A civil war fought on three separate fronts will intensify and further destroy war-ravaged southern Philippines, with the country's three other insurgent groups defending themselves as they become collateral targets of the joint U.S.-Philippines wargames, a local paper said.

This war will come from the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MNLF-MILF), the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its military arm, the New People's Army, including the well-armed Christian vigilantes, the Manila Times quoted Nathan Obando of Honolulu-based think-tank, the Inter Pacific Strategies Group (IPSG), as saying.

"There is definite danger that evil elements will attempt to turn the landscape of Mindanao into a bloody war of ethnic cleansing. The factors are now in place (for that to happen)," noted Obando, who added that there will soon be violence and bloodshed in central and southern Mindanao.

"Unfortunately, any Muslim dissent, any kind of rebellion, can be regarded as terrorism," said Obando. He pointed out that this is why the MNLF, which concluded a peace settlement in 1996, might forge a tactical alliance with the separatist MILF which has been holding peace talks with the government since 1997.

The presence of 660 American soldiers holding joint military exercises with Filipino soldiers is "presenting a window of opportunity for mainstream rebels of MILF, MNLF and the NPA to conduct operations in concert," explained Obando.

The war games are being held to target the Abu Sayyaf Group which is holding two American missionaries and a Filipina nurse on Basilan Island.