AFP placed on 'red alert' for 'Yolanda' relief efforts

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 19): AFP placed on 'red alert' for 'Yolanda' relief efforts

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)on Monday placed all its units on "red alert" footing so that it can fully concentrate on its humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) efforts in the Visayas Region.

Major Gen. Domingo Tutaan said the red alert was in view of the military's efforts on Typhoon 'Yolanda'. "It was declared so that all units could be mobilized for whatever tasking,” he said.

Tutaan dismissed reports that the "red alert" was done to preempt possible destabilization plots against the government.

Rescuers continue to recover bodies in various areas of Eastern Visayas, including in the region’s waters.

Senior Supt. Pablito Cordeta, Bureau of Fire Protection Director in Region 8 and the designated commander of the Task Force Cadaver, said they have recovered at least 151 bodies on Monday alone in Tacloban City.

Cordeta said the corpses were disposed of into a mass burial site at Sitio Baster, Barangay Diit in the City.

“The burial site is almost full that is why they are planning to excavate near the site,” he said.

Over the weekend, Cordeta said his task force has recovered more than 900 bodies, but he was not sure whether the number has been included with the figure of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, which is almost 4, 000.

Meanwhile, the United States military activated on Tuesday Joint Task Force 505 that will direct the conduct of its humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in the Philippines in support of the government.

It is headquartered inside Camp Aguinaldo and headed by Lt. Gen. John Wissler, commander of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force, who has been in the country at the start of the US humanitarian assistance operations.

The task force will work closely with senior representatives from the State Department, the US Agency for International Development and other American agencies to ensure continued, timely and swift responses to requests from the Philippine government.

The JTF 505 included nearly 850 personnel, who are already in the ravaged areas in the Visayas, and an additional 6,200 from the USS George Washington (CVN-73) battle group.

Around 1,000 Marines and sailors assigned with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit are expected to arrive in about three days.

Personnel and equipment from the US Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps have come from Hawaii, Okinawa, Japan and the continental United States.

They will integrate and coordinate with foreign military units and nongovernmental relief organizations supporting the disaster efforts, officials said.

"The US military has a history of successfully working with international relief organizations and host nations to respond to those people affected by natural disasters," Wissler said.

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