U.S. troops, Philippine police in bar brawl face sanctions

[Jollygoodfellow]

Just shows how easy things can go wrong. Nothing much happens until about the 4.10 mark on the video. The mama reportedly lost weight over this incident  

MANILA, Philippines — American troops involved in a bar brawl with Filipino policemen face possible disciplinary sanctions in an incident earlier this month that the Philippine military says has no bearing on ongoing large-scale combat exercises by the treaty allies.

Philippine military spokesman Capt. Celeste Frank Sayson said the April 2 scuffle in western Palawan province was a misunderstanding that was settled amicably. A YouTube video showed one of three Filipino policemen drawing a pistol during the confrontation.

The U.S. military said in a statement that "any potential misconduct of U.S. service members is completely unacceptable" and will be dealt with by the troops' home unit. It did not give details of the incident nor identified the troops involved.

While off duty American troops appreciate the opportunity to experience the local culture while training in the Philippines, the U.S. military said it "demands high standards of conduct from service members at all times, and takes all incidents involving potential misconduct very seriously."

Sayson said the incident would not affect Balikatan, referring to the name of the joint military exercises by U.S. and Philippine troops.

In the video, one of the Americans, who are all in casual clothes, approaches a table of the Filipino policemen and taps the top of a beer bottle with his, causing beer foam to flow out of the bottle. The policemen, who appeared offended, confront the Americans and one of the Filipino officers pulls out a pistol during the confrontation. Both sides were later pacified.

The three policemen were later disarmed by their superior and temporarily removed from their posts while undergoing an investigation, according to police Senior Superintendent Redentor Maranon, who heads the police force in Puerto Princesa city in Palawan province, where the scuffle happened.

Left-wing group Bayan, which has opposed any U.S. military presence in the country, said the incident underscored the constant risk of crimes being committed by U.S. forces. It cited past violations by visiting American military personnel, including the 2014 killing of a transgender Filipino by a Marine, who is serving a jail term after being convicted for the killing.

http://www.navytimes.com/story/military/2016/04/13/us-troops-philippine-police-bar-brawl-face-sanctions/82980988/

[frozenmystic28]

Hmm... well i guess the Comelec's gun ban is very effective. the police is not even in uniform.

[OnMyWay]

I didn't catch the gun.  Where was that?  A couple of those guys were way over their limit.  That guy in the Insight shirt could barely stand up!  Trouble waiting to happen!

Edited April 14, 2016 by OnMyWay

[robert k]

7 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

I didn't catch the gun.  Where was that?  A couple of those guys were way over their limit.  That guy in the Insight shirt could barely stand up!  Trouble waiting to happen!

Watch the passed out guys bag. That is where the gun is. The really excited/offended guy takes the bag and pulls out the gun while going back to his side of the table. Then later, after the dogpile, one of the GI's has the pistol by the slide/barrel over his head and out of reach of those wanting it as he walks back to his table. The guy who pulled it out in the first place goes over after that and I think demands his buddies gun back.

As for people being over their limit, maybe a few of the girls were semi-sober, nobody else was.

[intrepid]

Typical situation which could have easily turned bad.  Alcohol and guns do not mix.  Just lucky everyone was able to wake up the next morning!

[Mike J]

Alcohol, guns, testosterone . . . what could possibly go wrong?

[Old55]

Our troops have absolutely no business being over there. Let the Filipinos deal with their own problems.

[scott h]

7 minutes ago, Old55 said:

Let the Filipinos deal with their own problems.

This had nothing to do with internal problems of the Philippines. The troops are here as part of a global strategy to counter Chinas growing influence in SE Asia.

I have seen a version of this video up close and personal (and have broken more than a few up) here in the Philippines, in Okinawa, Japan, Korea, Australia,  Germany, Ukraine, Mexico, Iraq, Afghanistan and even back home in the ole USA.

1 hour ago, Mike J said:

Alcohol, guns, testosterone . . . what could possibly go wrong

The above is the real deal

[Jake]

37 minutes ago, scott h said:

This had nothing to do with internal problems of the Philippines. The troops are here as part of a global strategy to counter Chinas growing influence in SE Asia.

I have seen a version of this video up close and personal (and have broken more than a few up) here in the Philippines, in Okinawa, Japan, Korea, Australia,  Germany, Ukraine, Mexico, Iraq, Afghanistan and even back home in the ole USA.

The above is the real deal

Hmm.....sounds like you pulled MP duties and had to clear the floor of drunken soldiers.  Shore Patrol (SP) was a lot of fun too, slipping on fresh vomit between the sailors and marines before Cinderella liberty expires on midnight in my hometown of Olongapo during the 'Nam days.

In my opinion, the off duty PNP were probably intimidated by the more muscular US grunts winning the hearts of their favorite ladies at their local watering hole.  When it comes time for physical altercation, hand to hand combat is NOT in their forte.  They would rather pull out their quarenta cinco (45) to show their macho-macho to the ladies.

Macha-macha indeed.......

[OnMyWay]

3 hours ago, Jake said:

In my opinion, the off duty PNP were probably intimidated by the more muscular US grunts winning the hearts of their favorite ladies at their local watering hole.  When it comes time for physical altercation, hand to hand combat is NOT in their forte.  They would rather pull out their quarenta cinco (45) to show their macho-macho to the ladies.

Macha-macha indeed.......

I don't think the Filipinos showed any intent to start something.

I watched it again and I did see the gun this time.

The G.I. who started it is an idiot and should know better, but maybe he is one of those guys that just has to do stupid things.  He pulled the beer bottle prank on somebody he did not know who happened to be a drunk, sleeping, Filipino police officer, with his gun in a bag, sitting at a table of police officers.  The other Filipino went to grab the bag first and that may have been because ALL of their guns were in there and he was trying to make sure they stayed in their hands.  That would be a natural instinct.

Where I come from you don't pull a prank like that on someone you don't know.  OK for your buddies but not for strangers.  Imagine the same scenario, no guns, no police, at a U.S. bar with a lot of macho guys drinking.  Your group is sitting next to another group you don't know, and you pull the prank on the other group's sleeping drunk.  It is natural that the other group is going to defend their sleeping drunk.  You are looking for a fight if you do that.

Then you do it in a foreign country where you have men who never want to "lose face"?  I would think that the "losing face" cultural aspect is something that the G.I.s should be coached on.  That guy is lucky he and a couple of his buddies did not get shot.