US Navy 'must pay for reef damage'

The US Navy will be answerable under Philippine laws for damage caused by the grounding of a US 7th Fleet warship in Tubbataha Reefs, Aquino said.

Talking with Filipino reporters after the World Economic Forum meeting here, Aquino said he had ordered Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya to investigate the grounding of the minesweeper USS Guardian in the Unesco-World Heritage protected area in the Sulu Sea on January 17.

The Philippine government’s priority, however, is to remove the ship from the reef to prevent further damage to the marine environment.

“How did they actually get into a protected area? How did their navigation systems, [supposedly among the most sophisticated in the world], fail?” Aquino said.

Asked whether the apology issued by the US government would suffice, the President said it only showed that the United States respected the Philippines as a sovereign state and was “very careful” about its sensitivities. “But that doesn’t exempt them from having to comply with our laws,” Mr Aquino said. The Avenger-class USS Guardian, a 63-metre, 1,300-ton mine countermeasure vessel belonging to the US 7th Fleet, ran aground on the south atoll of the Tubbataha Reefs while sailing to Indonesia after making a port call at Puerto Princesa in Palawan.

US officials have apologised for the accident and the damage it has caused to the Tubbataha Reefs, which the Philippines considers a national treasure.

But for President Aquino expressions of regret, while appreciated, are nearly not enough, as the US Navy has caused such a big mess and the violation of Philippine laws cannot be ignored, even for the sake of friendship.

“Our laws are very specific,” Aquino said. “When they got the diplomatic clearance to pass through our waters, this is a recognised, internationally recognised zone, that is, like an exclusive zone. They violated it. There are penalties.”

Meanwhile Philippine environmentalists and lawmakers have demanded to know why the warship proceeded to enter the marine park, 128 kilometres from Puerto Princesa, despite warnings from park authorities that it was entering a restricted area.

The US Navy said a navigational map that misplaced the Tubbataha Reefs or possible errors in the Guardian’s navigation system caused the ship to stray into the protected area, famous for its magnificent marine life and coral.