DynCorp International, a US military contractor notorious for its mercenary work for Washington and which was the subject of numerous complaints for abuses in other countries, has been fencing off the Edwin Andrews Air Base in Zamboanga for US troops. “How can a private, foreign corporation control a specific portion of a Philippine military camp?” Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares wants to know.
By ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — What is the US mercenary corporation DynCorp International doing in the Philippines? It is, among other things, fencing off a facility of the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P) within the Edwin Andrews Air Base in Zamboanga City.
In her recent exposé on the various offenses committed by US troops in the Philippines, former Navy Lt. Senior Grade Mary Nancy Gadian mentioned that the JSOTF-P’s office and warehouse, located near the airstrip at Edwin Andrews Air Base, “is fenced and secured by Filipinos and Americans hired by Dyn Corporation, an American private military contractor.”
The bemedalled former Navy officer, who was assigned in Mindanao for several years and had many direct dealings with US troops in the area, added that Filipinos have no access to that particular area.
The presence of DynCorp in the Philippines was one of the subjects of a privileged speech a few days ago by Bayan Muna (People First) Rep. Neri Javier Colmenares, who has also been calling for an inspection of all US military facilities in the Philippines.
In a webcast interview with Bulatlat Wednesday, Colmenares said that aside from the JSOTF-P office and warehouse in Edwin Andrews Air Base, DynCorp guards are also fencing off a JSOTF-P facility at Camp Bautista in Jolo Island, Sulu. He talked of reports that even camp commanders have to ask permission from DynCorp personnel before they could enter these facilities.
“Once it’s fenced off, entry to such restricted area is regulated by DynCorp personnel,” said Colmenares, a lawyer. “It’s illegal… It’s a Philippine military camp. DynCorp is not a Filipino corporation – it’s transnational. It’s private. How can a private, foreign corporation control a specific portion of a Philippine military camp?” Colmenares asked.
“I’m sure it’s not allowed. Not only is it a violation of the Corporation Code, it also violates a host of other laws,” he added.
In March 2008, DynCorp was awarded by the US Navy with a $16.34-million contract to provide support services for JSOTF-P. “The work to be performed includes all labor, supervision, management, tools, materials, equipment, facilities, transportation, incidental engineering, and other items necessary to provide support services,” read an announcement on DynCorp’s website.
But DynCorp’s presence in the Philippines began earlier than March 2008. It was here as early as March 2004, and possibly earlier.
The Philippines is just one of the numerous countries in which DynCorp International has a presence. In an article for the March 2004 issue of Esquire, in which he described DynCorp as “an American firm that specializes in high-risk contract work for the Pentagon and the State Department,” conservative American journalist Tucker Carlson enumerated the other countries where DynCorp is present. Wrote Carlson:
“Pick an unsafe country and DynCorp is likely to be there. In Afghanistan, DynCorp bodyguards protect Hamid Karzai, the most imperiled president on earth. In Colombia, DynCorp pilots fly coca-killing crop dusters slow and low over drug plantations, an integral part of Washington’s Plan Colombia. DynCorp is in Kosovo, Israel (three of its employees were blown up and killed in Gaza last year), East Timor, Sarajevo, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, Liberia, and many other sketchy places. Last spring, DynCorp – along with Kroll Inc. and as many as twenty other large private security companies, and perhaps dozens of smaller ones, employing tens of thousands of individual contractors – came to Iraq.”
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OMG! William Palacio, with his obviously broken English, sounds like he knows so much about the Philippines…and he sounds like a misinformed Filipino expat who lives in another country, most likely the U.S. Mr. W. P. uses the 2nd person pronoun, “you/your”, as if he aint obviously a Pinoy. IDK what happened to you or your family in the Philippines, but you sound like you got a lot of frustrations…and btw, OFW remittances form only a small fraction of the GNP…you talk like you own the Philippines just because you are an OFW…from your statements, its quite obvious that you need to broaden your perspectives…there are countries in much worst situation than the Philippines
First let me say what your citing about 1898 is exactly that. Forward to WWII when Japaneses invaded Philippines if it weren’t for the Americans you would have been flying the Japanese flag as we speak. Philippines history has always been a conquered country and it took another country after the Americans defeated the spanish. If the Philippines is suppose for Filipinos only what has the Philippine done for its country where poverty is always high. The rich only cares of themselves, Middle Class trys so hard to be rich and does not care how it gets there. Poor are always look done by the rest of the population. Philippines government corruption is rampant even down to its barangay level. You speak of Filipino political, communication, educational, defense and of its filipino systems. First, your filipino political system has been run by filipinos, filipinos constitution has been replaced by your voted filipinos presidents, your filipino communication (international communities in business language is english), educational if you stayed with filipino education you won’t be able to find jobs abroad. Doctor, lawyers, and other professional with education background with filipino will be hired in leadership position. Look at your political government Pnoy is a foreign graduate from another country, defense little to be said when filipino workers was captured in Iraq the insurgents said leave and what did the filipino government do bow down to the insurgents and have their military pack up and go home. Filipino military can’t even control its home grown militants. You said dependent to prostitution well because of your poor most not all resort to prostitution. Before you can start mouthing off about America watch your TV and see how much Americanize Philippines is. From your Government, Actor, Actress, kids, yourself. If the Chinese suddenly invades the Philippines can you depend yourself or will you be the ones that will collaborate with the enemy to satisfy your needs. Be part of the solution not against. Look at your call center still be managed by american firms and without them no jobs. Philippines commodity is OFW. Without the OFW government won’t be able to sustain it self. Gross National Product is measured by the Remittance that its OFW sent back..
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I was once a service provider for U.S. troops in Manila. For 5 years, I’ve been supporting them but last august, DynCorp took over. They win all the contracts. Without informing us makes me feel cheated and whoever makes the decision awarding it to DynCorp, maybe we deserve a word on why did they award it to DynCorp. What went wrong for 5 years of taking good care of our clients, ensuring their safety, driving for them, providing new vans for their comfort, now the only business I’ve got was gone, it was given to that big company. A foreign company getting the business, a small business for a filipino gone just like that. DynCorp in Camp Aguinaldo provides job for Pinoys, thats good. my point is that they’re killing small businesses owned by Filipinos.
What can we expect from the Americans, respect us after they invaded our newly born nation of 1898? Do we expect them torespect us after 500,000 to 900,000 of us Filipinos died as we resisted the Americans having started their invasion of our nation in 1899?
Do we expect Filipino soldiers among us to react to defend the Filipino dignity trampled by the Americans when after 500,000 to 900,000 of us Filipinos died during our resistance against the invaders, the Americans replaced our organic system including our constitution? Do we expect Filipino soldiers among us to demand self-respect from the Americans after they replaced our organic Filipino political, communication, educational, defense and all of our systems with an apparently Filipino facade but corrupted to turn us into worshipping and dependent prostitutes to our invaders?
Do we expect us to respect ourselves after the Americans have raped our sovereignty and transmitted to us a Heredity Injuring Virus which injured our identity and national dignity as Filipinos and turned us into disintigrated individuals out to get ahead of each other in grabbing as much of the resources of this nation as we can for ourselves and family?