No US bases in Zamboanga City - Biazon

MANILA, Philippines - There was no truth to reports that American soldiers have set up bases in Zamboanga City, Senator Rodolfo Biazon, was was in the area, said Thursday. Biazon, co-chairman of Legislative Oversight Committee on the Visiting Forces Agreement (LoVFA), said an ocular inspection conducted by him and other LoVFA members on the facilities put up by US forces in Zamboanga showed that there was no US bases in the province. LoVFA members were sent to the province to check on reports that US bases are being established in Mindanao and that American soldiers are participating in military operations. Biazon, in a phone interview with GMANews.TV, said they visited a military camp in Malagutay, a pier in Calarian, and Edwin Andrews Airbase, all in Zamboanga City. "All these facilities were helped put up by the US soldiers within the Armed Forces of the Philippines military bases with Filipino camp commanders and governed by the rules of the AFP," Biazon said. In Malagutay, Biazon said they found out that seven US soldiers were housed in one of the barracks of the Philippine Army. The barracks put up by American soldiers were turned over to the AFP as early as 2002 and is now under a Filipino camp commander In Calarian, the supposed pier reportedly constructed by US soldiers turned out to be just a small barge where two small boats, one owned by the Philippines, the other owned by the US, were docked. "No such thing as pier there," Biazon said. In Edwin Andrews Airbase, the reported US base there was a temporary structure. "Puwede mo ngang buhatin, halos four feet lang (You can carry it, it is only four feet wide),” Biazon said. On the other hand, the LoVFA is yet to have a finding on the alleged participation of US troops in military operations but they have preliminary findings. "The only remaining unresolved issue is the reported participation of US soldiers in actual combat," Biazon said. The senator said they need to conduct another hearing on the issue as the evidence presented to them were all hearsay. "What we are hearing are all hearsay, there was no actual or direct evidence," he said. - GMANews.TV