Philippines has no missile interceptor: military spokesman

August 11, 2017

The Philippines has no missile interceptor as the military expressed hope on Friday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) would refrain from its threat to launch missiles.

In the "Mindanao Hour" press briefing in Malacanang, Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman, recalled when DPRK conducted missile test and its debris fell in the Pacific Ocean near the Philippines.

"The closest problem we have ever encountered regarding North Korea’s launch of missiles was during the testing stage when they launched a missile that they were testing towards this part of the Pacific," he said.

"And we don’t have anti-missile systems to put it down or to guard our country against such kinds of threat," Padilla added.

DPRK has threatened to bomb Guam where many American soldiers have been stationed.

Padilla  said the government continues to monitor the situation in the Korean Peninsula

"(A)ny kind of telltale effect from that kind of incident is something we have to prepare for," he said.

He said the Office of the Civil Defense is specifically preparing for any eventuality, particularly in the coastal areas which could be affected by the debris.

He admitted North Korea's recent threat to US is a source of concern.

"But we don’t see this as potentially hitting us in any way because it is directed towards an outer island in the Pacific itself. So whatever fallout it may have, maybe because of debris, if it disintegrates up there. So these are things that are still in our preparations," Padilla said.

With the attendance of DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho in the recently concluded ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and Related Meetings in Manila, he expressed hope that DPRK would not push with its threat.

"Because the recent ASEAN meeting, we saw the presence of the Foreign Minister of North Korea. If they are intently going to do what they have been announcing, then the Foreign Minister would not have gone there. So I think there is still a lot of room for dialogue, a lot of room for talks. And we see this as a positive sign," he said.

"So, we may just be in the middle of a verbal tussle between some countries," he added. Celerina Monte/DMS