Gov’t drops plan to send PH rescue team to Japan

MANILA, Philippines—Instead of a search-and-rescue team, the Philippines is sending P1.3 million worth of emergency relief supplies to Japan for victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami, an official said Thursday.

Benito Ramos, executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said the food and non-food items prepared by the Department of Social Welfare and Development would be flown to Japan on Friday by Philippine Airlines.

He said a six-member advance party which the Armed Forces of the Philippines sent to Japan a few days ago would oversee the distribution of the relief items.

“They will work together with our embassy officials in Japan. After they finish their task, they will immediately fly back home,” he said.

No response from Tokyo

The government has dropped its plan to dispatch a 46-member rescue contingent to Japan after failing to receive a reply from Tokyo on its offer.

Ramos gave no explanation and referred media questions to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

“The DFA would be the best agency to explain what caused the cancellation. I don’t want to second-guess. I’m just following instructions from the DFA,” Ramos said in a news briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.

“I can only speculate that there are already a number of rescue volunteers there,” he said. “But we perfectly understand the sensitivities of the Japanese people.”

Last week, Japan said countries offering help should be self-sufficient and well-equipped to cope with possible contamination from crippled nuclear reactors.