Senate urged to probe US counterterror operation
The militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) yesterday urged the Senate to conduct a probe into Operation Pacific Eagle-Philippines, which it described as a US counterterrorism operation launched in September 2017.
“Until recently, the operation has remained unannounced and kept secret from the Filipino people. The Pentagon has admitted that the operation is open-ended or does not have a fixed timetable for troop withdrawal,” Bayan secretary-general Renato Reyes said in a statement.
“This is the first US-named operation in the Philippines since ‘Operation Enduring Freedom Philippines’ in 2002 that allegedly targeted al-Qaeda affiliate Abu Sayaff but ended up being a pretext for permanent US basing in Mindanao,” Reyes claimed.
The group said the Senate, particularly, the foreign relations committee, must look into possible constitutional violations in allowing the US to conduct a “comprehensive counterterror operation” in Mindanao, which can include direct combat participation and US bases even without a valid treaty.
“The Duterte administration must also explain why it has kept the operation a secret and that its existence was only confirmed by the US media,” Reyes added.
US providing support
The report of the US Inspector General to their Congress covering the period Oct. 31 to Dec. 31, 2017 – which can be accessed online – explained OPE-P is a US counterterrorism campaign to support the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in its efforts to combat ISIS affiliates and other terrorist organizations.
It said OPE-P was designated as a contingency operation on Sept. 1, 2017 as the ISIS–Philippines (ISIS-P) attacked and occupied Marawi City in May, “employing sophisticated weapons and tactics.”
“Months of heavy fighting devastated Marawi’s infrastructure, and fighting formally ended when the AFP expelled ISIS-P from the city on Oct. 23. However, US and Philippine government officials stated that ISIS-P was attempting to regroup in other areas of the southern Philippines,” the report read.
The report said as “of the end of this quarter,” apparently referring to the last quarter of 2017, the OPE-P had not resulted in an increased US military presence in the Philippines but “US special operations forces provided support to the AFP, such as logistical support; intelligence sharing; operational planning; and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.”
“The objective of OPE-P is to help the AFP stabilize the area and prevent the southern Philippines from becoming a safe haven for terrorists,” it noted.
At the time, the report stated that residents were not yet permitted to return to the areas of Marawi most severely dam- aged by the fighting, and many of those who were allowed to return found their homes destroyed.
“President Duterte publicly announced a ‘separation from the United States’ in 2016, but his government has continued to welcome US military assistance in its counterterrorism fight. Anti-American politics notwithstanding, the Philippine military establishment generally holds a favorable view of the United States,” the report read.
Quoting a senior US Department of Defense (DoD) officials, the report said most officers of the AFP received training either in the US or by US forces in the Philippines, which “has built a foundation of both institutional cooperation and personal bonds between senior military leaders from both countries.”
The report said while the overseas contingency operation (OCO) designation placed a greater emphasis on the counterterrorism mis- sion in the Philippines, DoD officials said that it had not significantly altered the way in which US forces already in country operate nor has it resulted in an increased US military presence.
“According to media reports, there were between 200 and 300 US troops serving in advisory roles in the Philippines as of January 2018, and DoD officials said those numbers were unlikely to change in the near future,” the report said.
Under OPE-P, the report said the US special operations mission “continues to be one of advising and assisting the AFP.”
“According to the DoD, all military operations are conducted by, with, and through the Philippine forces. In addition to advisors in the field, US Pacific Command (PACOM) provides the AFP with logistical support; intelligence sharing; operational planning; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance,” it said.
The report said DoD officials reported that PACOM was seeking to provide casualty evacuation capability; facilities improvement and expansion; and additional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance resources.
“Australia was the only other country actively participating in counterterrorism operations in the Philippines. Support from the Australian Defence Force included a commitment made on Sept. 8, 2017, to deploy up to 80 mobile training teams to the Philippines,” the report said.
“While there was no trilateral security arrangement, US and Australian forces coordinated efforts with each other through their preexisting bilateral channels,” the report noted.
It also said other nations maintained their own bilateral security relationships with the Philippine government and that Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and New Zealand were reportedly in discussions regarding potential military assistance, but none had concluded a Visiting Forces Agreement as of Jan. 10 this year.