“If before, the situation in Mindanao was a local problem, now it is part of the fundamentalist movement in the Middle East. There is now the al-Qaeda and it has already established links with our local Muslim rebels so it cannot be avoided that we are now part of the global war against this kind of fundamentalist terrorism,” Olivar said.

“We now have a role to play as a member of the global war (against terror),” he added.

Meanwhile, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita welcomed the move made by Washington to retain the American troops in Mindanao. He even said that it would help sustain the success of the government in annihilating terrorism. Ermita is the chairman of the Anti-Terrorism Council and said that the move would “enhance our security in the area and help pave the way for development.”

Though Malacañang is happy with the presence of the US troops in the country, there are also those who are opposed to it. Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. acknowledged the contribution of the troops in the government’s campaign against terrorism but he demands an explanation on why the JSOTF are in Mindanao.

The senator wants to know if the joint operations task force in Mindanao is by virtue of the Mutual Defense Treaty, the Visiting Forces Agreement or any other security agreement between the US and the Philippines.

“The US is our ally. But if they have troops who are deployed in the country, they should not take part in combat operations against insurgents and other criminal elements here,” he said.

Senator Loren Legarda also supported Pimentel’s call. She expressed her concern over the news reports quoting US military and defense officials that tend to show that the American “elite forces” in the country have been actually engaged in the operations against Abu Sayyaf.