PH-US Balikatan exercises set in Antique

From the Philippine Information Agency (Mar 8): PH-US Balikatan exercises set in Antique

The Antiqueños will experience  real war situations when the Philippines-Unites States (PH-US) Balikatan exercises kick-off on March  28-April 16, 2016, here.

Big war ships will dock in San Jose seaport, helicopters, fighter planes hovering in the Antique skyline and other modern war machines will be arriving on April 11, 2016.

LTC  Enriqueto Deocadez of the 82nd IB, Philippine Army, said during the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) Meeting that the three sites of the Balikatan exercises war are at the San Jose seaport, Evelio B. Javier Airport, and Camp Fullon.

“The scenario is to seize back Panay island as the 3rd ID Philippine Artmy Heaquarters in Jamindan was captured by the foreign enemies, and Antique will be the assembly area of all the forces coming from Nueva Ecija, Zubic and Palawan,” Deocadez said during the Provincial Peace and Order Council Meeting held at the Provincial Capitol.

The scenario’s military operations will launch a counter attack to retrieve Jamindan from the enemies and this will enhance the army’s crisis capability in the territorial defense operations.

The Balikatan joint military operations between the Philippine and the United States militaries will be participated in by some 300 US Forces composed of US army, marines and airforce and 300 Filipino soldiers from the army, marines and airforce, aim to  maintain and develop mutual defense relationships and enhance capacity of both the military and civilian agencies for humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations, among others.

Deocadez urged Governor Rhodora Cadiao during the PPOC Meeting to tap various government leaders, local government units, NGOs, the media to help inform  the public in order to prevent panic during the Balikatan exercise.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/921457426538/ph-us-balikatan-exercises-set-in-antique