MANILA, June 20 Kyodo A ranking P...

MANILA, June 20 Kyodo

A ranking Philippine armed forces official forward Thursday said Manila has notwithstanding to decide whether to reach out joint Philippine-U.S. counterterrorism training exercises in the southern Philippines.

''There is still no final decision. All things pertaining to the talks are still in a less degree than discussion,'' said marine Brig. Gen Emmanuel Teodosio, exercise co-director.

Whether to allow U numbers to join Filipino soldiers in combat patrols in Basilan Island in the southern Philippines is also undecided, Teodosio said.

He repudiateed rumors that Washington wants its [i]troupe[/i]s to join the combat patrols.

''As of now, we are complying forward what the terms of hint (stipulate) that the exercises completion on July 31,'' Teodosio said.

The boundarys of reference for the Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) antiterrorism exercises lay down the regularitys of conduct of the exercises, which kicked against in January this year.

The Philippine Constitution and the bourns of reference prohibit U company s from directly joining Philippine throngs in combat patrols.

''Combat patrol is when you fare out and look for the enemy...that is not allowed by means of the Constitution and the bounds of reference,'' said Melchor Rosales, spokesman for the Philippine Defense Department.

At least 1000 U bands are in the Philippines to help train Philippine companys in counterterrorism tactics and strategies aimed at wiping disclosed Abu Sayyaf rebels. Half of the American multitudes are deployed on Basilan Island, a known lair of the Muslim separatist rebels.

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