Full U.S. ally status timely for RP
Full U.S. ally status timely for RP
Agencies, Manila
President George W. Bush's decision giving full U.S. military ally status to the Philippines will boost the country's defense capabilities as it deals with increasing threats from terror and insurgent groups, analysts say.
Bush promised after talks with President Gloria Arroyo at the White House on Monday to make the Philippines a non-NATO ally of the United States, clearing the way for increased U.S. military loans, cut-price U.S. military equipment and other military benefits.
"That will prop up the war against terror in the Philippines if we get those (military aid) packages on time," said Congressman Prospero Pichay, head of the House defense committee.
"We need it very badly. If they can deliver to us as soon as possible then that will really help deliver a big blow to the enemy," he said.
The Philippines only has 18 helicopters and two OV-10 attack planes as well as six helicopter gunships and two C-130 transport planes.
"We don't have much equipment," said Pichay.
Arroyo also obtained from Bush a pledge of a new joint military effort to finally crush the Abu Sayyaf, a small group of Moro guerrillas linked to the al-Qaeda terror network.
He also offered her US$30 million in new aid for training and equipping the Philippine military.
As a special non-NATO ally, the Philippines would be given priority in receiving excess U.S. military surplus, allow it to stockpile equipment and make it eligible to participate in research and development programs, the U.S. embassy said.
Other countries that enjoy similar status are Australia, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Argentina, South Korea and New Zealand. The Philippines is the first Southeast Asian country to get this status.
"This is a most welcome development for us, particularly the armed forces," military vice chief of staff Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Garcia said. "This would translate into added assistance in the economic and military levels."
Hours before embarking on the U.S. trip on Saturday, Arroyo ordered a military offensive against the 12,500-strong Muslim separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the southern Philippines.
Apart from the Abu Sayyaf, the military is also struggling with the communist New People's Army (NPA), the 9,000-strong guerrilla arm of the underground Communist Party of the Philippines waging a decades long insurgency.
Washington has labeled the Abu Sayyaf and the NPA as terrorists while the MILF has been accused of having ties with the Jamaah Islamiyah, which in turn is allegedly linked to al- Qaeda.
Although the two countries have long been military allies, many Filipinos feel the country was not getting enough U.S. attention as a frontline state in the war against terror.
"People have been complaining here about the type of military packages we were getting: night vision goggles and small arms," said Joey Silva, associate director of the Asian Institute of Management policy forum, a local think-tank.
Separately, the MILF rebels on Tuesday welcomed Bush's offer of financial and political assistance to end their decades-old insurgency, but said they have no choice but to fight a continuing Philippine military offensive.
Presidential Chief of Staff Rigoberto Tiglao said the four-day-old offensive has been largely successful with 70 rebels killed and no civilian casualties and could end within days. About 17,000 people have been displaced, but officials said they were arranging for their return.
Rebel spokesman Eid Kabalu denied any rebels were killed, and said the MILF welcomes U.S. offers of assistance.