PHL gets rid of leftover WWII explosives from US

President Benigno Aquino III will culminate on Saturday the month-long detonation of thousands of leftover World War II explosives donated by United States that had become obsolete through the years. Aquino, the military’s commander-in-chief, will remotely detonate the last two pallets of 287-pound Mk-6 and two pallets of 190-pound Mk-9 charges using a radio firing device, the Philippine Navy said Thursday. The detonation of the ordnance is spearheaded by the US Naval Special Operations and has been ongoing since early February, according to Navy spokesman Capt. Giovannie Carlo Bacordo. “These ordnance were given to us by the US after the World War II but over time, they became obsolete," Bacordo said. The leftover World War II explosives were stored on Caballo island off Bataan province and were later transferred to Subic and then Crow Valley Range Complex. Bacordo said the actual detonation of the explosives began last Feb. 9. “The EOD (explosives and ordnance disposal) teams successfully detonated 4,146 pieces of various types of leftover World War II ordnance," he said. Bacordo noted that the removal and disposal of leftover explosives in the Philippines were discussed when President Aquino met with US President Barack Obama in September last year. “The disposal is a collaboration between the US and Philippine governments," he said. “As the disposal comes to a conclusion, an aggregated Net Explosive Weight (NEW) of 364,348 lbs was safely detonated." Bacordo said a domino-effect type of explosion of the leftover ordnance on Caballo island has been estimated “to create a destructive blast lethal to humans within a 32 km radius." He said the “catastrophic effect" would have “endangered nearby populated areas and ships plying Manila Bay and can be felt up to Sangley Point, Headquarters Philippine Navy, and the US Embassy." Bacordo said a “negligible" number of US ordnance would be left for future ordnance exercises. - KBK, GMA News