Philippine President Gloria Arroyo has agreed to a US request to allow American military aircraft to fly over the country, her spokesman said Monday.
Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said that the US requested to use Philippine airspace a week after the terror attacks in New York and Washington on September 11.
He said overflights had already occurred on September 22 to 26.
"The US government informed us before the overflights of the types and number of aircraft which flew over Philippine territory," Tiglao said in a statement.
"The president will authorize other future overflights upon specific request by the US government."
Arroyo also ordered the finance and justice departments to work with the Central Bank of the Philippines to hunt down any funds that international terrorists may have hidden in local banks, Tiglao said.
On Saturday, the Philippines passed an anti-money laundering law that eases the tight secrecy over bank deposits and allows authorities limited powers to search for ill-gotten funds from terrorists and other syndicates that might pass through the country's financial system.
Arroyo has given broad support to the anti-terror campaign, citing the Philippines' own struggle against insurgent groups like the Abu Sayyaf Muslim rebels in the south.
The Abu Sayyaf, who have been kidnapping foreigners and Christians in the south for years, are believed to have contacts with Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, the main suspect in the US attacks.
A military intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, warned that the military had information that other local terrorist groups affiliated with bin Laden could stage attacks here if the United States launches strikes in Afghanistan.
The official refused to specify who these groups are -- MANILA (AFP)
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