The US Navy said most of its personnel aboard the USS Guardian,
which ran aground on Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sea on Thursday, have
been transferred to a support vessel for safety reasons as the Navy
minesweeper remains stuck.
In a statement posted on its website Friday, the US Navy's 7th Fleet
said 72 out of the 79 crew members of the ship were transferred to the
MV C-Champion because of unsuccessful efforts to free the Guardian on
high tide.
A team of engineering and bridge
personnel will remain aboard the ship and work with a US Navy team to
free the Guardian “with minimal environmental impact,” the statement
added.
The US Navy noted that the remaining
seven sailors, which include the commanding officer and executive
officer, will also be transferred if conditions become unsafe.
The statement also said the cause of the grounding is under investigation.
'Premature'
'Premature'
Meanwhile, 7th Fleet public affairs officer Lt. Brian Wierzbicki, in a
separate email to GMA News Online, said speculations about damage to the
reef and potential liability of the US Navy would be “premature.”
“Should a claim for damages be filed, it will reviewed in accordance with established procedures,” Wierzbicki said.
At a Palace briefing, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte
also expressed a similar sentiment about what the Philippine government
can demand from the US should the reef be significantly damaged.
“We don’t want to make any speculations yet at this point. We would
want to proceed where everything has been thoroughly established before
we make any further comment on this matter,” she said.
Wierzbicki said support units and an assessment team are on the way to
the ship “to assess conditions, assist in salvage operations and develop
a recovery plan.”
US Embassy press and
information officer Tina Malone told GMA News Online that the agency has
already contacted the Tubbataha Management Office, though she did not
say what was discussed.
However, Malone said the
US Embassy has come up with a statement providing updates on the
incident which will be released within the day.
Also on Friday, the Philippine Coast Guard said it will dispatch a team to the area to check if the reef was damaged and if there was an oil spill.
Meanwhile, Naval Forces West commander Commodore Rustom Peña told
reporters on Friday that the Philippine Navy will be there to provide
assistance should the US Navy need it.
“So far wala naman silang hinihinging assistance pa,” he said
Based on information he received, Peña also said the USS Guardian was en route to India.
When the grounding occured, the Guardian had just completed a port call
in Subic Bay, Olongapo City, and was en route to the next port of call.
— with Patricia Denise Chiu/RSJ/VVP, GMA News
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