DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Following a US spy plane crashing in Barangay Malatimon, Ampatuan town in Maguindanao del Sur on Thursday, February 6, the Philippine government is urged to investigate the purpose of the plane hovering in Bangsamoro territory.
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in a statement relayed to the United States Embassy to the Philippines on Friday confirmed the crash. The Command explained that the “aircraft was providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support at the request of our Philippine allies. The incident occurred during a routine mission in support of U.S.-Philippine security cooperation activities.”
Four persons aboard the plane were confirmed dead, including one U.S. military service member and three defense contractors. No injuries or casualties were reported among the community in Malatimon where the crash occurred.
The aircraft reportedly came from Palawan but crashed in the Moro village around 2 pm. In a report by Mindanews, the crashed aircraft was a Beech King Air 300 Fixed Wings and Multi-Engine Aircraft Model with body number N349CA. It is registered to Metrea Special Aerospace ISR Inc. of Bethany, Oklahoma.
Why a spy plane is hovering over the Bangsamoro region needs to be investigated by the government, says Bangsamoro rights advocate Amirah Ali Lidasan.
“Why was it operating in the BARMM? Is there an EDCA site in Maguindanao? This should be thoroughly investigated. Shouldn’t President Bongbong Marcos and the AFP be concerned why a US defense aircraft is hovering freely in our country?” Lidasan asked.
The Philippines and United States have an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement that allowed American troops to build and operate facilities in the country for both Philippine and American forces.
But Lidasan, who has been involved in peace and human rights issues for the Bangsamoro, sees a pattern of US involvement in Moro areas in the past that resulted to violence.
“US drones flew over Maguindanao days before the Mamasapano tragedy, suspected to set the stage for bloodshed. In 2017, during the Marawi siege, US soldiers were in combat areas, providing reconnaissance and intelligence, including manning spy drones for the Philippine military. These led to the five-month aerial bombardment that devastated Marawi City,” she said.
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Forty-four Special Action Force members, 18 members of the MILF and BIFF and five civilians perished in the Mamasapano incident in 2015. Nearly 300,000 Marawi residents were displaced and most are still rebuilding their homes in the devastated city.
“We fear this recent intelligence gathering and reconnaissance will bring trouble, undermining the fragile peace that is ongoing in the BARMM,” said Lidasan, who is running for the Senate under the Makabayan coalition. (davaotoday.com)
maguindanao, US spy plane
