No plan to pull out US missile system in Philippines: Ano
By Robina Asido
National Security Council (NSC) Secretary Eduardo Ano said there is still no plan to pull out the United States Army mid-range capability (MRC) or Typhoon missile system in the country despite China's demand for its quick removal.
"There is no plan yet to pull it out. It will be the decision of the (Mutual Defense Board - Security Engagement Board) MDB-SEB, the Mutual Defense Board is the one who can decide on that and there will be consultation," Ano told reporters in Cavite on Friday.
"For now, we need the, what you call, the Typhoon missile launcher for our training and capability upgrading of our armed forces. We should know how to operate this because in the future. This is the type of equipment that we want to procure," he added.
It can be recalled that a government official source of the Daily Manila Shimbun, confirmed after the MDB-SEB meeting last month that there is "no indication" that the US Army's MRC missile system will be pulled out of the country.
"The pull out will depend on discussions from both the Philippines and the United States; so far there is no indication of any pull out... that weapon system could remain here...," the source said.
In a previous interview with reporters in Baguio City, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said that the military still has no information whether the presence of the MRC in the Philippines will be extended or withdrawn this month.
"I have no information on that," Brawner said during the same press conference with US Indo-Pacom Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo Jr. after the MDB-SEB meeting at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) last August 29.
The Daily Manila Shimbun source previously noted that the presence of the Typhoon in the country is because of the illegal and coercive activities of China in the region.
"Its (MRC) here because of what they (China) do," a government official source said.
"We should expect more of this modern weaponry such as the MRC," the source added.
Ano said there is no timeline for the pull out of the missile system in the country.
The Philippine Army previously claimed that the pull out of MRC from the country will depend on the result of the assessment after the Salaknib exercises end this month.
Despite China's demand for the immediate pull out of the MRC, Ano said the Philippines is "an independent country" and "nobody can dictate us what to do".
"Well, we are an independent country. We have a foreign independent policy. Nobody can dictate us on what to do. And at the same time, it is also our duty to perform our role as partners of the United States as far as the MDT is concerned," he said.
"We know what is best for our country.So, they cannot dictate anything to us, particularly on the deployment of this missile launcher," he added. Robina Asido/DMS
