COTABATO CITY โ Under the cover of night and the sharp gaze of high-powered scopes, Filipino military and police snipers joined U.S. counterparts in a long-range nighttime shooting drill in Maguindanao del Norte on Friday, April 5 โ a key highlight in the ongoing Philippine-US Marine Exercise 2025.
The marksmanship training, held at the Philippine Armyโs 6th Infantry Division training facility in Barangay Semba, Datu Odin Sinsuat, brought together elite units from the Philippine Marine Corps, the Army, the Philippine National Police, and the Coast Guard, reinforcing interoperability in joint tactical operations.
Defense Cooperation
Marine Exercise 2025, officially launched last week at Camp Iranun in Barira, is part of the growing defense cooperation between the Philippines and the United States. It underscores both countriesโ shared commitment to regional security, capacity building, and peacekeeping in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Bariraโs Camp Iranun, now the headquarters of the Philippine Navyโs 1st Marine Brigade, holds deep historical significance. Once known as Camp Abubakar, the stronghold of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), it was seized by government forces in July 2000 after months of intense combat. Today, it stands as a symbol of transformationโnow a training ground for peace and security operations.
Army Major Gen. Donald Gumiran, commander of the 6th Infantry Division, and Brig. Gen. Romulo Quemado of the 1st Marine Brigade, emphasized the importance of the joint exercises, citing the active support of local governments across Maguindanao del Norte, particularly the towns of Parang, Barira, Buldon, Datu Odin Sinsuat, and Datu Blah Sinsuat.
A key event in the upcoming days will be the amphibious assault drill on April 9 in Barangay Pura, the coastal capital of Datu Blah Sinsuatโa municipality hailed as the provinceโs fishing capital and among its most peaceful communities.
Marine Exercise: Enhance Security Capabilities
โWe see this as a major opportunity,โ said Mayor Marshal Sinsuat, who also chairs the townโs Peace and Order Council. โHosting this exercise will not only enhance security capabilities but also showcase our town as a promising destination for investment and tourism.โ
The amphibious drill will serve as the culminating event of Marine Exercise 2025, highlighting combined combat readiness and rapid response in coastal environmentsโa growing strategic focus in the Indo-Pacific region.
As tensions simmer in nearby seas and climate disasters become more frequent, such joint exercises represent more than just military coordinationโtheyโre a message of resilience, partnership, and a shared vision for peace and stability in the region.
