US Ambassador expresses regret over Tubbataha Reef incident

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jan 25): US Ambassador expresses regret over Tubbataha Reef incident

United States Ambassador to the Philippines Harry K. Thomas, Jr. assured that the U.S. government will work collaboratively with the Philippine government over the grounding of the USS Guardian on Tubbataha Reef last week.

In a statement, Thomas expressed his profound regret on the incident. “This was an unfortunate accident, and I recognize the legitimate concerns over the damage caused to a unique and precious wonder of nature, internationally recognized for its beauty and biological diversity,” Thomas said.

The US official also said that the US military are totally committed to working jointly with Philippine counterparts to remove the ship as expeditiously as possible, making every possible effort to avoid or minimize further damage.  “We will work collaboratively with the Philippines to assess the damage and to take steps to address the environmental issues that have arisen from this incident,” he added.

Thomas also expressed his gratitude to the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine Navy for closely working with their American counterparts to resolve this matter.

He also expressed close coordination with the Philippine government to understand precisely what happened to ensure there will be no recurrence of the incident. (US Embassy, Manila-Public Affairs Section/RJB/JEG/PIA-NCR)

http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=241359082696