By Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral, Reporter

NORTH Korea’s plan to launch missiles at the US Pacific territory, particularly near Guam, is a “source of concern,” the Philippine military said on Friday, Aug. 11, adding that the government is preparing for any kind of “telltale effect” from such aggression.

Speaking to reporters in Malacañang, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Spokesperson Brigadier-General Restituto F. Padilla, Jr. said that there is a “remote” possibility of North Korean missiles directly hitting the Philippines, but debris may splash into the country’s coastal areas.

Guam is located approximately 2,500 km away from the Philippines. It is home to some 42,800 Filipinos, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

“If ever it (missiles) disintegrates in the atmosphere. Potentially, it would have shattered debris that may scatter around in the area or its trajectory,” Mr. Padilla said.

“So it could hit some northern coastal areas. We have to forewarn our citizens to be on the lookout. But that’s something that we see as remote,” he added.

“We don’t have anti-missile systems to put it down or to guard our country against such kinds of threat. What we do, however, is monitor it.”

According to reports, Pyongyang’s state media recently said North Korea plans to fire four intermediate-range missiles into waters 30-40 km from Guam “to signal a crucial warning to the United States”.

Malacañang earlier assured the Philippine consulate in Agana, Guam, that it has “contingency plans” that are “regularly updated to enable them to respond to emergencies.”

At the just-concluded Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ministerial Meetings in Manila, the regional-bloc said in a joint statement that Pyongyang’s previous ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests “seriously threaten peace, security and stability in the region and the world.”

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho, who was present at last week’s ASEAN meeting, reportedly sought the bloc’s help and urged the region to support North Korea, adding that the situation in the Korean Peninsula was “reaching the brink of war”.

Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who chairs this year’s ASEAN meetings, told Mr. Ri during a brief exchange at the closing ceremony of this week’s ministerial talks that Pyongyang and ASEAN “would be a great dialogue partner.”

This is despite Mr. Duterte’s previous insults ahead of the regional meeting in Manila against North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, whom the Philippine leader described as a “chubby son of a bitch” who is “playing with dangerous toys.”

Pyongyang is part of the ASEAN Regional Forum, which is an annual meeting of ASEAN and Asia-Pacific countries to discuss political and security issues.

Last week, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted tough new sanctions against North Korea for conducting its eighth nuclear test. The expanded sanction includes a ban on importation and hosting additional workers from Pyongyang.

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