MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) The US military forces stationed in Mindanao had joined the Philippine military in combat operations, the whistleblower on the Balikatan fund mess said on Wednesday.
Lieutenant Senior Grade Nancy Gadian, liaison officer for Balikatan 2002, said the US soldiers had been “embedded” with the local troops and engaged in intelligence gathering, activities that have been prohibited under the Philippine Constitution and the Visiting Forces Agreement, an accord that governs US military presence in the country.
Gadian was the planning officer for the Balikatan 2002 conducted in Clark Field Pampanga, the Balikatan 2002-1 held in Mindanao and she also served as the media relations officer for the Philippine government for the same year.
In a press conference at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, Gadian said that before she resigned from the military, she received field reports that 500 US forces deployed in Mindanao had been "embedded" with the Filipino troops conducting field operations.
“Some members of the Philippine military confirmed to me that US troops are embedded in the Philippine troops who were engaged in actual combat in Mindanao,” Gadian said in her sworn affidavit detailing her knowledge of the participation of US forces in the anti-insurgency campaign in Mindanao.
She added that US forces deployed in Mindanao were part of the Special Operations Command which were “highly capable and technically skilled individuals”
“Hindi naman sila magde-deploy dito nang hindi combat ready [They will not be deploying their troops here who are not combat ready],” Gadian said.
However, when asked if she knew of any specific operation wherein US troops were involved in combat operations, Gadian said that she has no personal knowledge.
“Wala akong personal knowledge but sabi ko nga kanina [I have no personal knowledge but like I said earlier], reported, revelation na embedded sila sa troops [that they are embedded among the troops],” she said.
She added that in the “terms of reference” for the 2002-1 Balikatan 2002-1 detailed the participation of US forces on the “actual terrain.”
“When we say actual terrain, it’s in the engagement area so they issue an advisory that they will act only in defense of themselves but the bullet does not choose its target,” Gadian told reporters in Filipino.
She added that US forces were part of the planning of combat operations since they have “high sophisticated intelligence equipment” which they use to provide their counterparts in the Armed Forces of the Philippines with information.
Gadian blew the whistle on the alleged misuse of a P46-million fund for the Balikatan joint military exercises in 2007.
She added that she had seen US military structures within Philippine military camps, which she said was an indication the US troops had no intention of leaving the country.
The Constitution bars foreign military bases in the country.
Also in her affidavit, Gadian said that US forces have established a Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines based in Camp Navarro. She added that the US military has a “forward unit” of 500 men in Edwin Andrews Air Base in Sta. Maria, Zamboanga City.
“In military parlance, a ‘forward unit’ is an advanced command unit that is installed to serve as the first line of defense against the enemy. The forward unit serves as the central command’s operating arm in the area,” Gadian added in her affidavit.
In Camp Malagutay, barangay (village) Malagutay, Zamboanga city, US troops have occupied some 200 to 300 square meters of land where they maintain temporary structures, constructed out of plywood and GI sheets, they use as offices, Gadian added.
US forces have also set-up similar temporary establishments in other camps like in the Philippine Naval Station in Batu-bato, Panglima Sugala, Tawi-tawi complete with an advance satellite communication equipment, manned by seven US navy personnel 365 days a year; in the Naval Forces Western Mindanao Command base also inside Camp Navarro and; in Camp General Bautista of the Task Force Comet in Busbus, Jolo, Sulu.
Gadian added that even military officials were given only limited access and were allowed only to enter these US military establishments “by invitation.”
Likewise, intelligence equipment are not made available to the AFP and the US military only gave out information that they have gathered, she added.
The US navy also deployed warships called frigates along the borders of the Philippine archipelago, Gadian said in her affidavit.
“The continuous presence of the US troops in the country has been justified to us as part of the counter terrorism measures of the United States and is framed outside of the Balikatan Exercises but within the Visiting Forces Agreement [VFA],” Gadian said.
“But many officers of the AFP know that the interest of the Unites States is in the oil and natural gas exploration going on in Sulu and Tawi-tawi and Palawan because Mindanao is a strategic area in relation to southeast Asia,” she added.
\Meanwhile, lawyer Evelyn Ursua explained that the presence of US forces violated the Constitution and could not be justified under the VFA or the Military Defense Treaty which she said could only be applied in “situations of external aggression.”
“General rule, wala dapat [there should be no] US troops sa Pilipinas [in the Philippines], o walang [or no] foreign troops for that matter, any kind or facilities or bases except when covered by a treaty so, ang tinatanong natin kasi, anong treaty ang ma-point natin na pwede silang manatili ditto [what we are asking is what treaty will point out to us that they should ctay here]?” Ursua said.
In the same press briefing, Ursua said that her client was willing to appear at the Senate and House of Representatives oversight committee that would hear the issue on the overstaying of US forces in the country at 10 a.m. on Thursday.
