Phl looking to allies vs Korean missile

In the event that the prevailing tension in the Korean peninsula turns into a full-blown military conflict, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is looking at military allies for its antimissile defenses.

Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, AFP spokesman, said that while the military has the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) capabilities, the country has no anti-missile capabilities to counter incoming missile projectiles.

“Any launch toward our direction, our allies have assured us a long time ago that they will come to our assistance,” Padilla said amid current missile threats in Korean Peninsula.

He did not name countries, but Japan and the United States are closely monitoring the situation in the region.

Over the past weeks, tension has mounted in the already tense Korean Penin- sula, with the North Korea leadership threatening to launch missile strikes not only at South Korea but at Japan and the US.

Padilla said the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has an established contingency plan in the event a North Korean missile strays and hits the country.

“We are already in the process of developing antimissile capability. Currently, we have none,” he said.

Padilla said the Philippines is located far from the Korean Peninsula and it is highly remote that a missile will be launched directly toward the country.

“On a limited capacity, we also have the capability to react or respond in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attack,” Padilla said.

He said concerned government agencies are ready to address this concern on a limited scale with the Bureau of Fire, the Department of Health and the AFP as prime responders.