Philippines Lacks WMD Defenses

Police in the Philippines lack the training and equipment to deal with a biological or chemical weapon incident, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported today (see GSN, July 6, 2004).

Police units have received no training in responding to an incident similar to the 1995 sarin attack on the Tokyo subway system, a senior police intelligence officer said.

Authorities do not have protective gear or equipment for containing toxins such as anthrax or sarin, and possess few gas masks, the Inquirer reported.

The only upside is that terrorists in the country appear to favor conventional bombs over unconventional weapons, the official said. The Philippines has a bomb data center that provides training and analysis.

Nonetheless, the intelligence officer recommended additional funding for WMD training and equipment (Luige del Puerto, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Sept. 16).

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