The joint training of the 6th Special Action Force (SAF)
Battalion and the US Marines in Sagay City, Negros Occidental is beneficial to
the peace and security efforts for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
meeting in Bacolod City on April 29-30.
Philippine National Police (PNP) officials stressed this
after militant groups criticized the presence of American troops in the
province.
Senior Supt. Milko Lirazan, director of Negros Occidental
Police Provincial Office (NOPPO), said the training will ensure the safety of
visitors during the APEC meeting here.
“It’s beneficial for us in securing the safety of our
visitors,” Lirazan said.
The US Marines troopers arrived in Negros Occidental earlier
this week.
Supt. Marlu Conag, commander of 6th SAF Battalion, said the
training will be conducted for 45 days.
Conag echoed Lirazan’s statement that the joint training
will be beneficial to the efforts of the local authorities in maintaining peace
and order for the upcoming APEC meeting.
The US Marines will train with 54 SAF members from SAB-6
along with personnel from the NOPPO and the Regional Public Safety Battalion.
Policemen will be trained for APEC tasking as well as
anti-insurgency and anti-terrorism, and K-9 handling.
Christian Tuayon, secretary general of Bagong Alyansang
Makabayan-Negros (BAYAN-Negros), said they demand for the pullout of the US
Marines troops from the province.
They may violate the human rights of the activist groups
especially those perceived to be terrorists by Americans, he said.
Tuayon said they also fear the US Marines will build their
structures in the province, adding that the US military forces have no right to
intervene in police and military activities in the country.
Its the commies singing the same old song with regard to the presence of the US Marines in the province to train Philippine security forces. The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN-New Patriotic Alliance) is the main Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) multisectoral umbrella front organization in the Philippines. Christian Tuayon is the secretary general of the Negros chapter of BAYAN. The standard party line is to vigorously oppose any US military presence in the Philippines.
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