Dismantling of USS Guardian expected to start today

MANILA, Philippines - The dismantling of the US Navy minesweeper USS Guardian that ran aground last Jan. 17 in Tubbataha Reef National Park in Palawan is expected to start today with the return of the crane ship to the site yesterday afternoon.

Commodore Enrico Efren Evangelista, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) district commander in Palawan, said the transfer of personnel and equipment from salvage ship Smit Borneo to MT Jascon 25 have been completed at the Puerto Princesa City port.

The Jascon 25 is scheduled to leave for Tubbataha and the dismantling of the minesweeper is to commence immediately.

The crane ship arrived in Tubbataha Saturday night from Singapore but sailed back to the port of Puerto Princesa to receive salvage personnel and equipment from Smit Borneo that was commissioned by the US government to remove the damaged warship.

Evangelista said the salvage operations involve the removal of heavy parts of the Guardian.

Officials said the salvage operations would continue depending on weather conditions in Tubbataha.

Cutting the warship will follow after the vessel’s heavy parts have been removed and transferred to Jascon 25.

“It (the cutting) will not happen today,” Evangelista said.

Cutting the ship into pieces is the best option for removing the grounded ship and preventing further damage to the country’s protected marine park.

The USS Guardian left Subic on Jan. 15 and ran aground at the atoll on Jan. 17 while the ship was on its way to Indonesia.

The 68-meter Guardian has 79 crewmembers.

Evangelista said the weather in Tubbataha is expected to improve.

“The salvage operations would be very dynamic. There are many factors affecting (the operation) such as the weather and sea conditions. Also considered are the safety of the personnel and the sensitivity of the area, including the protection of the marine environment and the marine organisms in Tubbataha,” Evangelista added.

The Guardian had damaged at least 4,000 square meters of Tubbataha Reef, which is a United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site.

The 10,000 hectares of the reef is home to no less than 600 species of fish, 360 species of corals, 11 species of sharks, 13 species of dolphins and whales, 100 species of birds and it also serves as the nesting ground for hawksbill and green sea turtles.

Sen. Loren Legarda said the US government should rehabilitate the portion of the Tubbataha Reef that was destroyed by the USS Guardian and pay damages.

Even though the US government will provide financial assistance for the damaged portion of the reef, the damage to the centuries old coral reef, the destroyed fish habitat and the effect on the livelihood of local fishermen could not yet be estimated, said Legarda in Legazpi City last week.

“So it is timely to review the Visiting Forces Agreement in the 16th Senate,” she added.– With Evelyn Macairan, Celso Amo