Seabees won’t stay in Basilan beyond July 15, says US envoy

The United States will not ask for an extension of its military presence in the Philippines beyond the ongoing six-month joint military training exercise on Basilan island, US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone said yesterday.

Ricciardone held it likely, however, that the 340-member US navy engineering team called Seabees may stay behind to pursue civic action projects or engage in non-combat activities meant to curb terrorism.

"It hasn’t really been a subject of conversation. We haven’t needed it yet because things are on track. They are doing a good job," Ricciardone said.

He pointed out that the two countries may indulge in other areas of bilateral cooperation. "There may be other things we’ll want to do together afterwards. We’ve got a Visiting Forces Agreement. If there are things we want to do together, we’ll do that," the envoy said.

He expressed optimism that the civic action projects in Basilan such as construction of roads, bridges and artesian wells would be completed within the 60-day deadline, which falls on July 15.

"As far as I know, they seem to be completing their work on schedule. We’re on track," Ricciardone said.

He also noted that the Arroyo administration was satisfied with the progress of the joint military training exercise where 160 elite US Special Forces are advising their Filipino counterparts in counterterrorism operations.

Vice President and concurrent Foreign Affairs Secretary Teofisto Guingona Jr. has objected to a proposal of the Philippine military to extend the stay of the US engineering team in Basilan.

Guingona invoked the terms of reference of the exercise, dubbed Balikatan 02-1, which set a definite time frame for the US military presence here.

Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Teodosio, co-director of the Balikatan, raised the proposal, saying the US military engineers may need more time to complete their projects due to expected delays arising from the onset of the rainy season.

Meanwhile, Philippine officials said any attempt to rescue American missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham and Filipino nurse Deborah Yap would be a purely Philippine operation.

The Burnhams and Yap have been held hostage by Abu Sayyaf bandits for almost one year now in their jungle lairs in Basilan.

Critics of the Arroyo administration have accused the military of ineptness for failing to end the long-running hostage drama.

"The government is not inclined to have the Americans take an active role in the rescue of the Burnhams," acting Press Secretary Silvestre Afable said.

"We are not allowing American troops to take the lead or take the primary role in this operation," he added.

The US has linked the Abu Sayyaf to the al-Qaeda network of Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, principal suspect in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the US.

About 7,000 Philippine troops are involved in the recovery operations for the hostages.

Afable said newspaper reports saying the Abu Sayyaf might release Gracia Burnham soon appeared to come from "reliable sources."

In another development, Adm. Thomas Fargo, newly installed commander-in-chief of the Pacific Area Command, is due to arrive in Zamboanga City today to visit his troops there.

Fargo is also expected to proceed to Basilan to see US forces involved in the Balikatan.

Fargo, former commander of the US Seventh Fleet in the Pacific, replaced Adm. Dennis Blair who retired on May 2.

Fargo became the fourth top US military official to visit US forces in Basilan.

Meanwhile, military spokesman Lt. Col. Fredesvindo Covarrubias denied reports that the US troops have built a camp in Basilan named "Camp John Bradley" which houses some of the 340 Seabees.

"It is just a temporary shelter. It is made of light materials," Covarrubias said.

He added that the US soldiers are occupying the barracks of their Filipino counterparts, indicating that the local soldiers owned the facility. — With Roel Pareño