12,000 troops to join largest PH-US Balikatan

by Michael Punongbayan Philstar.com

MANILA — Some 12,000 American soldiers will be arriving in the country in the next few weeks to participate in the 2023 Balikatan Exercises, which will be the biggest joint training event between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the United States military. This year’s activities will also, for the first time with US troops, involve live-fire exercises, specifically in the waters of Zambales.

Col. Michael Logico, director of the Joint and Combined Training Center under the AFP Education, Training and Doctrine Command and spokesman for Balikatan 2023, said around 17,600 Filipino and US soldiers are set to join this year’s joint training exercises.

Around 12,000 of the soldiers will come from the US military while the rest will be from the AFP, along with about 100 from the Australian Defense Force who will be joining some of the events for the first time.

There will also be observers from the Japan Self Defense Force.

Logico told reporters Balikatan 2023 will run from April 11 to 28 with events in various locations in Northern Luzon, Palawan and Antique.

“Yes, this is officially the largest Balikatan Exercise,” he said, noting that the event would be “an interoperability exercise to test our concepts for maritime defense, for coastal defense and maritime domain awareness.”

He added that this year’s iteration of the joint military training between Filipino and American soldiers would also include cyber defense exercise.

Events would also be held “outside our traditional training areas,” Logico said.

“Part of it is we’re going to be doing live fire exercises into the water. So it’s practically, we’re exercising in key locations where we are able to utilize all our service components,” he said.

Only the Air Force and the Army were participants in previous exercises, he said.

Asked if this year’s Balikatan Exercises would factor in the West Philippine Sea problem with China, Logico said “every country has the absolute and inalienable right to exercise within our territory, we have the absolute, inalienable right to defend our territory.”

But he stressed the joint exercises were not meant as preparation for hostilities with China.

“We are here to practice, we are here to show that we are combat ready,” he pointed out.

Logico said the US military would be bringing in military assets including ships and aircraft.

Training facility

Australia, meanwhile, has donated a new training facility for the Philippine Air Force (PAF) in Capas, Tarlac.

Acting Defense Undersecretary Angelito de Leon led the official acceptance of the Close Air Support Part Task Trainer, Classroom and Debriefing Facility on Monday.

The facility will be assigned to the Air Force’s 710th Special

Operations Wing (SPOW).

“On behalf of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Department of National Defense (DND), I thank the Australian government, represented here by Her Excellency Hae Kyong Yu, PSM, Australian ambassador to the Philippines, for donating this classroom and debriefing facility to the Philippine Air Force,” De Leon said, quoting the speech of DND officer-in-charge, Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr.

Australian ambassador Yu officially handed the transfer documents to De Leon.

The donation was made possible through the PhilippinesAustralia Enhanced Defense Cooperation Program (EDCP), signed in December 2019.

“With this facility, the PAF will be able to address the technical training gaps of its personnel who will be given more time and training opportunities such as the use of simulator and actual flight events,” De Leon said.

“To reciprocate this goodwill and support, we must collectively ensure that the Philippines will be able to fulfill its roles as a responsible nation-state and a reliable regional security partner,” De Leon said.

The Australian ambassador, in a post on Twitter, said her country is “grateful for the Philippines’ support as Australia seeks to become a more capable defense partner in the region.”

“Australia is investing in capabilities to meet the challenges of our strategic circumstances and ensure the Indo-Pacific remains stable, secure and prosperous,” she said. (with Pia Lee-Brago)

Pandemic stress, gangs, and utter fear...

PAGE 4 sentenced to 12 years.

A Second Chance

In the past two decades, the justice system has made major changes in the way it treats children.

Youth arrests for violent crime plummeted 67% from 2006 to 2020, and 40 states have made it harder to charge minors as adults. States also are adopting alternatives to incarceration, such as group homes that allow teens to remain in their communities, while providing treatment to help them change their behavior.

Because Diego was 17 when he was sentenced, he was sent to a juvenile facility, where he received therapy for the first time.

Diego finished high school while behind bars and went on to earn an associate’s degree from a community college. He and other young inmates went on field trips to theaters and the aquarium — places he had never been.

