Australia will not deploy military troops to the Philippines, especially in Mindanao, where state troopers are battling Islamic State-linked Maute terrorists, ambassador Amanda Gorely said yesterday.
“We’d like to make it clear that there will be no Australian military troops on the ground and there won’t be boots on the ground in Mindanao or in the Marawi area,” Gorely told reporters aboard an Australian navy ship docked at Pier 15, South Harbour, Manila.
The ambassador said Australia provided assistance to the Philippines by sending two P3 Orion planes.
The two planes provided intelligence and surveillance support to the Armed Forces of the Philippines in their operations in Marawi.
Gorely said Australian troops will also conduct military training alongside Filipino soldiers in military bases in Luzon.“We may also take Filipino personnel in Australia for training as well,” Gorely added.
In September, Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne and Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the two countries are planning to swap troops who will join exercises that will focus on countering terrorism.
Gorely said the number of troops to be deployed in Manila is yet to be determined.
Payne and her counterparts from other Southeast Asian countries will discuss the matter during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Defence Ministers’ Meeting to be held from October 23 to 24 in Clark, Pampanga.
President Rodrigo Duterte poses with Australian Navy officials led by Australian ambassador to the Philippines Amanda Gorely during a tour on board the the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) vessel, Her Majesty’s Australian Ship (HMAS) Adelaide III upon arrival for a goodwill visit as part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Joint Task Group Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2017 at the Pier 15, south harbour in Metro Manila, yesterday.
