GI Travel Curbed as U.S.-Philippine Base Talks Near

U.S. officials Friday restricted travel for 40,000 American military personnel and dependents in the Philippines, fearing Communist rebel attacks during next week’s talks on the future of U.S. military bases.

Philippine sources said the third round of negotiations will be held next Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Central Bank building in Manila on the fate of Clark Air Base and Subic Bay Naval Base. The lease covering Washington’s oldest and largest overseas military bases expires Sept. 16, 1991.

At least 10 Americans have been killed since October, 1987, in attacks blamed on Communist guerrillas who want the bases removed.

Those killed included army Col. James Rowe, a decorated hero of the Vietnam War who was killed in his car in the capital.

Lt. Col. Ron Rand, spokesman at Clark Air Base--home of the 13th Air Force--appeared on American military television to announce the latest restrictions, which include a 9 p.m.-to-5:30 a.m. curfew for military personnel outside of “duty or emergency” travel.

From 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., personnel who live off-base are allowed to travel between the base and their quarters on essential business, Rand said. Travel from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. is allowed within secured compounds.

At Subic, a repair and logistics center for the U.S. 7th Fleet, spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Mukri said Friday that similar liberty curtailments were to go into effect for about 16,000 troops and personnel at the facility.

Mukri said reports from U.S. and Philippine sources showed the threat against service personnel “has significantly increased.”