US lawmaker apologizes for grounded USS Guardian, silent on destruction to reef

From the Daily Tribune (Jan 30): US lawmaker apologizes for grounded USS Guardian, silent on destruction to reef

At the height of crisis facing the United States Navy involving its grounded minesweeper USS Guardian, a congressional delegation composed of the members of the United States Congress and a city mayor from the state of California arrived in Manila conveying apologies, particularly on the Tubbataha incident, in a meeting with President Aquino yesterday morning in Malacañang.

“We had a courtesy call by the congressional delegation headed by Rep. Ed Royce of California. He was together with Congressmen Tom Marino of Pennsylvania, Vernon Buchanan of Florida, Matt Salmon of Arizona, and Eliot Engel of the 16th District of New York,” said Edwin Lacierda, presidential spokesman, who gave the information that Royce officially extended the apology to the President. “The US congressional delegation also, through Congressman Ed Royce, expressed regrets over the Tubbataha Reef (incident),” Lacierda said.

Aside from the congressional delegation, Lacierda said, the city mayor of Daly City has also tendered for a courtesy call along with other city officials.“We had a courtesy call from Mayor Raymond Buenaventura of Daly City. He is a Fil-Am. He is the second Filipino-American mayor of Daly City,” Lacierda said.

Lacierda refused to provide details of the discussion done by the delegation with the President which according to him lasted for almost an hour. He only said that it was a “fruitful discussion.” “So it was a very fruitful discussion. So, overall, we had a very good courtesy call by these two delegations. And, again, we look forward to deeper business relations and the opening up of more economic opportunities between the US and the Philippines,” Lacierda said.

Lacierda insisted that the courtesy call to the President was meant for trade discussion. “This is primarily a trade delegation. They were talking about business opportunities. In fact, to strengthen their economic ties with the Philippines and to explore more opportunities here was the emphasis of our discussion. In fact, after the meeting with the President, this particular congressional delegation was going to have lunch or did have lunch with the economic cluster team,” Lacierda added.

He said he was uncertain whether the courtesy call was scheduled before of after the day of Tubbataha incident in Sulu sea on Jan. 17. He said the regular protocol was that a courtesy call has to be arranged through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). “We’ll verify that but it’s always coursed through the DFA. For instance, apart from the congressional delegation (there was also) a request to pay a courtesy call on the President by Mayor Buenaventura of Daly City. So everything is done through DFA when it comes to foreign government officials who would like to pay a courtesy call on the President,” Lacierda said.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/item/9880-us-lawmaker-apologizes-for-grounded-uss-guardian-silent-on-destruction-to-reef