S enate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today urged the government to ask the United States military for the use of its intelligence and surveillance equipment in tracking down and rescuing the Red Cross workers being held captive by Abu Sayyaf terrorists in Sulu.

“I am in favor of allowing the Americans to take part in the rescue of the abducted Red Cross personnel not necessarily by deploying troops but by aiding our troops with high-tech spy and surveillance equipment to pinpoint the location of the bandits and their hostages,” he said.

The terms of reference of the joint Balikatan military exercises under the Visiting Forces of Agreement provide the guidelines on the exchange of intelligence information between the Philippines and the US in the fight against terrorism.

Senator Pimentel recalled that American spy planes and other intelligence gathering gadgets were used in hunting down the Abu Sayyaf kidnappers of several foreigners, including Grace Burnham and her late husband Martin, several years ago, resulting in the death or capture of the terrorists.

Terms of the joint Balikatan military exercises under the Visiting Forces Agreement permit the exchange of intelligence information between the Philippines and the United States in the fight against terrorism.
“It is clear that our troops lack equipment. That is a given and we don’t have to deny that. It was through the use of American spy-and-surveillance equipment that the military was able to rescue Grace Burnham and other hostages. I think the use of such equipment is badly needed now by the military,” he said.

Government troops, backed by civilian volunteers, were reported to have cordoned off the area of dense jungle in Indanan, Sulu, where the terrorists were holding International Committee of the Red Cross workers Andreas Notter of Switzerland, Eugenio Vagni of Italy and Mary-Jean Lacaba of the Philippines. # # #