“All local government units in Luzon were asked to come up with plans in the event that the debris falls in their area of jurisdiction. These include identifying food assistance, evacuation and medical contingency,” said Allan Tabell, a director of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and liaison to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
“(DILG) Secretary (Jesse) Robredo has ordered all governors and mayors in northeastern Luzon including Bicol to prepare contingency plans. We are talking about practically the entire Luzon,” Tabell said in a press briefing yesterday.
“There’s a possibility of mass casualty,” the DILG official said. “If it (debris) falls on a populated area, there is a possibility of suffering casualties. That is what we are preparing for. Walang kapalit ang paghahanda (There’s no substitute for preparedness),” he added.
Tabell could not tell how many evacuation centers would be set up. He nevertheless said it is presumed that each town or city has at least one evacuation center. There are about 400 municipalities and cities in Luzon.
NDRRMC executive director Benito Ramos said it would be up to the local governments to decide whether to conduct preemptive evacuation. Ramos said even local governments in Metro Manila should come up with contingency measures.
Ramos said there is a “hairline difference” between Metro Manila and Polilio Island in Quezon, which is near the rocket’s path.
“The 150 nautical miles east of Polilio Island is adjacent to Metro Manila. There is a hairline difference. I’m not discounting the possibility (that the debris will hit Metro Manila),” he said.
Earlier, North Korea bared plans to launch a rocket – purportedly to place a satellite in orbit – sometime on April 12 to 16. The rocket is scheduled to be launched at 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. (Philippine time).
The launch was also part of the celebration of the 100th birth anniversary of North Korea’s founding president Kim Il-Sung, which falls on April 15.
The United States and other countries suspect that the launch is a disguised long-range missile test – a violation of the ban imposed by the United Nations.
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