Palace: US payment for Tubbataha damage in documentation stage

From GMA News (Oct 25): Palace: US payment for Tubbataha damage in documentation stage

The agreement by the United States to pay an P87-million fine for the damage caused by the minesweeper USS Guardian on Tubbataha Reef in 2013 is in the documentation stage, Malacañang said Saturday.

Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. said the Palace is waiting for the finalization of the arrangements.

“Batay sa pahayag ng Department of Foreign Affairs, ni Sec. (Albert) del Rosario, nasa documentation stage na itong pakikipag-ugnayan ng dalawang bansa hinggil sa danyos,” he said on government-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.

He noted the P87 million is the figure being sought by the Philippine side as compensation for the damage to Tubbataha Reef, a world heritage site.

“Hintayin natin ang documentation at pagsasapinal (niyan),” he said.

Earlier, del Rosario said the US had agreed to pay a fine of around P87 million for the damage caused by the USS Guardian.

The World Wide Fund for Nature and the Tubbataha Management Office had determined that the damaged area reached 2,345.67 square meters.

It took about three months before salvage teams could cut up and remove the USS Guardian from the area.

 http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/385146/news/nation/palace-us-payment-for-tubbataha-damage-in-documentation-stage