MANILA: Amid the territorial row over the West Philippine Sea, the Balikatan exercises between Philippines and United States will start on May 5.
Lt Annaleah Cazcarro, public affairs officer for the exercise, said around 3,000 Filipino soldiers and 2,500 US military personnel would join the drills to be held in various sites nationwide.
“Balikatan is a long-standing military activity between the US and Philippine militaries. This year’s Balikatan strengthens the relationship between the two countries. They learn from us and we learn from them,” she told reporters yesterday.
Cazcarro said the exercises have nothing to do with the dispute over the West Philippine Sea. “Balikatan has been planned before. They have no relationship,” she said.
Balikatan 2014, the 30th iteration of the bilateral exercise, will be held until May 16 and will focus on humanitarian assistance and disaster response. A maritime surveillance equipment demonstration will be conducted at the Naval Education and Training Command in San Antonio, Zambales.
Drills will also be held at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Clark Air Base in Pampanga, Marine Base Ternate in Cavite and Crow Valley in Tarlac.
Participating troops will also hold humanitarian assistance and disaster response staff exercises in Puerto Princesa City in Palawan. Cazcarro said development projects would also be conducted in Legazpi City and in Tacloban City.
Meanwhile, talks on a proposed deal granting American troops greater access to military bases in the country resume today.
The 8th round of talks on enhanced defence cooperation will be held at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City for two days. The negotiations will resume as the government prepares for the April 27 visit of US President Barack Obama.
It will be the first meeting of the two panels since the Philippines filed a written argument to the United Nations arbitral tribunal hearing its case against China for the latter’s excessive territorial claims.
The Philippines and the US have agreed to strengthen their defense ties amid China’s aggressive acts in the West Philippine Sea.
The Philippine star
