US military help offered on typhoon ‘Juan’

By Gretchen Malalad, ABS-CBN News
Posted at 10/17/2010 7:04 PM | Updated as of 10/17/2010 7:04 PM
MANILA, Philippines – The United States military offered its help to the Philippines on Sunday in response to the impending onslaught of typhoon Juan.

US Army Colonel Kevin Clark, head of the Joint United States Military Advisory Group in the Philippines made the offer in a meeting with National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Undersecretary Benito Ramos Sunday afternoon.

Clark, Ramos, and other U.S. military officers discussed the possible assistance that the U.S. Navy can officer in the preparation for typhoon Juan's landfall Monday.

U.S. Navy and Marines troops are currently in the country for the joint Phiblex exercises, is an annual bilateral exercise designed to improve interoperability, increase readiness and continue professional relationships between the US and Philippine Armed Forces.

Clark said that they had to postpone the exercise because of the typhoon.

Ramos said that they had requested to the U.S. government the assistance and the use of 6 Chinook helicopters from the U.S. Navy's 6 Chinook helicopters in preparation for any rescue operations.

He added the 4 provinces in Cagayan Valley – Palanan, Dinapigue, Macunacun, and Divinacunan – could be seriously affected and could only be accessible by either sea or air.

He said that the Philippine Air Force only has 2 helicopters and they won't be enough in a rescue operation worse-case scenario.

Clark said meeting with Ramos was only a preliminary assessment on what assistance the US can offer.

The Philippine government had already sent a request for assistance to the US government.

Clark added that US troops will be just in the sidelines and let their Philippine counterparts do their job.