Military assets deployed to aid towns near Taal Volcano

MANILA – Military personnel, vehicles and equipment have been deployed to assist in several Batangas towns affected by Taal Volcano’s unrest, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Friday.

AFP spokesperson Marine Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said two military trucks come from the 2nd Infantry Division and a towable fuel and forward deployed to the Philippine Air Force’s 730th Combat Group in Nasugbu town.

“We have placed more personnel on alert and ready for immediate deployment. Communications equipment were also deployed,” Arevalo said.

Other units of the Southern Luzon Command are on standby and ready to assist anytime, he added.

The AFP’s Joint Task Group Taal, led by Brig. Gen. Rommel Tello, is coordinating with local chief executives in monitoring the volcano, now under Alert Level 3 (magmatic unrest).

Other military units were constituted as disaster response teams, including officer-led reservists with equipment placed on standby alert and prepositioned at the Fernando Airbase in Lipa City.

“We will continue monitoring the situation and the developments,” Arevalo said. “We are prepared to assist and to assume the lead with the PNP when needed.”