Sobejana says military properly storing explosives

August 10, 2020

Newly-appointed Army chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana on Monday assures that the military is properly handling and storing its explosives.

"The Philippine Army values the safety not only of its personnel but also of the people, and as such, we ensure the proper handling and stockpiling of all our explosives and ordnance capabilities," Sobejana said.

"While we do not store ammonium nitrate since its intended purpose is for agriculture, we nonetheless guarantee the public that we employ measures to avoid such incidents from happening," he added.

Sobejana issued his statement following the twin blasts in Beirut, Lebanon after more than 2,000 tons of ammonium nitrate were detonated that killed more than 100 people.

CNN, quoting Prime Minister Hassan Diab, said 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse in Beirut port without safety measures exploded.

"What happened at Lebanon last week which took many lives and caused destruction to property is an unfortunate incident which could have been avoided," he said. Robina Asido/DMS