Tuesday, February 5, 2013

PH, U.S. agree to cooperate on probe of USS Guardian grounding in Tubbataha

From InterAksyon (Feb 5): PH, U.S. agree to cooperate on probe of USS Guardian grounding in Tubbataha



The Philippines and the United States "have agreed to cooperate" in the investigation on the grounding of the USS Guardian on Tubbataha Reef, which damaged 1,000 square meters of the marine park, according to a joint statement from the two countries issued Tuesday.

The two countries said that since the January 17 incident off Palawan, a series of meetings had been held between the Philippine government and U.S. Embassy officials to address the problem.

"The two governments agreed to continue to work closely together as the salvage operation and the investigation into the grounding proceed. Both governments agree that preventing further damage to the reef is a top priority," the statement read.

Representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Justice, Department of Transportation and Communications, and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) along with representatives of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Embassy had been involved in the meetings.

In the latest meeting held on Monday, Februaty 4, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Harry K. Thomas Jr. "reiterated his regrets over the grounding incident and assured Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario that the United States will provide appropriate compensation for damage to the reef caused by the ship."

The Philippine government said the PCG had started its "independent inquiry " into the grounding of USS Guardian.

It said that upon receipt of information about the incident, the PCG formed the Maritime Casualty Investigation Team (MCIT) "to establish the circumstances and causes" of the ship's grounding and "formulate safety measures to prevent a repetition" of the incident.

The procedures that the MCIT uses in investigating the incident is in accordance with the processes and resolutions of the International Maritime Organization on serious maritime incidents, according to the Philippines govermment.

The US government said that, "With an emphasis on protecting the marine environment, preparations for the salvage of the USS Guardian began shortly after the grounding occurred and include the removal of 15,000 gallons of fuel and other potentially harmful material."

The two countries' statement said a salvage plan had been submitted to the PCG for approval and clearance. The plan will be shared with the Tubbataha Managament Office.

"It is expected that the start of the salvage operation will be announced shortly. In the meantime, the United States is coordinating closely with PCG in the salvage operation to extract the USS Guardian from the reef," the statement further said.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/54378/ph-u-s--agree-to-cooperate-on-probe-of-uss-guardian-grounding-in-tubbataha

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