US troops to start arriving for Balikatan today
MANILA — American troops joining the Balikatan drills are expected to start arriving in the Philippines today as their Filipino counterparts kick off planning exercises designed to boost their ability to handle emergency situations.
US military personnel and their equipment will enter the Philippines through northern Luzon, according to Cpt. Frank Sayson, Philippine spokesman for this year's Balikatan exercises. He, however, declined to provide specifics for security reasons.
"Based on the plan, the mobilization of the American troops and the offloading of their equipment for Balikatan 2016 will start tomorrow (March 28). We are following a timeline and they should be here by tomorrow and the proceeding weeks," Sayson said in an interview on Sunday.
Balikatan 2016, a major event that highlights the longstanding alliance of the Philippines and the US, will be held from April 4 to 15. The exercise, however, kicked off quietly last March 16 with the launching of construction and medical activities in Panay and Palawan, the province nearest the West Philippine Sea.
The exercises will be held amid concerns over China's aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), a busy sea lane where about $5-trillion worth of trade passes through annually. Organizers of the exercise, however, insist that the conduct of drills has nothing to do with the maritime dispute.—