operations and against an actual enemy, the Abu Sayyaf bandits.

Tiglao said that the U.S. personnel will not be engaged in combat, and they will be under the command and supervision of AFP officers. The program does not in any way involve the setting up of U.S. military facilities, he added.

He also said that the exercise will be undertaken under the framework of the Mutual Defense Treaty and the Visiting Forces Agreement between the two countries.

Dozens of U.S. military advisers have arrived the Philippines in the past months to help training Philippine troops fighting against the Abu Sayyaf bandits who are still holding two American and one Filipino hostages.

Tiglao said since last May to January 11, 2002, 166 Abu Sayyaf leaders and members have been killed in fire-fights, 211 arrested and 104 have surrendered.

The Abu Sayyaf bandit group, notorious for kidnapping-for-ransom activities, is on U.S. list of international terrorist groups.