Foul weather stays RP-US war games in Capiz
Filipino and US soldiers opened yesterday Balance Piston 09-1 at Camp Macario Peralta in Jamindan, Capiz. Heavy rains, however, grounded the actual start of the exercises.
“So for now, they would only hold classroom lectures,” 3rd Infantry Division acting information officer, Capt. Renante Besa told The News Today during a phone interview yesterday.
In a press statement, Besa said, “RP-US Balance Piston 09-1 is a joint training exercise between US and AFP Forces involving 141 personnel of the 3rd Infantry Division and 31 US counterparts. This involves eleven (11) training events including Civic Action Programs. The joint training exercises will all take place within the Division Training area inside Camp Peralta.”
Balance Piston 09-1 aims to enhance the interoperability of Filipino troops with their Asian and US counterparts.
The actual exercises, to begin Wednesday, will involve marksmanship, combat maneuvering, jungle survival and combat lifesaver, and will end on February 20.
Livefire exercises include weapons proficiency training and mortar firing to conducted at the Division training range, Besa said.
Balance Piston 09-1 also involves a medical and dental mission, and civic action in selected barangays. Besa assured that Balance Piston, the second joint exercise to be held between US and Filipino soldiers in the Visayas, will not be held in areas considered by natives to be within their ancestral domain.
“It will be held within Camp Peralta,” he said. Camp Peralta, the headquarters of the Army's 3ID, is situated in a 33,000-hectare military reservation, part of which is claimed to be ancestral domain.
“Prior to the conduct of the joint exercises, the 3rd Infantry (S) Division, Philippine Army conducted coordinative meetings with stakeholders such as the CHR, NCIP, PNP, Local Government of Jamindan, Capiz and Barangay Captains to better inform the public about the joint exercise,” Besa said in the statement. Besa also assured the public of their safety, especially during the livefire exercises. “These will be conducted in parts of the camp away from the populated areas,” he stressed.