Armed Forces of the Philippines and United States military salute during the opening of the Philippines-US “Balikatan” Exercises 38-2023, held at Armed Forces of the Philippines headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. This year’s edition of the drills is so far the biggest in history with around 17,000 participating troops. INQUIRER PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday vowed that no harm will come to fisherfolk during “Balikatan” (shoulder-to-shoulder) joint military exercises with the United States, adding that it is already coordinating with local government units (LGUs) in providing fishers the necessary assistance.
This came after fisherfolk, specifically in Zambales, expressed fear that their source of livelihood, fish catch, might be affected by the “Balikatan” exercises where a large portion of the province’s usual fishing grounds would be a “no-sail zone.”
But AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar, in an interview with ANC, gave assurance that the AFP has already coordinated with LGUs to ensure that no sectors would be affected by its joint exercises with American forces.
“All necessary preparations and precautions have already been placed, all coordinations with LGUs were already conducted, it’s just a matter of disseminating and just making sure that training exercises areas will be safe so that there would be no affected sectors especially our fishermen,” said Aguilar.
“[The drills] will only last for a few hours on the 26th of this month, but we will make sure that no one will be harmed or hurt during the exercise and we are also making sure that the appropriate assistance will be provided to them,” he added.
Some “Balikatan” drills were moved to Zambales, where the two countries’ forces are set to conduct live-fire drills to test newly acquired weapons.
Among the drills is the sinking of a 200-foot decommissioned fishing vessel, which will serve as an mock enemy ship, in the contested waters of West Philippine Sea off the town of San Antonio, Zambales.
But Aguilar stressed that the exercises were being held to make sure that the AFP will be able to develop its capabilities “to perform our constitutional mandate of protecting the people and the state.”