Aquino leads WWII bombs disposal exercise in Tarlac

Manila Bulletin, Saturday, March 5, 2011

President Benigno S. Aquino III led Saturday the culmination of the joint explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) exercise for World War II ordnances in Crow Valley in Capas, Tarlac.

President Aquino detonated the last two pallets of 287-pound Mk 6 depth charges and two pallets of 190-pound Mk 9 depth charges using radio firing device. He led the last phase of the exercise triggering the explosion of 2,000- pound explosive composed of antisubmarine explosives. Also present during the exercise was United States Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas.

Saturday’s event was part of an agreement between the Philippines and the U.S. government after President Aquino met U.S. President Barack Obama last year. The President asked the U.S. leader to assist the Philippines in getting rid of the bombs that puts civilian population at risk.

The ordnance disposal exercise was spearheaded by the Philippines Naval Special Operations Group (NAVSOG) in collaboration with the U.S. military.

Representatives from other services of the Philippine armed forces also joined the Navy in disposing the bombs.

The President commended the Armed Forces and all the personnel involved in the activity for safely disposing of the ordnances, completing the job way ahead of schedule.

The target date for completion was March 26, but they managed to complete it on March 5.

The exercise is the last phase of the ordnance disposal that started February 9 in Crow Valley in Tarlac where more than 4,000 pieces of World War II ordnances were detonated.

President Aquino said the safe disposal of the World War II leftover was very important to ensure public safety. The vintage ordnances were originally stored in Caballo Island in Cavite and experts said a detonation could trigger a domino-effect type of explosion that could be very destructive within 32-kilometer radius.

“There was a danger that an unattended explosion could detonate roughly about 400,000 pounds of explosives. I was told that the blast area for that would be something like 30 square kilometers that would affect portions of Cavite, Bataan and even the NCR [National Capital Region]. Hence, the need to adequately dispose of the same materials,” the President said.

The ordnance disposal had three phases: stabilization and rendering of the ordnances, segregation and pallet placements at Caballo Island from January 20 to February 4, 2011.

Under the second phase, the U.S. government hired a commercial landing craft tank to transport the bombs from Caballo Island to Crow Valley. The third phase was the safe detonation of the bombs.

The Philippines still suffers from environmental damage from World War II and the post-war U.S. military presence in the country aside from the unexploded munitions as a result of conflict in Mindanao and the communist insurgency.

Until now there are occasional reports on discoveries of these bombs and deaths appear to occur from time to time from such incidents.

Detonation of World War II bombs

The Philippine Star, Sunday, March 6, 2011

President Aquino uses a radio firing device to detonate World War II bombs and other explosives at the Crow Valley Range in Capas, Tarlac yesterday.

Noy leads detonation of 4,000 vintage bombs at Crow valley

By Aurea Calica

The Philippine Star, Sunday, March 6, 2011

President Aquino led yesterday the remote detonation of more than 4,000 World War II-era US bombs and other explosives and expressed relief that the American government finally granted his request for assistance in the cleanup of unexploded ordnance that had lain idle on Caballo Island near Corregidor.

The detonation was done in Crow Valley Range in Capas, Tarlac, as part of the Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal exercise. US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. was also at the event.

Aquino had requested US President Barack Obama to help the Philippines in the cleanup effort when they met in New York in September during the United Nations General Assembly and in Yokohoma in November at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

The President pushed a button on a radio firing device, triggering a series of explosions that destroyed the vintage bombs.

The Philippine Navy said the safe transport of the unexploded ordnance from Caballo Island in Manila Bay and their detonation in Crow Valley through US help was a great achievement in itself.

Detonating the shells on Caballo Island, the Navy said, could have created “a destructive blast lethal to humans within a 32-kilometer radius and the catastrophic effect would have endangered nearby populated areas and ships plying Manila Bay and can be felt up to Sangley Point, the Philippine Navy Headquarters and the US embassy.”

Aquino said the danger posed by the unexploded shells had been one of the major problems faced by his administration.

“More than anything, I feel that this was really one of my first nightmares upon assuming office – that there was something left over from (the Second World War),” he said.

He commended the Armed Forces of the Philippines for the timely disposal of the explosives.

“The target date for completion was March 26. They managed to complete it on March 5, three weeks ahead of schedule. It was really quite impressive,” he said.

“The transport from Manila Bay to Subic to Tarlac also was an impressive operation – no untoward incidents, nobody was harmed, no injuries whatsoever,” he added.

The US government, according to the Philippine Navy, contracted a commercial landing craft tank that transported the explosives from Caballo Island to Crow Valley. The transport was completed on Feb. 6.

The exercise spearheaded by the Naval Special Operations Group of the Philippine Navy was the last phase of the Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal Operations. This phase began on Feb. 9 in Crow Valley with EOD teams from the Army, Air Force, Philippine National Police and Coast Guard.

The Navy said an aggregate net explosive weight of 364,348 pounds had been safely detonated.

Navy activates 3 new offices

By Alexis Romero

The Philippine Star, Sunday, March 15, 2011

MANILA, Philippines - The Navy activated yesterday three new offices including a body that will study proposals on how to tap the private sector to fund its modernization program.

Navy spokesman Capt. Giovanni Bacordo said activated were the Public-Private Partnership Office (PPPO), the Naval Human Rights Office, and the Philippine Navy Protocol Office.

Bacordo said the PPPO is in line with the government’s plan to lease some of its properties to support its capability upgrade program.

“The PPPO will study the proposals of the proponents. It will assess the plans related to the public-private partnership,” he told The STAR in a phone interview.

Bacordo said the PPPO will be led by the Navy vice commander, a post currently held in an acting capacity by Fleet Commander Rear Adm. Jose Luis Alano.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Act, which took effect in 1995, has given the military the opportunity to modernize in 15 years with a total fund of P331 billion.

More than 16 years have passed since the law was enacted but critics said the AFP is not even close to a modern battle force. The delay in the implementation of the law has been attributed to lack of state funds.

During his first State of the Nation Address last July, President Aquino said he is studying a proposal to lease military lots to support AFP modernization.

He said this will allow the military to procure equipment without bloating the deficit, which is expected to hit P290 billion this year.

At least six firms have expressed interest in the project, including Malaysian Resources Corp. Berhad, which submitted a proposal that would involve the lease of a 33-hectare property at Fort Bonifacio.

Navy data showed that out of the 53 patrol ships in the inventory, only 25 are operational. These patrol ships are of the average age of 36.4 years old. The bigger of these vessels like the minesweeper frigates and patrol craft escorts are 66 and 67 years, old respectively.

Only two of the seven Navy transport vessels are operational and are already 15 years old. The non-operational vessels are 64 years old.

On the other hand, only four of the 10 Navy auxiliary ships are operational. From among the 32 small crafts, 23 are operational and are of an average age of 21.3 years old.

The Navy also activated its Human Rights Office in compliance with the military’s policy to educate troops about existing humanitarian laws.

“The office aims to safeguard and ensure that human rights of the people and Navy personnel, as well as of its stakeholders are well-respected and preserved,” Bacordo said.

The office will be headed by Lt. Col. Jesulito Calimag.

On the other hand, the Protocol Office will be tasked “to preserve customs, traditions, and ideals” of the Navy.

The office, which aims to promote discipline among Navy personnel, will be led by Cmdr. Carlos Sabarre.

philstar.com