ZAMBOANGA CITY – The military denounced yesterday activists for spreading “lies” about the holding of the Balikatan exercises in the Lanao provinces.
Lt. Gen. Nelson Allaga, Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, flew to Marawi City on Friday to personally assess the conduct of the humanitarian mission by US and Filipino troops.
Brig. Gen. Ronnie Reynard Javier and Col. Antonio Mark Supnet, commanders of the 103rd and 104th Army Brigades based in Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur, assured Allaga that the provinces are peaceful despite the protests.
During the first rally, organizers were able to muster about 1,000 protesters who marched to Marawi City and strongly objected to the exercises.
The activists claimed that 6,000 US troops would be deployed in the provinces, and that expired medicines were being distributed in the medical capability (medcap) training mission.
“These claims however are all lies because medcap and encap (engineering capability) are being conducted in these areas as part of BK-08 and no field or combat training is conducted,” Allaga said.
The military denied reports that a large number of US troops have been deployed since 47 US military personnel are joining Filipino soldiers and military engineers in the humanitarian mission exercise.
The dialogue with local government units has reduced the number of protesters to barely 30 as the conduct of the medcap and encap continued in the Lanao provinces.
Those 30 activists who marched Thursday in Mindanao State University in Tugaya town were dispersed, and some of the protesters have availed of free medical, dental services and partook of medicine being given out.
Allaga said as a result of the disinformation only 220 civilians were able to avail of the free medical mission in Pualas town.
However, the number has greatly increased by 805 patients after dialogue, he added.
“The people were now aware that what the anti BK-08 protesters are saying is not true,” Allaga said. “They can see for themselves that the programs are not meant to harm them but to help them.”
Javier reported that the repair of the elementary school, conducted jointly by the Filipino and American troops in Basak town is almost complete.
Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan said those activists who came from Manila showed no concern but only to criticize the projects.
“If there is criticism (against Balikatan humanitarian) it should come from me because I know the parameters,” he said.
Sulu province has greatly benefited from various projects implemented through Balikatan in the past years, Tan said.