June 20, 2003, The Philippine Star, Jolo residents stage rally to support US-Philippine military exercise,

June 20, 2003, The Philippine Star, Jolo residents stage rally to support US-Philippine military exercise,

Jolo, Sulu: Nearly 3,000 people including officials staged a pro-US rally here yesterday, seeking an end to terrorism that aggravated this island province's grinding poverty.

The rally, featuring nearly all of Sulu province's top local officials, voiced support for RP-US [Republic of the Philippines-US] joint "Balikatan 03-1" [shoulder to shoulder 03-1] military exercise scheduled later this year and aimed at neutralizing the Abu Sayyaf group.

The demonstrators flocked to the centre of downtown Jolo, alongside the Sulu governor and the 18 municipal mayors carrying placards supporting the Balikatan.

Sulu Gov Yusoph Jikiri warned opponents of the Balikatan 03-1 not to sow division among residents of the province.

"The majority has already spoken. Let us respect what they want and see if we are indeed correct in making our decision," he said in Tausug.

"This is the time to be united because for so many years, we have been experiencing poverty," he added.

Speaking also in Tausug, Panglima Estino Mayor Kadil Estino said that the people of Sulu favour development, not violence.

He appealed to demonstrators not to be deceived by the rumours being spread by those who oppose the Balikatan that Americans are coming to get Sulu's resources and bring hostilities to the local populace.

He also assuaged apprehensions that US troops might affect Islam, the way it did during the colonization period.

"They have their fast growing Islamic religion in their country. Let us not engage in jihad against the Americans who are coming to lift us from our poverty," Estino said.

Estino criticized some opponents of the planned US presence saying "these educated people are supposed to guide the ignorant and yet they are the ones encouraging suicide attacks against the Americans."

Estino rejected charges that officials of the mainly Muslim island group of about half a million people had taken money from the Philippine and US governments to back the operations, scheduled for later this year.

The Abu Sayyaf, which has been linked to the Al-Qa'idah network of Islamic militants allegedly behind attacks on US targets, have been kidnapping foreign tourists for ransom over several years.

President Arroyo has ruled out a combat role for the US soldiers in the Sulu group, limiting them to intelligence support, training and civic action projects over fears of a civilian backlash by the impoverished Muslim population.