Despite Duterte Pronouncement - 'About a hundred' US soldiers still in Mindanao —Amb. Goldberg

From GMA News (Oct 25): Despite Duterte Pronouncement - 'About a hundred' US soldiers still in Mindanao —Amb. Goldberg

American soldiers are still in Mindanao, though in a significantly reduced number, despite pronouncements from President Rodrigo Duterte opposing their presence there.

In a television interview on Tuesday, outgoing US Ambassador Philip Goldberg said the number of US soldiers currently in Mindanao is "far reduced," and the Philippine government has yet to formally request for further reduction.

"We have about a hundred, few soldiers helping to counterterrorism. That is far reduced from what it has been over the years since 2002 when our special operations task force was here," he said.

"That task force ended and in its place, we have advisers and others who are continuing to help the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) in their efforts," Goldberg added.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier said the number of US soldiers in Mindanao has been slashed to 107 from about 600 from five to 10 years ago. They are currently stationed in Camp Navarro in Zamboanga City.

Lorenzana said the bulk of the US servicemen's job involves managing their assets in Zamboanga City.

New intrusions

Apart from the Abu Sayyaf, the US government would continue helping the Philippines fight off other terrorist groups threatening the region, said Goldberg.

"We're not just dealing with the Abu Sayyaf but groups from the region like Jemaah Islamiya. We’ve seen increasing efforts by ISIS to become involved. This is our international efforts and one which we can work together very well so we want to help. It's in both our interest to do so," he said.

Goldberg said the US government is particularly concerned with "new intrusions" of "other groups that want to take advantage of open space in the South of the Philippines... so we want to continue doing that."

Duterte

Goldberg also reiterated the US Embassy's earlier statement about Duterte's recent rhetoric favoring China over US causing "uncertainties." He said such statements make US efforts to support the Philippines "quite difficult to do."

"[We] want to know, are we going to have exercises? Are we going to do the things that we do to help create interoperability between our troops, to help the Philippines as it devices better techniques and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, as it increases its ability to do maritime security?" the ambassador said.

Duterte has openly voiced his opposition to the yearly US-Philippine military exercises, saying the one scheduled in October would be the last under his term. During his recent visit to China, he announced a military and economic split between the two countries, although he later clarified that this does not mean diplomatic ties would also be severed.

Duterte has also opposed joint patrols between US and Philippine forces, although Lorenzana had earlier said the US and the Philippines do not conduct joint patrols but only "passing exercises" in the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in South China Sea.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/586328/news/nation/about-a-hundred-us-soldiers-still-in-mindanao-amb-goldberg