Govt allays fear over US drone

From the Manila Standard Today (Jan 9): Govt allays fear over US drone

Malacanang on Tuesday asked militant groups to hold off calls for a Senate probe on the United States drone recovered off Masbate on Sunday, saying it was still “premature” as the Visiting Forces Agreement Commission has already been tasked to look into the incident. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda advised critics to wait until all the details surrounding the recovered drone have been established. “We’re having that verified, once we get verification, we’ll let (the public) know,” Lacierda said.

United States Embassy spokesperson Bettina Malone had said that the device, which she identified as an expended BQM-74E Aerial Target drone, was used in a military exercise in Guam. She added that the drone was launched from the USS Chafee (DDG 90) during the exercise Valiant Shield 2012 on Sept. 19 off the coast of Guam. “It appears that ocean currents brought the drone to where it washed ashore last week off Masbate Island,” Malone said. Her statement was confirmed by the Naval Forces Southern Luzon, which now has custody of the drone.

“Its orange color and US Navy logo suggests that it is used primarily to simulate enemy missiles and aircraft during exercises. Our initial assessment is that the aerial target drone was used in a military exercise outside the Philippine territorial waters somewhere in the Pacific. Due to strong currents and weather disturbances that frequent the Pacific, the aerial target drone was possibly washed adrift into our territorial waters,” its statement said. The Valiant Shield 2012 is held every two years since 2006 and focuses on the cooperation among US military branches.

Capt. Rommel Jason Galang, the deputy commander of the Naval Forces Southern Luzon, confirmed that the US-made Unmanned Aerial Vehicle found by a diver was a model BQM-74E Chukar III. Galang said it had a length of 12 feet and 11 inches, a wingspan of 5 feet and 9 inches, and a height of 2 feet and 4 inches.

On Monday, the Foreign Affairs Department said that they are closely coordinating on the matter with the National Defense as well as concerned US Embassy officials. “We would like to assure the public that every effort is being taken to address this issue. At this point, we have been assured by the US embassy that the aerial vehicle is by design and purpose solely used for target practice and not armed or used for surveillance,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said.He added that they had already instructed VFACom executive officer Edilberto Adan to “look into the matter and file a full report.” Hernandez said US presence and activities in the country “is governed by the VFA between the Philippines and the US” and added that the matter will be dealt with in accordance with the treaty obligations contained in this agreement.”

Militant groups Bayan Muna, ACT Teaches Partylist and fisherfolk Pamalakaya or Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusan Ng Pilipinas had demanded an explanation from Malacanang and called on both the House and the Senate to conduct a probe on the incident. The militant groups said the presence of the drones may have violated Philippine sovereignty.

Bayan Muna secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said that there were “no clear guidelines on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in Philippine territory.” “It appears that the US government has been using the VFA to gain unrestricted movement in Philippine airspace,” Reyes said.

“Malacañang owes the public a full explanation regarding the presence of this US Navy drone in the municipal waters of Masbate,” said ACT Teachers Rep. Antonino Tinio said. “Has there been a violation of our sovereignty?” Tinio asked. “Aside from constitutional and legal questions, could the drone have posed a threat to public safety?”

Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casino, meanwhile, said that Malacanang needs to answer pertinent questions on the presence of the drone in Masbate such as: “Who gave the clearances for such an operation? What is the legal basis if indeed clearance was given? Casino asked. “If no clearance was obtained, will the Philippine government file a protest?” “The answers to these questions are of paramount importance and have to be provided at once lest a cover up is being done,” he said.

Pamalakaya, meanwhile, said that aside from sovereignty issue, the incident could threaten the lives of small fishermen in the area, and called on Congress to start a probe on the incident. “The Senate President and the Speaker of the House should table this highly explosive matter at the August hall of Congress. We will not take no for an answer,” Pamalakaya-Masbate said. Pamalakaya vice-chairperson Salvador France said that the drone may have been used for counter-insurgency. “Whether they deny it or not, the US drone spy gadget is meant to monitor the New People’s Army in the island province of Masbate and nearby provinces connected by Visayan Sea like Samar, Leyte, Bohol and Cebu. It is counter-insurgency under the US-drafted Oplan Bayanihan.”

Senator Loren Legarda, chairperson of the foreign relations committee, said that the presence of the drone in Philippine waters “raises a serious concern of national security,” while noting that the VFA with the US allows only for “specific joint exercises.”

But military spokesman Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr. dismissed accusations that the US government was violating the country’s sovereignty. “This (drone) was never used here in the country, within the Philippine territory for our exercises with the US. This was probably used somewhere in the Pacific during an exercise and it just drifted within our territory,” he said.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2013/01/09/govt-allays-fear-over-us-drone/