The recent agreement to construct a new facility for the “war against terrorism” further strengthens the US’ hold of the Philippine military and police.

The agreement for the construction of a training center at the Philippine National Police Academy in Silang, Cavite was signed on August 15 by US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission John Law and Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Oscar Albayalde. The US allocated a P520-million budget for its construction and operation.

The said facility will serve as an additional base of the US military. This is in addition to their base in Marawi City and in other camps of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as stated in the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

The construction of the facility serves the aim of the US to direct and control “counterterrorism” operations in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries. PNP and AFP troopers will be tranied in the said facility along with other US-allied forces from other Southeast Asian counties. They will be indoctrinated to identify and fight “terrorists” as declared by the US. These forces will operate as an extension of the US military.

The five newly formed battalions of the PNP Special Action Force (SAF) will be the first to undergo training in this facility as promised by Albayalde. In 2004, it can be recalled that the US military also secretly trained two SAF companies in Zamboanga City, that were subsequently deployed to operate in Mamasapano, Maguindanao wherein 44 operatives were killed in action.