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US 7th Fleet commander regrets damage to Tubbataha Reef
(Updated 9:01 a.m.) - Vice Admiral Scott H. Swift, commander of the US 7th Fleet, said he regretted the grounding of the USS Guardian, one of the fleet's minesweepers, on Tubbataha Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“As a protector of the sea and a sailor myself, I greatly regret any damage this incident has caused to the Tubbataha Reef,” said Swift in a news release posted on the US 7th Fleet website.
“We know the significance of the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park and its importance as a World Heritage Site. Its protection is vital, and we take seriously our obligations to protect and preserve the maritime environment,” he added. The USS Guardian, which just completed a port call in Subic Bay, ran aground on the reef in Sulu Sea on Thursday on its way to Indonesia due to strong currents.
Rear Adm. Thomas Carney, commander of the Logistics Group Western Pacific, has been tasked as the on-scene commander effective Jan. 21 to oversee recovery efforts for the Guardian.
“Carney will embark the destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89), which, along with several other U.S. Navy vessels, is focused on preventing any further environmental damage to the reef and surrounding marine environment,” the statement said.
The 68-meter-long USS Guardian, which ran aground on the Tubbataha Reef on January 17, was spun around 90 degrees by the current, possibly causing more damage to the protected sanctuary. Photo from AFP Western Command
Lt. Cmdr. Mark Rice, commanding officer of the USS Guardian Photo from the United States Navy Website
Due to strong currents, the USS Guardian ran aground on the protected Tubbataha Reef on its way to Indonesia. Map from WWF Philippines
The Philippine government said it sees no problem in extending help to the US Navy in extricating the USS Guardian from Tubbataha Reef, Malacañang said Sunday.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte also declined to comment on the US Navy's liability in the incident for now, saying the Palace will wait for the investigation on the matter to finish.
“Walang problema kung kakailanganin ang ating tulong,” Valte said on government-run dzRB radio.
For their part, the Philippine Navy has sent out three boats and a few Philippine Coast Guard boats to stand by in case the US Navy needs assistance, said a report on GMA News' Balitanghali on Sunday.
In addition, the Philippine Navy has sent an oil spill response team in the area despite no signs of oil spill yet, it added. US 7th Fleet
Established in 1943, the US 7th fleet is the largest US numbered fleet with an area of responsibility of 48 million square miles. As 7th Fleet commander, Swift serves as the operational commander of all US naval forces in the region, the website said.
The USS Guardian is one of the fleet's 60 to 70 ships that support the core capabilities of the US maritimes strategy: forward presence, deterrence, sea control, power projection, maritime security, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response, according to the website.
Commissioned in 1989, the USS Guardian is the fifth Avenger Class Mine Countermeasures ship to join the US Navy's fleet, according to the United States Navy Website. — Danny Manalo/Carmela G. Lapeña/KG, GMA News
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