Guingona opposes more U.S. troops for wargames

Vice President and Foreign Secretary Teofisto Guingona yesterday said he would not sign the document allowing the further deployment of 300 U.S. troop engineers for the wargames.

This move had put Guingona again on a collision course with President Gloria Arroyo on the issue of U.S. troop deployment for the U.S.-Philippine wargames in southern Philippines. "It's up to the President to approve it," Guingona said in an interview.

But Guingona added that he was aware that President Arroyo, being the Chief Executive, can approve the deployment of 300 U.S. troop engineers, or Seabees, without his signature.

He said he hasn't received any request from Washington regarding the proposed extension of the military exercises since he arrived from a foreign trip on April 15.

Guingona sits as one of the two members - the other being either U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell or the U.S. Ambassador to Manila, Francis Ricciardone - of the 1951 Philippine-U.S. Mutual Defence Board's Council of Foreign Ministers.

The Council is tasked to approve all joint military activities between the U.S. and the Philippines.

President Arroyo said residents of Basilan in southern Philippines have been asking for the Americans to complete the infrastructure projects that had been abandoned due to the ongoing war with Abu Sayyaf.