Gov’t denies plan to use US drones vs terrorists

PHILIPPINE OFFICIALS denied on Tuesday that there is any discussion with the United States (US) to use the latter’s drones to strike against Islamic Stateinspired terrorist groups in the country as reported by an American news agency.

NBC News reported on Aug. 7 that: “The Pentagon is considering a plan that allows the U.S. military to conduct air strikes on ISIS in the Philippines,” citing that “two defense officials told NBC News.”

“The authority to strike ISIS targets as part of collective selfdefense could be granted as part of an official military operation that may be named as early as Tuesday, said the officials. The strikes would likely be conducted by armed drones,” the report said.

The Philippine Department of Defense ( DND), in a statement issued yesterday, said neither the department nor the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are in such talks.

Gen. Eduardo M. Año, AFP chief of staff, said that at present, such measure is not within the provisions of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) signed by the two countries.

“Direct military actions are only allowed during actual foreign invasion by another state actor. Hence, such proposition has to undergo a process and an agreement must be reached that should have the approval of both the highest officials of our nation,” the DND also said.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto C. Abella, for his part, said the MDT “does not involve any boots on the ground nor any direct participation in combat operations, such as the air strikes reportedly being planned… This is a matter prohibited by our law and Constitution.”

“There was no discussion of air strikes when PRRD ( President Rodrigo R. Duterte) visited the Joint Special Operations Task Force Trident,” Mr. Abella added. — with