‘No need to evacuate Pinoys in South Korea’

MANILA, Philippines - There is still no need to evacuate more than 40,000 Filipinos in South Korea despite Pyongyang’s latest threat to unleash nuclear weapons on US targets, Malacañang said yesterday.

In a press briefing, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda downplayed the possibility of a nuclear strike but stressed the Philippines is ready for any eventuality.

“I saw in some newspapers that they are years away from developing a nuclear weapon. So I don’t think that’s an issue right now. That’s not something on the table right now,” Lacierda said, adding, however, that contingency plans were being drawn up.

Lacierda said contingency plans were being updated to ensure a smooth evacuation of Filipinos in case of armed hostilities in the Korean peninsula.

The Pentagon ordered the deployment of an advanced missile defense system to the western Pacific on Wednesday as Washington declared North Korea “a real and clear danger” to South Korea, Japan and to the US itself.

Lacierda said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), through the Philippine embassy in South Korea, is closely coordinating with the Filipino community to make sure contingency plans are in place.

“We have identified areas of convergence in case the situation in South Korea takes a turn for the worse,” Lacierda said. “So contingency plans are being made right now. They’re being drafted to update the plan.”

He also allayed fears over the Philippines’ inviting an attack from North Korea because of the presence of US ships in the country.

“That was a question raised already: ‘Will we be a magnet?’ But we don’t have bases anymore, so that should not be a concern,” Lacierda said.

He said the US Navy ships in the Philippines are “here for provisioning, re-provisioning, and also for some rest and recreation.”

He said the government would rather not comment directly on Pyongyang’s threat.

“We will leave it with the international community. Our focus right now is the Filipino community in South Korea,” he said.

At the DFA, spokesman Raul Hernandez said the Philippines is calling for “sobriety among all stakeholders and for the easing of tension in the region.”

“The Philippine government continues to closely monitor the situation and advises Filipinos in South Korea to remain alert,” he told a press briefing.

On standby

Three Philippine Navy (PN) and two coast guard vessels are on standby for possible evacuation of Filipinos from South Korea in the event of a full-blown war in the region.

“The PN leadership under Vice Admiral Jose Luis Alano alerted and placed on standby three ships in view of the escalating tensions between North Korea and South Korea,” Navy spokesman Lt. Commander Gregory Gerald Fabic said.

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) commandant Rear Admiral Rodolfo Isorena said two 56-meter vessels were ready for deployment to Korea for evacuation or humanitarian mission.

There are more than 40,000 Filipinos in South Korea and 25 in North Korea.

Fabic said the Philippine Navy had already made arrangements with the Philippine embassy in South Korea for the possible deployment. It will take the three vessels seven days to reach Korea, according to the Navy. Fabic said Commander Alexander Lopez is expected to lead the naval group.

“As planned, we will be depending all our actions (on) our embassy officials in South Korea. We will be taking instructions from them,” Fabic said.

“So far there is no directive coming from the Department (of Transportation and Communications) to prepare for the North Korea and South Korea (deployment)… If we are so directed then we have vessels,” Isorena said.

He said the two PCG vessels being readied for a possible evacuation mission were the BRP Pampanga and BRP Batangas.

“The Philippine Coast Guard’s job is limited to the conduct of humanitarian activities so if we would be dispatched or deployed then definitely, I think it would be in the evacuation of the Filipinos in South Korea and North Korea,” he added.

Earlier, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) said two of its three C-130 transport planes were ready for possible deployment to South Korea to evacuate Filipinos who might be caught in a potential shooting war in the region.

US excuse

In San Fernando, Pampanga, militant groups said the tensions in Korea might give the US another excuse to deploy more forces in the Philippines.

The groups, which included the Alyansang Magbubukid ng Gitnang Luson (AMGL), Anakpawis party-list, Central Luzon Ayta Association (CLAA), Timpuyog Katutubo ng Nueva Ecija (TKNE), Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), and the Katribu-Central Luzon, aired their concerns as US forces begin today their Balikatan exercise with Filipino troops in Clark and Subic, which hosted two of the biggest US military facilities outside the mainland.

 â€“ With Pia Lee-Brago, Ding Cervantes, Evelyn Macairan, Jaime Laude