Government urged: Disclose terms of US counterterror operation

MANILA, Philippines — Militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) yesterday urged the Duterte government to disclose the terms of “Operation Pacific Eagle: Philippines,” a new counterterror operation of the United States in the country, which reportedly aims to maintain active US military presence in the Asia-Pacific region. 

The group said the operation was launched by the US government in September 2017, yet the government has kept silent about it.

Bayan said the US special operations command listed the Philippines among its priorities for military intervention along with Afghanistan, Africa, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Somalia and Yemen.

In a testimony before the US Senate armed services committee on July 17, US joint chief of staff vice chairman Gen. Paul Selva said the US should consider restarting a named military operation in the Philippines similar to Operation Enduring Freedom in order to counter the Islamic State.

The Wall Street Journal reported the US has embarked on an overseas contingency operation in the Philippines as early as September last year or two months after defense officials sought a named-operation in the country.

Bayan secretary-general Renato Reyes said the report that the US is again engaged in a named-operation similar to Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines in 2002, raises a lot of questions on the involvement of the US in direct combat role in the Philippines.

Reyes said this was a flagrant violation of the Philippine Constitution.

He said the last time the US launched its operations, it also resulted in the permanent presence of 600 US troops in Mindanao for more than 15 years.

 “The uninterrupted presence of US forces in Mindanao — engaged in various unspecified activities including direct combat participation — is a gross violation of our national sovereignty,” Reyes said.

Bayan said the government should break its silence about Operation Pacific Eagle.

“Was the US also the one that recommended the extension of martial law to allow unhampered US intervention and basing? What are the terms of reference for armed US troops conducting operations in Mindanao? The Philippine government has declared victory in Marawi, so why allow continued US military intervention?” he asked.

The group said the Senate foreign relations committee should look into this new US operation as it did previously during the term of the late senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. 

“The Senate should look into how the US is circumventing the treaty requirements on foreign basing through its so-called overseas contingency operations that deploy unlimited number of troops for unspecified activities for an undetermined period of time,” Reyes said.