NoKor threat vs. Guam nothing new –PHL consul



There is nothing new with North Korea's threat to strike Guam, a Philippine official there said Thursday, after Pyongyang released a detailed plan to launch missiles toward the US territory.
In an interview on News To Go, Philippine Consul General Marciano de Borja said the situation in Guam remains normal except for the brief panic among residents when North Korea made the threat on Wednesday.
"Medyo nagkaroon ng konting panic," he said, adding that public anxiety died down after Governor Eddie Calvo assured the populace that there is no imminent threat to Guam.
"Kahapon, nagsalita si Governor Eddie Calvo at nagsabi siya na matapos makipag-ugnayan sa Pentagon, sa Defense Department, sa Homeland Security at White House, wala naman talagang imminent threat na atake sa Guam," he said.
De Borja said Guam has faced threats since 2013 due to its two fully-staffed US military bases, the Andersen Air Force Base and Naval Base Guam.
In case North Korea pushes through with their threats, De Borja said Guam had THAAD or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile system that can intercept hostile firepower.
"Isa itong missile system na kung saan pwede nilang ma-intercept kung anuman ang missile system na puwedeng umatake dito sa lugar ng Guam at sa Northern Mariana islands," he said.
US President Donald Trump warned North Korea that it would face "fire and fury like the world has never seen" should it threaten the US, prompting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to issue the threat.
North Korea dismissed Trump's threats as a "load of nonsense." It said it will develop a plan to launch the missiles to Guam by mid-August.
The United Nations Security Council imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Saturday over its continued missile tests that may cut its $3 billion annual export revenue by a third.
The reclusive island nation reasoned that its development of intercontinental ballistic missiles is a legitimate defense strategy.
It has long accused the US and South Korea of escalating tensions by conducting military drills on Korean soil. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News

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