US drone na natagpuan sa Masbate, nagmula sa Guam—US Embassy

Inihayag ng US Embassy sa Manila nitong Martes na ginamit sa military exercise sa Guam ang US drone na natagpuang lumulutang sa karagatan ng Masbate nitong Linggo ng umaga. "The unarmed target drone that washed ashore off the coast of Masbate Island... was launched from the USS Chafee (DDG 90) during exercise Valiant Shield 2012 on September 19, 2012 off the coast of Guam," ayon kay Tina Malone, tagapagsalita ng US embassy. "It appears that ocean currents brought the drone to where it washed ashore last week off Masbate Island," dagdag niya sa pahayag. Ayon kay Malone, isang expended BQM-74E Aerial Target ang drone na natagpuan sa Sitio Tacdugan sa bayan ng San Jacinto noong Linggo. Pagkumpirma ito ni Malone sa naunang ipinahayag ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) nitong Martes tungkol sa drone. "Our initial assessment is that the aerial target drone was used in a military exercise outside the Philippine territorial waters somewhere in the Pacific," ayon kay AFP spokesman Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos sa hiwalay na pahayag. Sinabi ni Burgos na maaaring napadpad lamang sa probinsya ng Masbate ang drone dahil sa malakas na alon. Nilinaw din ni Burgos na ang nakitang drone ay hindi spy plane kung hindi isang aerial target drone. "Its orange color and US Navy logo suggests that it is used primarily to simulate enemy missiles and aircraft during exercises," aniya. Nasa pangangalaga na ng Philippine Navy ang aerial target drone. "We sent an EOD (Explosive and Ordnance Division) team for initial investigations on the navy drone. The EOD team found that the drone already has some barnacles and assessed to be safe for transport," ayon kay Burgos. "Currently it is under the custody of Naval Forces Southern Luzon and currently being assessed and coordination is being made for proper disposition," dagdag niya. Inatasan naman ng Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) si Undersecretary Edilberto Adan, pinuno ng Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) Commission, na imbestigahan kung paano napunta ang drone sa karagatan ng Masbate. - Mandy Fernandez/FRJ, GMA News