By Prashanth Parameswaran
The country mulls acquiring drones following the easing of US restrictions.
The Philippines is eying U.S. drones following the recent policy shift by the Obama administration to ease restrictions on their export and sale, local media reported February 18.
According to ABS-CBN News, military spokesman Colonel Restituto Padilla said that the while Philippines did not want armed drones, it would be interested in drones that could be used for intelligence and surveillance operations.
Meanwhile, BusinessWorld, a leading Philippine business newspaper, reported that Harold M. Cabunoc, a spokesman for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said that while the drones would indeed give the military “an edge in information gathering and in armed confrontations,” the country’s interest is primarily in their potential for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR).
Read the full story at The Diplomat