Communist rebels order attacks on US troops
Communist rebels have ordered an attack on American troops involved in joint military exercises on Panay Island.
In an undated e-mailed statement, the Panay Regional committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) said the presence of American troops in Capiz and their participation in the 25-day military exercise is an “act of aggression of foreign troops.”
“The Communist Party of the Philippines considers American troops involved in the Balikatan (military exercises) as a belligerent force. They are, therefore, legitimate targets of (New People's Army's) tactical offensives in the course of their participation in military operations with the (Armed Forces of the Philippines)...,” said rebel spokesman Julian Paisano in the statement in Hiligaynon.
Paisano said the American troops are considered targets even just by helping in intelligence-gathering on the location and movement of NPA units in Panay and other islands in the Visayas
He said NPA units in Panay have been directed “to attack US troops involved in operations against the NPA during the exercises.”
The rebel spokesman said the American soldiers are on the island to “train puppet troops of the 3rdInfantry Division (3ID) to effectively fight the revolutionary forces in Panay and in Western and Central Visayas.”
The statement was belittled by the 3ID which is hosting the joint exercises at its headquarters in Camp Macario Peralta . in Jamindan town in Capiz.
“Terrorists don't have legitimate targets (because) they even murder their own kind. They do not have nor believe in any justice system. What is legitimate in their killing activities?” said . Renante Besa, acting 3ID public information officer, in a text message.
Besa said they have been expecting threats from the CPP and NPA.
“Nothing is new to us. Security measures were implemented. The training is going smoothly as planned,” said Besa.
He said despite the threats, a scheduled medical mission to be joined by American soldiers will push through in Barangays Agloloway and Jaena Sur, both in Jamindan and near the training site.
The RP-US “Balance Piston 09-1” started on January 26 and will end on February 20.
The exercises involve 141 personnel of the 3ID and 31 US soldiers, mostly trainers.
The training exercises are being held within the training area of the 3ID headquarters and include 11 training activities including civic-military programs among residents near the military camp.
The 3ID occupies 33,310 hectares of land that have been transformed into a military reservation since 1962 by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 67 issued by then President Diosdado Macapagal. The land, considered the country's biggest military camp next to Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, covers 16 of the 22 upland villages of Tapaz town and seven villages of Jamindan town, both in Capiz.
Panay Island's largest indigenous group, the Tumandok, wants to reclaim the military reservation which they consider apart of their ancestral domain.