Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone has expressed opposition over plans by North Korea to launch its military reconnaissance satellite near the seawaters of the province.

In a brief video statement released Tuesday night, Evardone protested and condemned this plan to launch the satellite banned by the United Nations.

“I am calling everyone from Eastern Samar, especially our fishermen, to be cautious of fallen debris beginning Tuesday until June 3 since our seawaters are the identified drop zone,” he told residents.

Citing a report from the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Evardone said the debris may fall in the waters off Mercedes town, 385 kilometers from the shore.

In an interview with Philippine News Agency on May 27, Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) Director Marc Talampas said debris from a rocket that North Korea is launching between May 27 and midnight on June 3 is likely to fall east of the Philippines.

Talampas said the risk of debris falling to populated areas is very low. There is a possibility that the discarded rocket debris may float around the drop zone area and wash towards the coasts.

Debris usually fall within minutes after a rocket launch, according to PhilSA.

PhilSA said the country usually gets notifications about rocket launches through a Notice to Airmen since rocket launches could impact the airspace and flights.

The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that since 2022, North Korea has been engaged in a run of missile tests to modernize and expand its weapons arsenal. (PNA)

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