Lt. General John Toolan, Exercise Director of US Forces for Balikatan Exercises 2016, said in a press conference in Capas, Tarlac that the soldiers involved were sent home a day after the incident.
A YouTube video surfaced on Monday, April 11, showing several US soldiers in confrontation with Supt. Ariel Celino, deputy chief of the Puerto Princesa City Police Office, Senior Insp. Winner Paguia, and Senior Police Officer 2 Jimmy Dalupines.
Toolan said the soldiers sent to the Philippines to join the annual exercises were made aware of the ''do's and dont's''. He said he will see to it that the soldiers face the repercussion of their actions.
"We have very strict rules. I issued out a little card to every Marines, sailors, soldiers involved in Balikatan, that lays out all the rules. Those guys know that they violated the rules and they were sent home immediately and they're gonna be dealing with some trouble when I get back," said Toolan.
Toolan told reporters that discipline and courtesy are part of values that they instill in every Marine.
"It's very important that we instill in all our soldiers, sailors, Marines the idea that they are guests in somebody else's country, that they need to behave beyond their best behavior. That's instilled in them from the day they come in to the Marine Corps, 'till the day they leave. They need to behave," said Toolan.
"But every once in a while, one slips in the crack and we gotta lay the hammer down."
Toolan said the Marines, as a whole, have done a remarkable job. He said there are about 6,000 Marines and sailors participating in the exercises.
source: abs-cbnnews.com
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