Philippines-US Defense Board Meet on Security InterestsThe Philippines-United States Mutual Defense Board met Friday morning in Manila as top officials of the US Pacific Command and the Armed Force of the Philippines (AFP) gathered together to discuss security matters.US officials denied after the meeting that US soldiers were being used in the offensive against the Abu Sayyaf, the Philippine Star online news reported. The report quoted the U.S. officials as saying tat the United States was exchanging intelligence with the Philippine government with regards to the immediate release of the American hostages Martin and Gracia Burnham and the confirmation of the status of the missing American, Guillermo Sobero. However, they were still hopeful that the U.S. hostages- including the missing Sobero-were still okay. AFP chief of staff General Diomedio Villanueva said that the talks were primarily about the strengthening of cooperation between the two nations through "common security interests." However, he denied that the U.S. officials were still interested in setting up bases on Philippine soil. He said that cooperation between the Philippines and the United States will strengthen the defenses against the prevailing terrorism in the Philippines and abroad. The Burnhams and Sobero were among 20 hostages kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group on May 27 from a western Philippine resort. Sobero was announced to have been beheaded on June 12 by the Abu Sayyaf bandits. But his remains did not find yet. |
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