FACT CHECK: PH not a target in Middle East conflict – DND

Claim: Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro is alarmed because the Philippines is set to become Iran’s next target for missile attacks, amid the Middle Eastern country’s conflict with the United States and Israel.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: A YouTube channel named “Blind Item University” posted a video discussing the high possibility of the conflict in the Middle East directly affecting the Philippines because of its connections with the United States, particularly due to the two countries’ Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

According to the clip, Teodoro is supposedly alarmed over possible attacks by Iran. The video then explains how Iran has long-range ballistic missiles that can reach the Luzon peninsula, allegedly prompting Manila to raise a red alert for possible strikes. 

The video also alleges that the Philippine government will call on US President Donald Trump for help once the attack occurs. 

Since the video was posted on March 1, it has received 5,800 views, 299 likes, and 82 comments as of writing. Similar posts also circulated on social media.

The facts: The Department of National Defense (DND) debunked the viral video in Facebook posts made on March 1 and March 2.  

“At the moment, the conflict is contained within the Middle East and there is no credible direct threat to our territory, as well as to Filipinos and foreign citizens in the Philippines,” the DND said.

Teodoro also responded to the claims in an interview, where he reiterated that there was no basis to the claims that the Philippines would be dragged into the conflict. “No, that is unfounded dahil hindi natin maihahambing ang sitwasyon sa Middle East dito sa Pilipinas (because we cannot compare the situation in the Middle East and here in the Philippines). And our bilateral and multilateral alliances are solely for defensive purposes and deterrent purposes.”

DND spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong also said the Philippines is “not a participant in the theater of conflict.”

Meanwhile, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, dismissed claims that Iran will target “US bases” in the Philippines, clarifying that the EDCA sites are not owned or controlled by the US. (READ: What you should know about the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement)

Physically impossible: The Armed Forces of the Philippines assured the public that Iran’s longest-ranged weapons will not be able to reach the Philippines, which is 7,500 kilometers away from the Middle Eastern country.

In a March 2 press briefing, Trinidad stated that the largest missile system of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps could only reach 2,000 kilometers. This is corroborated by data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Missile Defense Project, which says Iran’s longest-ranged missile, the Soumar, can only travel as far as 2,000 to 3,000 kilometers. 

Conflict in the Middle East: On February 28, the US and Israel launched a coordinated attack on Iranian targets, claiming the life of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei. Iran responded with its own strikes across the region, firing at Israel and several other countries, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait. – Marc Nathaniel Servo/Rappler.com

Marc Nathaniel Servo is a Rappler intern. He is a fourth-year journalism student from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and the former Associate Editor of PUP College of Communication’s The Communicator.

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