RP to forge accords allowing entry to troops from SE Asia
RP to forge accords allowing entry to troops from SE Asia
Jim Gomez, Associated Press/Manila
The Philippines will negotiate bilateral accords with Australia and Southeast Asian countries to let their troops enter the country for combat training as part of a regional "plan of attack against terrorism," the defense secretary said on Tuesday.
The Philippines has such a status-of-forces agreement only with the United States, its longtime military ally that has deployed troops to help train and arm Filipino soldiers who have been battling al-Qaeda-linked militants.
Negotiations with Australia and Malaysia were progressing well, Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz said, adding the government also has sent draft agreements and proposals to Singapore, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries.
The Philippine Constitution prohibits the presence of foreign troops unless covered by a treaty, and bars them from local combat.
The accord with Australia could be completed first. Canberra has been invited to send troops to observe and eventually join annual war exercises called "Balikatan" involving thousands of American and Filipino troops in the Philippines, Cruz said.
"Only through cooperation with all of these countries can we have an affective plan of attack against terrorism," Cruz told a news conference after talks with Australian Defense Minister Robert Hill.
Australia has provided limited counterterrorism training to Philippine security forces, but Hill said his government wanted to play a greater role, stressing that reducing threats here would benefit Australia and the whole region.
Although Australia has not been hit by a major terrorist strike, nearly 100 of its nationals had been killed in bombings in Indonesia's resort island of Bali and on its embassy in Jakarta last year.
Australian and Western officials have expressed concern over the reported presence and training of al-Qaeda-allied militants in the southern Philippines -- scene of a decades-long Muslim separatist war.
"That terrorist threat is a very real one to Australia now," Hill said. "We feel the possibility of terrorists moving into the southern Philippines. We, therefore, have a real and vested interested in working with the Philippines to overcome that threat," he said.
The United States welcomed the proposed accord between Australia and the Philippines.
"More cooperation among partners in fighting terrorism is a good thing," U.S. Embassy spokesman Matthew Lussenhop said.
However, left-wing lawmaker Teodoro Casino expressed fear said the accord would "open doors for direct military intervention". He also said he would file a resolution calling for a House of Representatives inquiry into the proposed agreement.
Casino said his concern was set off partly by earlier statements by Australian officials advocating pre-emptive military strikes against terrorists in other countries.
"They look at the Philippines as a base of terrorists and they would likely intervene here in the guise of preventing terrorism from reaching Australia," he said.