Phil-US Balikatan Exercises Opens Ceremonies Today

The annual Philippine-US “Balikatan” military exercises kicked off today at Camp Aguinaldo in Santolan.

This year’s military training focus will be on humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HA/DR).

Over 8, 000 Filipino and US soldiers will participate in the joint military drill.

Not only that, air and naval assets have also arrived in the Philippine territory this week, with more arriving in the coming days.

There are 14 US military planes stationed at Clark Air Base in Pampanga, and one warship–the USS Tortuga–which docked in Manila Bay, Monday.

According to news reports, among the military dignitaries who attended in the opening ceremonies today were Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario, Defense Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin, US Ambassador Harry K. Thomas, AFP Chief of Staff General Emmanuel T. Bautista, AFP Command and General Staff College Commandant Major General Virgillo O. Domingo, and US Deputy Exercise Director Brigadier Generak Richard M. Simcock II.

Meanwhile, the Philippine military will use nine of its aircraft from the Philippine Air Force to assist Filipino and American troops in the ongoing Balikatan activities while the Philippine Navy will deploy one of its Islanders and two vessels.

Officials from Australia, Brunei, Japan, Republic of Korea, and Thailand will join with high ranking officers from the Armed Force of the Philippine (AFP) and US Military in the Multinational Maritime Security Roundtable Discussion at Camp Aguinaldo.

The Philippine-US “Balikatan” exercises is based on the 1951 Phil-US Mutual Defense Treaty.

The military exercises which will culminate on April 17 has been staged amid the ongoing tensions in the Korean peninsulas and the US, and with oppositions from the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) and Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

Source: inquirer.net, philstar.com