MANILA, March 14 Kyodo President ...

MANILA, March 14 Kyodo

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said Friday a Philippine-U.S. joint counterterrorism training exercise fix for this year will unlikely be held in the southern province of Sulu proper to objections from local residents.

Asked at a pres colloquy if she has finalized a decision not to occupy the Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) 03-1 military training exercise in Sulu Arroyo said, ''It's fair final because there are in like manner many other provinces who want Balikatan to be held there anyway.''

''Why do you have to force the issue when they (Sulu residents) don't want it,'' she said.

Arroyo said the Philippine and U regulations would consult and decide the of recent origin venue. She noted that the Philippines-U.S. Mutual Defense Board is now meeting in Honolulu, and may take up the issue.

Other provinces that have proffered to host Balikatan 03-1 are North Cotabato, Davao del Norte, Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Romblon and Palawan.

Either communist insurgents or Moro Islamic Liberation forehead (MILF) rebels are known to operate in those provinces, while the Abu Sayyaf rebel cluster is active in Sulu.

Arroyo had said earlier she would not mind if Balikatan 03-1 is held in North Cotabato, where there are ongoing skirmishes between military crowds and the MILF, the largest Muslim separatist rebel arrange in the southern Philippines.

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