Dellosa: Toxic waste issue will not derail RP-US drills

From the Daily Tribune (Nov 17): Dellosa: Toxic waste issue will not derail RP-US drills

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Jessie Dellosa has maintained that the controversy over the supposed dumping of toxic waste by a US Navy-contracted vessel will not affect joint exercises between Filipino and US troops. In fact, Dellosa said that the AFP and the US Pacific Command will be finalizing next month the scheduled joint exercises to be held in the country next year. “It (supposed dumping of waste) will not affect (the exercises) because all of our exercises with the US have been discussed and it will be implemented next year. Actually, this December we will be signing with the US Pacific Command,” Dellosa told Camp Aguinaldo reporters Monday afternoon. Among those being lined up are Balikatan and Philippine Amphibious Landing Exercise or Phiblex. Dellosa said that part of the discussion was environmental protection. “Actually, that is one of our priorities, environment protection,” said Dellosa without elaborating. The AFP chief also expressed belief that the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the US is still helpful to the Philippines. “In case, there are crimes committed by US forces, at least, we know what are the procedures,” Dellosa said. Aside from the yearly Balikatan and Phiblex, there are other joint exercises between the AFP and US troops being held in the country involving thousands of American servicemen and various military hardware. There is an ongoing clamor for the scrapping of the VFA following the alleged dumping of toxic wastes in Subic Bay by a vessel of Glenn Defense Asia, a US Navy-contracted company tasked to collect and dispose waste from US ships. Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago immediately called for the termination of the VFA which was supported by some militant organizations led by Bayan Muna. The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority immediately investigated the issue as retired Philippine Navy chief Mateo Mayuga, now chief executive officer of Glenn Defense, denied dumping toxic wastes in Subic Bay. Earlier, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin also maintained that VFA continued to be beneficial to the country amid the controversy in Subic Bay as he stressed that the dumping allegation should be treated as a separate issue from VFA.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/nation/item/6971-dellosa-toxic-waste-issue-will-not-derail-rp-us-drills