MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines on Tuesday said it will implement
a no-fly zone and advised all sea-faring vessels, including fishermen,
from going out to sea in the area where North Korea’s rocket is expected
to splash down into the sea.
Airlines and private aircrafts will not be allowed to pass through
the no-fly zone 190 nautical miles northeast of Sta. Ana, Cagayan
province and 140 nautical miles east of Polilio Island, Quezon province,
where the rocket is expected to land.
Ferdinand Tienzo, assistant chief, air traffic control of the Civil
Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said the no-fly zone will
be implemented from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. from April 12 to 16.
All affected international flights will take other routes to avoid the rocket’s path, Tienzo said.
Benito Ramos, executive director of the National Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Council, advised ships and fishermen from
nearby areas such as Polilio Island and Baler to steer clear of the
rocket’s path.
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin told reporters that the defense
department is not planning any evacuation “but advised [nearby
residents] to avoid the area or seek cover.”
“This is first time we will experience this. We are coordinating with
US [because] they have the capability to monitor what kind of debris
will fall and where,” Gazmin said.
Gazmin added that, historically “North Korea has not been successful in its previous operations.”
He said that the rocket could stray closer or farther to Luzon from
its target path over the Pacific Ocean. “We need to be careful and
prepare what needs to be done in order to protect ourselves from the
debris,” Gazmin said.
North Korea had announced last March that it is planning a rocket
launch sometime between April 12 to 16 to put a satellite into orbit.
The rocket will consist of multiple booster stages that will jettison
from the main rocket after each stage’s fuel is spent. The jettisoned
stage will then splash down into the sea.
Gazmin said that President Benigno Aquino will try to convince fellow
members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to
pressure North Korea against continuing the launch and preserve peace
and stability in the region.
Foreign secretaries of Asean member nations have echoed the same sentiments during a meeting ahead of the summit itself.
Gazmin however said that “based on historical facts, [North Korea] does not listen to the majority.”
The United States and other countries have expressed alarm and said that the rocket launch is actually a ballistic missile test.
South Korea and Japan have already declared that they will shoot down
the rocket if it threatens to enter their territory. The Philippines
however has no capability to shoot down the rocket.
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Matikas Santos | INQUIRER.net | April 3, 2012 | Article Link
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Notice To Mariners No. 042-2012
Notice is hereby given to all mariners and other parties concerned that:
1.Reference:
Letter from Gilberto G.B. Asuque, Assistant Secretary for Ocean
Concerns, Office of the Undersecretary for Special and Ocean Concerns
dated 26 March 2012
2.The Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will launch the “earth observation satellite” Kwangmyongsong-3 on 12 to 16 April 2012 and the coordinates of “falling area” are as follows:
Point A Latitude 15 degs 08 mins 19 secs North Longitude 124 degs 46 mins 15 secs East
Point B Latitude 15 degs 09 mins 35 secs North Longitude 123 degs 45 mins 27 secs East
Point C Latitude 19 degs 23 mins 08 secs North Longitude 124 degs 45 mins 13 secs East
Point D Latitude 19 degs 24 mins 32 secs North Longitude 123 degs 54 mins 26 secs East
Point B Latitude 15 degs 09 mins 35 secs North Longitude 123 degs 45 mins 27 secs East
Point C Latitude 19 degs 23 mins 08 secs North Longitude 124 degs 45 mins 13 secs East
Point D Latitude 19 degs 24 mins 32 secs North Longitude 123 degs 54 mins 26 secs East
3.In
this connection, all ships/watercrafts transiting the vicinity of the
above mentioned area are advised to take necessary precautionary
measures.
4.The cooperation of all concerned in effecting widest dissemination of this information is requested.
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Philippine Coast Guard | April 2, 2012 | Notice Link
