U.S. military presence strongest in Mindanao

THE Focus on the Global South recently released a map showing what it calls “the true scale and extent of U.S. military presence” in the country today.

The map, according to the Bangkok-based research institute, illustrates the different ways and forms by which the United States has established its military basing in the Philippines, pointing to:

• the locations of the increasing number of military exercises the U.S. has been holding year-round throughout the country from Batanes to Tawi-Tawi since 2001;

• the growing number of ports that an increasing number of U.S. warships have been visiting;

• the underreported presence of a unit of U.S. Special Operations Forces that has been stationed continuously and indefinitely in various camps throughout Mindanao since 2002, with its headquarters inside the Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City.

Click here for a larger view of the image.

The U.S. and Philippine governments have been downplaying American military presence in the country, but the Focus for the Global South has been belying such claims. Its recent report, At the Door of All the East: The Philippines in United States Military Strategy, points out that the U.S. is “transforming its presence in the Philippines in a way that seeks to heighten its capacity for intervention within the country and in the region.”

“At no point since the historic closure of the bases has the alliance (RP-US) been more robust; with arguably no other country in Southeast Asia are the ties stronger,” the report said.

Diverging from the so-called “global war on terror,” Focus on Global South pointed out that the U.S., in a larger context, aims to perpetuate its position as the world’s superpower by preventing the rise of any rivals.

See also previous PCIJ reports on U.S. military presence in the country:

• The U.S. troops ‘unconventional’ presence
• Video probes U.S. military’s unconventional presence in Mindanao
• Why is a U.S. construction unit spending P650 million in Mindanao?
• Military base redefined?

According to the report, the U.S. believes that China poses the greatest threat and must therefore be contained the region and in the world. The U.S. is therefore attempting to enlist countries around China to take its side and to encircle China with its bases and troops. And because of the Philippines’s strategic location, it is among the countries where the U.S. wants to establish these bases, secure access agreements, and station its troops.

‘U.S. base in Zamboanga’

Just this February, a fact-finding mission conducted by independent people’s initiative Citizens’ Peace Watch (CPW) in Mindanao discovered a U.S. military base that is reportedly in operation.

“We saw this facility that is a base within a base,” said Herbert Docena, Focus for the Global South representative during the post-mission press conference last February. “The headquarters of the Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF), it’s separated from the rest of Camp Navarro.” Camp Navarro is the Armed Forces of the Philippines’s military base in Zamboanga City.

As witnessed by the fact-finding group of more than 20 civil society organizations, the alleged U.S. military base is walled-in, surrounded by concertina wiring and sandbags. The actual size of the area could not be established from the outside, but communication instruments such as satellite dishes and antenna were visible. The facility displays a restricted area sign and workers wore identification cards.

“Filipino soldiers whom we have spoken with even confirmed that they, themselves — Filipino soldiers stationed inside the camp — are not allowed to enter this camp,” Docena added.

The group stressed that the presence of such a base is a clear violation of the 1987 Constitution, which expressly prohibits foreign military bases in the country. The last of the U.S. military bases on Philippine soil — Clark Air Base in Pampanga and Subic Naval Base in Zambales — closed down in 1992.

‘Actual combat’

The group’s major concern is that the U.S. troops might be involved in actual combat operations in the area. They went to Barangay Ipil in Maimbung, Sulu, site of the February 4 massacre, and spoke directly with witnesses and some of the relatives of the nine victims mistaken by the Philippine military as members of the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf.

One of the survivors, Rawina Wahid, widow of one of the victims, claimed that she saw four members of the U.S. military in the vicinity during the operation. Aside from Wahid’s testimony, the group also spoke with a number of other residents who also claimed to have seen American troops in the vicinity fighting in other operations in other parts of Sulu.

“Mayroon pong indications na talagang sumasama sa combat yung mga ‘bisitang’ Amerikanong sundalo (There are really indications that the ‘visiting’ American soldiers join combat),” said Docena.

U.S. troops describe their mission in Sulu as “unconventional warfare” and “counter-insurgency” — not just humanitarian mission or training exercise. This pertains to collecting “actionable intelligence,” operating spy planes, removing landmines, transporting casualties and undertaking other actions as part of joint RP-US military operations.

CPW, however, maintained that all these constitute involvement in “actual combat,” which is prohibited under the Constitution, and as affirmed by the Supreme Court. In taking part in such combat operations, U.S. troops can be held accountable for human rights violations blamed on the Philippine military by local residents, including the latest massacre of civilians in Maimbung.

‘Special operations’

The U.S. is also said to be conducting operations outside the control of the government and the military. Dr. Silak Lakkian, director of the Panamao District Hospital, recounted that U.S. soldiers once ordered the closure of the hospital for a month and threatened to shoot anyone who defied their order.

“The Americans cannot just do anything in the Philippines without informing the Philippine government,” said human rights advocate Sr. Arnold Noel.

This incident deprived the town of about 40,000 people of medical care every night for about a month, undermining the U.S. military’s so-called humanitarian concern for the people of Sulu. There were also allegations of U.S. troops giving out expired medicines to locals.

CPW claimed that development projects provided by the U.S. government have little impact on the province. “The Japanese and Canadian governments also provide development assistance to Sulu, but we do not see their armed soldiers on the streets,” said Mabel Carumba of the Mindanao People’s Peace Movement in a Pinoy Press online report.

Not helping

Members of the Moro National Liberation Front told CPW that “they now see the U.S. military — because of their obvious support for the Philippine military in their operations against them and against the Moro people — as enemies.”

The group claimed that the U.S. draws the party away from “a just and lasting resolution to the war and could even potentially trigger an escalation of the conflict.”

“Paano na lang kung merong mangyari sa mga tropang Amerikano na ‘to at ang gagantihan ay ‘yung buong komunidad (What if something happens to US troops and they’ll retaliate against the whole community)?” Anak Mindanao party-list Rep. Mujiv Hataman lamented. “Hindi pa nangyari sa atin ito pero nangyari na sa ibang bansa tulad nung sa Afghanistan, nangyari sa Iraq. Eto yung mas pangamba (This has not happened yet to us, but it has in other countries, in Afghanistan, in Iraq. This causes much worry).”

Call for action

To encourage further investigation of the US military presence in the south, CPW submitted its mission report to the House of Representatives, where it is currently under review by a technical committee.

“Hindi kami magbibigay ng conclusion pero itong fact-finding ng Citizens’ Peace Watch, iko-consider namin ito at malaking bagay at makakatulong sa amin (We will not give any conclusions but this fact-finding of the Citizens Peace Watch, we’ll consider this and [it] will be a big help),” said Hataman.

The group also demanded the suspension of U.S. military deployment to the Philippines, specifically the JSOTF as well as military exercises, pending the fair and independent review and investigation on their presence and intervention. They also urged the media to go to Zamboanga to “see for themselves.”

“Actually, kung walang taong nakapunta doon, ‘di natin malaman kasi silent rin ang media about this case (if nobody went there, we wouldn’t know because the media is also silent about this case),” complained Sr. Noel.

In Cotabato City, Muslim religious leaders have called for a review of the Visiting Forces Agreement, the agreement that governs the conduct of the war games.

“‘Visiting Forces Agreement’, but it’s no longer ‘visiting’ because they are already based there,” said Sr. Noel.

Before the fact-finding mission, CPW had asked members of the Cabinet, military officials and the U.S. embassy for meetings and an inspection of the U.S. military facility in Camp Navarro. The request was however denied. A Philippine military official told the group that the request would only be addressed in “two months or in 2013.” (with additional reporting by Alecks P. Pabico)