ZAMBOANGA CITY—A number of US troops stationed in Western and Central Mindanao areas will be replaced as part of the standard rotation of US military personnel deployed in the Southern Philippines, a Philippine military official said.

Maj. Eugenio Batara Jr., Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) information officer, said on Tuesday the rotation of the foreign troops is necessary owing “to the temporary nature of the US military presence in the Southern Philippines.”

This also proves that the US does not maintain permanent bases in the Philippines, Batara said.

He said that owing to the rotation of troops, there will be a temporary increase in the number of US military aircraft using Awang Airport in Cotabato City and the Edwin Andrews Air Base in this city.

He said the rotation will not affect the number of US troops in the Philippines as it will be done on a “one-on-one” basis.

The US sent forces to the Philippines at the invitation of the Philippine government to provide advice and technical assistance to the Armed Forces, which is waging a campaign against the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf in Basilan and Sulu.

In addition to sending troops, the US has been engaged in humanitarian assistance and civic-action programs designed to deliver basic services to Mindanao residents.

“Wesmincom wants the people to know about the US troop rotation so that they will not be alarmed by the flight of many US military aircraft,” Batara said.

The US used to maintain military facilities in Central Luzon—Clark Air Base in Pampanga and Subic Bay Naval Base in Zambales.

The bases were abandoned by the US in 1991 after the Senate refused to ratify the renegotiated RP-US Miltary Bases Agreement.

THE Supreme Court (SC) has cancelled the bail posted by the widow of former government corporate counsel Jun Valerio and ordered her arrest and detention for allegedly masterminding the killing of her husband seven years ago.

THE Senate ways and means committee is reviewing proposals to overhaul and amend the Tariff and Customs Code and other related laws as Congress crafts remedial legislation aimed at curbing rampant smuggling that has resulted in forgone revenues amounting to some P300 billion yearly.

THIS is how the vaunted government antismuggling effort is being conducted—with sacred cows—as witnessed when the Bureau of Customs (BOC) was almost in disarray after “Big Mama” arrived in a huff and demanded immediate release of computer accessories shipped from Hong Kong.

THE Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday ordered the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to refund or issue a tax- credit certificate to Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) in the amount of P107.64 million representing overpaid income taxes for the years 1987 and 1988.

ZAMBOANGA CITY—A number of US troops stationed in Western and Central Mindanao areas will be replaced as part of the standard rotation of US military personnel deployed in the Southern Philippines, a Philippine military official said.

THE head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Tuesday lauded the National Police’s program to change its “problematic image.”