From InterAksyon (Apr 4): 12 US fighter jets to take part in Balikatan 2013
A squadron of supersonic fighter jets from the United States are expected to take part in the annual Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercises between the US and Philippine military which will kick off Friday, April 5, amid protests from groups.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), in a statement on Thursday, said the 12 F/-18 Hornets are expected to land at Clark Air Base in Pampanga in the coming days to join the military exercises. These "Hornets" are twin-engine supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable fighter jets designed to attack ground targets. The F/A-18 has been used by the US Navy since 1986.
Another 20 air assets will also be deployed by the US military to take part in the exercises, 14 of which have already arrived in Pampanga last Monday.
The 29th Balikatan exercises will open Friday amid tensions in South and North Korea.
Partylist group Bayan Muna called on the Aquino government to scrap the military exercises stating these could only "increase instability in the region" and could "enmesh the Philippines in the growing tension in the region including that in Korea."
Rep. Neri Colmenares cited the grounding of the USS Guardian at Tubbataha Reef and the toxic waste dumping in Subic as other reasons why the military exercises should be stopped.
"The least that the Aquino government must do is to scrap these joint military exercises until full investigations are over and reparations made by the US government,” Colmenares said.
An estimated 8,000 Filipino and American soldiers will take part in this year's bilateral exercises focused on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HA/DR)-focused military training in Central Luzon.
The opening of the Balikatan exercise on Friday will be attended by Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, US Ambassador Harry Thomas, AFP Chief of Staff General Emmanuel Bautista, AFP Command and General Staff College Commandant Maj. Gen. Virgillo Domingo, and US Deputy Exercise Director Brig. Gen. Richard Simcock II.
The AFP, for its part, will deploy nine aircraft from the Philippine Air Force to join the exercises. An Islander and two vessels will also be deployed by the Philippine Navy.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/58662/12-us-fighter-jets-to-take-part-in-balikatan-2013
Bayan Muna (People First) is a CPP-associated political party with a long track record of anti-U.S. military activities. Rep. Neri Colmenares is a lawyer and long-time CPP front group activist who is now serving as a Bayan Muna representative in the halls of the Philippine Congress. Notice how CPP and Bayan Muna propagada themes are consistent with each other.
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