Nolcom on alert for possible North Korean missile debris

MANILA, Philippines - The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has ordered the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) to be on alert for missile debris that may land in the area should North Korea attack Guam.

Aside from monitoring the situation, Nolcom has been directed to draft a contingency plan that would include evacuation and medical response, AFP public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said yesterday.

“While we are not a party to that conflict, if this will push through, some missile debris may land in the northern part of our country,” Arevalo said.

He said Nolcom along with other relevant military units have been alerted and are ready to execute plans in the event tension in the Korean Peninsula escalates.

As to other security plans and actions, the AFP will depend on the country’s top decision-makers.

Arevalo said the AFP is ready and capable of conducting air evacuation of Filipinos in Guam, which North Korean leader Kim Jong-un threatened to attack with ballistic missiles.

The Philippine Air Force has five C-130 cargo planes and three C-290 medium-lift aircraft that can be used to evacuate Filipinos.

Arevalo said the AFP has been closely monitoring the situation and is studying all possible actions that it may undertake should the need arise.

He assured the public that the AFP has plans and is continuously planning its action for Filipinos in Guam as well as those in Northern Luzon who could be affected.

Located close to Guam, the Philippines is within striking distance of North Korea’s missiles.

The military and defense department are confident the Philippines will not be targeted.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier said that North Korea’s wayward missiles might hit the Philippines instead of Guam.