MANILA, Philippines – Sinabi ni Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. sa mga tropa sa Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) na palawakin ang kanilang “sphere of operations” at maghanda sa mga posibleng pangyayari sa hinaharap, kabilang ang emergency sa Taiwan.
Ang NOLCOM ay isang unified command ng AFP na nakasasakop sa Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, at Central Luzon, kabilang ang Bajo de Masinloc o Scarborough Shoal at Philippine Rise.
“NOLCOM is our frontliner here in the northern hemisphere. As I, as we saw a while ago in their shift to territorial defense, they have gone a long, long way already,” sinabi ni Brawner kasabay ng ika-38 anibersaryo ng NOLCOM.
“But let me give you this challenge, this further challenge: Do not be content with securing just the Northern hemisphere up to Mavulis Island. Start planning for actions in case there is an invasion of Taiwan,” dagdag pa niya.
Ipinaliwanag ni Brawner na kung anuman ang mangyaris sa Taiwan, “inevitably, we will be involved.”
“There are 250,000 OFWs working in Taiwan and we will have to rescue them,” aniya pa.
“It will be the task of the NOLCOM to be at the frontline of that operation.”
Nitong Martes, Abril 1 ay nagpadala ang China ng army, navy, air at rocket forces nito sa palibot ng Taiwan para sa malakihang drill. RNT/JGC