The detention center director asked Diego to accompany her to events about juvenile justice reform, where he was invited to tell his story.

Those were eye-opening experiences for Diego, who realized he had seen very little of Chicago, even though he had spent his life there.

“Growing up, the only thing

by Kristine Joy Patag Philstar.com

MANILA — The Department of Justice has indicted suspended Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag and several others over the killing of radio broadcaster Percy Lapid and alleged middleman Jun Villamor.

The DOJ panel of prosecutors, in a resolution dated March 9, said it found probable cause to charge Bantag and his supposed right-hand man, SSupt. Ricardo Zulueta over the killings of Lapid — whose real name is Percival Mabasa — and Villamor as “principal by inducement.”

Lapid was known for his hard-hitting commentaries on government officials. He was shot in October last year while he was in his vehicle, near the gate of his private subdivision in the capital region.

“The preliminary investigation established that the murders of [Lapid] and Villamor were attended by conspiracy between and among the respective respondents. The plan of the respondents to kill them both, including its execution, was shown by the evidence for the complainants,” the DOJ said in a statement.

Lapid assassination

On the indictment of Bantag, the DOJ said that “sufficient circumstantial evidence have been presented to establish that he masterminded the assassination of [Lapid].” establish his participation in the killing of [Lapid],” specifically citing the BuCor official’s call to inmate Denver Mayores to look for a killer as the start of the assassination plan.

“Moreover, it was respondent Zulueta who provided the amount of P350,000.00 as additional payment to the hitman/killer and told respondent Labra that respondent Bantag is thanking them for the assassination,” the statement quoted the resolution.

Others who will face charges are:

As principal by direct participation in Lapid killing

Joel Escorial, confessed gunman Israel Dimaculangan

Edmon Dimaculangan alias Orly

As principal by indispensable cooperation in Lapid killing

PDL Denver Mayores

PDL Alvin Labra

PDL Aldrin Galicia

PDL Alfie Peñaredonda

Christopher Bacoto

The DOJ said that the call started with Zulueta to Mayores, then to Labra who messaged Galicia who, in turn, instructed Villamor to find a gunman. They found Escorial, through Bacoto.

“The phrases ‘nainip na ang itaas’, ‘itaas’ is already getting mad, ‘may utos si tanda’, work coming from ‘taas’ were mentioned in the sinumpaang salaysay of the PDLs. They confirmed that the words ‘itaas’, ‘taas’ or ‘tanda’ refers to respondent Bantag,” the statement further read.

Villamor murder

In the murder of Villamor, Bantag, Zulueta, Labra and Galicia were indicted as principal inducement. Others indicted for the inmate’s murder, “as principal by direct participation,” are:

PDL Maria Alvarez

PDL Joseph Georfo

PDL Christian Ramac

PDL Ricky Salgado

PDL Ronnie Dela Cryz

PDL Joel Reyes

“Accordingly, the Panel of Prosecutors respectfully recommends the approval of the two corresponding Informations (charge sheets) in the above-entitled case,” part of the resolution read.

The murder charges will be filed before the courts of Las Piñas and Muntinlupa, over the separate incidents of the killing of Lapid and Villamor, respectively. Bantag meanwhile is also facing criminal raps for alleged torture of Bilibid inmates, and graft and plunder complaints. n you see is your community,” said Diego, who was released after four years in detention, when the governor commuted his sentence. “You assume that is what the whole world is like.”

KHN data editor Holly K. Hacker and researcher Megan Kalata contributed to this report.

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

It said that several circumstances were shown starting with the call of Villamor to confessed gunman Joel Escorial where the former told the latter not to disclose Bantag’s name when caught. The department also noted the motive for the murder, such as “Lapid Fire” episodes that showed the then-BuCor chief’s house.

“Significantly, the statements of the respondent PDLs corroborate the finding and point to Bantag as the one who ordered the killing,” the DOJ added.

Meanwhile, on the part of Zulueta, the DOJ said prosecution panel held that the statements of the Persons Deprived of Liberty “clearly