From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Apr 7): Palace OKs $1.4-M fine on US Navy for ship grounding at Tubbataha
Reef
Ruling out any diplomatic protest, Malacañang expressed satisfaction with the
$1.4-million or P60-million assessed fine on the US Navy whose ship grazed the
Tubbataha Reef on Jan. 17.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said on Sunday the fine
assessed by the Tubbataha Management Office (TMO) on the US Navy was in
compliance with Republic Act 10067, or the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park Act of
2009.
“The amount as assessed by the Tubbataha Management Office is in accordance
with the provisions of Republic Act 10067 which serves as the basis for the
fine,” Valte said in a text message.
A team of divers and researchers from the TMO and the World Wide Fund for
Nature-Philippines measured the damaged area at 2,345.67 square meters, smaller
than the 4,000 square meters estimated by an American team.
Under the law, a fine of $600 or P24,000 per square meter of damaged reef is
mandatory, and together with further park rule violations, this added up to $1.4
million.
The fine paled in comparison with the estimated $45-million salvage
operation, and was but a “slap on the wrist,” observed Tubbataha park
superintendent Angelique Songco, who said the letter requesting compensation
would be forwarded to the US Embassy this week.
But WWF-Philippines vice chairman and CEO Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan said the fine
should help the TMO “build a significant endowment fund to sustain its
operations through the years.”
Salvors extricated the last major section of the 68-meter Guardian, which was
cut into pieces to avoid further damage to the reef, on March 30.
Valte ruled out the filing of a diplomatic protest against the United States
over the grounding of the minesweeper in the World Heritage Site.
“A diplomatic protest may be unnecessary at this point given that the United
States has been cooperating with our maritime investigation and has committed to
the compensation and rehabilitation of the reef,” she said.
The US Navy has relieved USS Guardian commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. Mark
Rice, as well as the executive officer and navigator, the assistant navigator,
and the officer of the deck.
All four were reassigned to Expeditionary Strike Group 7 headquarters in
Sasebo, Japan.
The US warship hit the upper side of the South Atoll, one of the two main
atolls comprising the Tubbataha Reef, at dawn of January 17, while en route to
Indonesia.
The ship is part of the US naval fleet stationed in Japan, which docked at
the former American naval base in Subic Bay for routine refueling, resupply and
rest and recreation.
It was scheduled to make a brief stop at Puerto Princesa before heading off
to its next port call in India when it grazed the reef and got stuck 128
kilometers off Palawan.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/71433/palace-oks-1-4-m-fine-on-us-navy-for-ship-grounding-at-tubbataha-reef
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.