National Security Adviser Roilo Golez yesterday belittled the seemingly mounting protests against the presence of American soldiers in Southern Philippines, saying the issues being raised by anti-U.S. groups have already been addressed by the justice department.

"There are no mounting protests. They are basically the same groups that opposed the Visiting Forces Agreement in 1999 so most of the issues (have) been already resolved by the Supreme Court in the year 2000," said Golez in a statement to defence reporters in Camp Aguinaldo.

Golez was referring to the formation of the Gathering for Peace', a coalition composed of militant groups who have expressed opposition to the presence of American troops in southern Philippines.

Since the start of the month, American soldiers have been arriving in batches in southern Zamboanga City to train Filipino soldiers to combat Abu Sayyaf extremists who are still holding hostage an American missionary couple and a Filipina nurse in Basilan.

A total of 160 U.S. servicemen are expected to arrive in Zamboanga City and in Basilan to take part in Freedom Eagle, a training programme which is part of the annual Balikatan military exercises the Philippines and the U.S. troops have been holding for the past three years. The Gathering for Peace coalition vowed to launch massive protest actions on January 30, when the wargames formally start.

Golez branded the group as an 'ideological' minority of no more than eight per cent of the country's 76 million population. "Their position, based on anti-U.S. ideology which I respect and which is necessary in democratic debate (notwithstanding), they must also respect the overwhelming 90 per cent public approval," said Golez.

Golez said the Supreme Court and the justice department has issued its position on military exercise, which is expected to last for six months.

"If those who oppose are very confident about their position then they should go to the Supreme Court," Golez said in a separate television interview.

He said the issue will not by resolved by burning the flag of a friendly country or by hurling invectives at the embassy of a friendly country.

He also claimed that after the National Security Council meeting as well as the Senate hearing last week over the issue of the military exercises in southern Philippines, "the stock market went up", proving massive support from local and international businessman on the American presence.

"We must unite now against the Abu Sayyaf," Golez stressed. Anti-U.S. groups, mostly from left-leaning political organisations, have assailed the American presence in the country fearing the permanent basing of foreign soldiers which is prohibited in the Constitution.

They are also apprehensive that the U.S. troops will take part in rescuing U.S. hostages Martin and Gracia Burnham and Filipina Deborah Yap from the Abu Sayyaf despite fruitless efforts by local armed forces to free the three.

But Philippine military officials maintained that the American troops will not directly take part in the operations against but will only provide training to Filipino soldiers.

The U.S. has listed the Abu Sayyaf as an ally of the Al Qaida extremist network of Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in Washington and New York.