COTABATO CITY – Civilian, police and military officials in Lanao del Sur have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) assuring residents there will be no war games held in the province.

The agreement restates that the holding of the “Balikatan” program, an annual military undertaking between the Philippines and the United States, will be purely humanitarian in nature in Lanao del Sur.

Gov. Mamintal Adiong, one of the signatories, said the accord was forged on Friday amid strong protests from anti-Balikatan groups of Maranaos (Lanao Moro natives) and other militants.

Adiong said the document would help allay his constituents’ fear of the horrors of military aggression that came with past clashes between Moro rebels and government soldiers.

“This is an assurance that the presence of visiting Filipino and American troops will mean health and social assistance, not gunfire and explosions,” he said.

“We vehemently oppose any military or combat exercises but we welcome and support socioeconomic assistance as a commitment (to) peace, harmony and development,” the three-page document said.

It stipulated that “only 47, the total number of US workforce inclusive of doctors, nurses, medical staff, engineers and utility workers, are involved in the humanitarian mission.”

The movement of the US workers shall be limited to their housing areas and the venues of civic activities, such as medical, dental and engineering missions, and they shall be escorted by local police and Philippine troops, it said.

It added that any US force movement outside the designated areas shall be made only after prior consultation with, or permission, of the provincial government through a monitoring committee.

Under the MOU, all municipal mayors are required to extend cooperation and full assistance to all members of the Balikatan contingent passing through or holding civic action in their towns.

The signatories and their groups are restricted from obstructing the conduct of the humanitarian activities, referring to rallies.

Once the mission ends, the MOU said, “visiting American personnel shall leave the province peacefully and without conditions or extensions.”

Adiong signed on behalf of the provincial government, Lanao del Sur police director Senior Supt. Paniares Adap for the PNP, Brig. Gen. Raynard Javier, chief of the Army’s 103rd Brigade, for the AFP, Mayor Amenodin Sumagayan for the League of Municipalities, and nine officials from private organizations under the Ranao Advocates for Justice and Peace.

Adiong said Javier also signed on behalf of the US contingent.

Ghazali Jaafar, vice chair for political affairs of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, said the group’s Central Committee, headed by Murad Ebrahim, received a letter from the US Embassy last week listing the activities for the Balikatan.

The letter, signed by Paul Jones, deputy chief of mission of the US Embassy, identified the villages and towns where medical, dental and other missions would be held.

In Lanao del Sur, humanitarian missions will be conducted in Butig, Pualas, Baloi and Basak towns, Jaafar said. Marawi City has two venues – Mindanao State University and the Marawi City Elementary School.

In Shariff Kabunsuan, the identified areas are Barangays Bagoenged and Ungkakay in Datu Piang town.