US navy contractor dumped millions of liters of wastes in Subic

 News
Feb 062013
 
US navy contractor dumped millions of liters of wastes in Subic

SAYS LEGARDABy Matikas Santos INQUIRER.net 5:48 pm | Wednesday, February 6th, 2013 Sen. Loren Legarda. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Millions of liters of sewage wastes were dumped in the Philippine waters by US Navy contractor Glenn Defense Marine Asia without proper permits from the government, Senator Loren Legarda, who headed an investigation into the waste dumping incident in Subic Bay in October, said Wednesday. “We are talking here of millions of liters of sewage wastes disposed at sea by Glenn Defense over a period of time, without the requisite permits from the government,” Legarda said in a statement. “They do not even have the necessary accreditation as waste collectors from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA),” Legarda said after the joint investigation of the Senate committees on foreign relations and environment and natural resources into the incident. Legarda said that Glenn Defense was guilty of violating Philippine laws when its tanker, MT Glenn Guardian, dumped sewage wastes collected from US Navy ships 37 kilometers off Subic, last October 15. She said that Glenn Defense, the Philippine arm of a Singapore-based company that operates in 27 countries providing marine husbanding services, had been doing the practice over the past several years. The estimated 200,000 liters of sewage that the MT Glenn Guardian collected from the US Navy ship Emory Land had previously been found to be in excess of the toxicity standards set by the DENR. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) had also Read More …

Fisherfolk groups urge DOJ to slap raps vs. USS Guardian execs, crewmen

 News
Feb 042013
 
Fisherfolk groups urge DOJ to slap raps vs. USS Guardian execs, crewmen

A federation of fisherfolk groups on Tuesday formally asked Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to file charges against Navy officials and crew members of the USS Guardian for what they called a “grand massacre” of the Tubbataha Reef Park after an accident earlier this month. In a letter to De Lima, the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said Rear Admiral Jeffrey Harley and Lt. Commander Mark Rice of the US Asia Pacific military command and the 79 crew members of USS Guardian should all be held liable for the destruction of the reef. “The evidence is so damning enough to enforce the arrest of US Navy officials and 79 crew members of USS Guardian for extremely violating the country’s sovereignty and laws. But nothing has been done to pursue their arrest and demand accountability from them,” said the Pamalakaya, a national federation of small fisherfolk organizations in the Philippines. The USS Guardian ran aground on Tubbataha Reef last January 17 and could not immediately be extracted. Much of its potentially harmful content – including 15,000 gallons of fuel – have already been removed from the ship. An initial assessment of the incident had shown that about 1,000 square meters of corals in Tubbataha Reef park have been severely damaged. It is believed that it takes a year for a millimeter of mostly hard corals in Tubbataha’s South Section to go back to its sound condition and it will take 250 years for a meter of coral to Read More …

Chinese warships enter West Philippine Sea

 News
Feb 042013
 
Chinese warships enter West Philippine Sea

By Tarra Quismundo Philippine Daily Inquirer 4:12 am | Tuesday, February 5th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—Chinese naval vessels entered Philippine waters on Feb. 1 amid efforts by the Philippines to peacefully resolve its territorial dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea through arbitration in the United Nations. China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday that a naval fleet of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) entered the West Philippine Sea “for patrol and training missions” this week. Xinhua said the three ships from the PLA Navy’s North China Sea fleet—the missile destroyer Qingdao and missile frigates Yantai and Yancheng—traveled through the Bashi Channel, an international sea route between Luzon and Taiwan, before entering the West Philippine Sea at 11:40 a.m. on Friday. The report said the training exercises would be held within Chinese “territorial waters.” China claims almost all of the West Philippine Sea, including parts close to the shores of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. UN arbitration The Philippines has protested Chinese incursions into waters within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), but China insists those waters are part of its territory. Last month, the Philippines took its dispute with China to the United Nations for arbitration. The Philippines asked the United Nations to declare invalid China’s claim to parts of the sea that are within the Philippine EEZ. Manila also asked the United Nations to stop Beijing’s incursions into Philippine territory in the sea. It is not clear whether the Philippine action can proceed without China’s participation Read More …

US to compensate PH for damage to Tubbataha Reefs

 News
Feb 042013
 
US to compensate PH for damage to Tubbataha Reefs

By Christine O. Avendaño Philippine Daily Inquirer 1:21 am | Tuesday, February 5th, 2013 PROTEST AT US EMBASSY Activists protest the destruction of Tubbataha Reefs as a result of a US Navy minesweeper getting stuck at the World Heritage Site. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA The US government has apologized and pledged to provide “appropriate compensation” to the Philippines for the damage caused by the grounding of a US warship at the protected Tubbataha Reefs in the Sulu Sea. The US compensation will come in a package that includes a joint scientific assessment of the reefs for rehabilitation, a P4.1 million ($100,000) grant for coral restoration on the reefs, and funding for improvements in the communications system within and around the natural park. In a statement released by the US Embassy in Manila on Sunday, the US government said it had been committed over the past decade to help the Philippines protect its marine ecosystems, including coral reefs. “In view of the damage caused by the USS Guardian accident at Tubbataha Reefs, the US has expressed it regrets and is prepared to provide appropriate compensation to the Republic of the Philippines. In addition to compensation, the US government is planning a number of other activities which will underscore its commitment to Tubbataha’s recovery and the protection of the marine resources of the Philippines,” the statement said. No comment was immediately available on Monday from the Tubbataha Protected Area Management, which had been talking about going after the US Navy for the damage Read More …

Another US warship to visit PHL

 News
Feb 042013
 
Another US warship to visit PHL

A United States Navy guided missile destroyer will arrive in Subic Bay in Zambales on Tuesday for a routine port visit, the American embassy said Monday. The USS Stockdale (DDG-106), the third US vessel to visit the Philippines since January, will replenish supplies as well as offer its crew an opportunity for rest and relaxation, the embassy said in a statement. The Stockdale’s routine port call and goodwill visit at Subic Bay — once one of the largest US military installations in the world outside of the American mainland — “is a great opportunity to continue the long-term relationship between the Philippines and the United States,” said ship commanding officer Cdr. Lex Walker. This will be the Stockdale’s first visit to the Philippines. The visit is part of the ship’s nine-month deployment to the Western Pacific that began in January 2013. During the visit, Stockdale sailors will also engage in a number of community relations projects including visits to local orphanages, the embassy said. The USS Stockdale was commissioned on April 18, 2009, and is homeported in San Diego, California. It is named for Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale, who was the highest ranking US naval officer to be held as a Prisoner of War in Vietnam. Walker also spoke about the diversity of his crew. “We have quite a few Filipino –American Sailors among our crew, and I hope that the citizens of the Philippines can look at our ship and see that their people and their culture are Read More …

US Navy presents plan to dismantle grounded ship in Tubbataha

 News
Feb 042013
 
US Navy presents plan to dismantle grounded ship in Tubbataha

By Jerry E. Esplanada Philippine Daily Inquirer 4:38 pm | Monday, February 4th, 2013 USS Guardian AP PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The United States Navy has presented to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) its USS Guardian “dismantling plan” that will utilize floating cranes in what it calls a “complex operation” to minimize damage to the Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sea. Lt. Commander Armand Balilo, the PCG spokesperson, however, told the Philippines they have to get word from the US Navy when the actual ship dismantling operation would start. In a text message, Balilo said on Monday “there’s no information yet on the exact date of the ship-breaking.” But he assured PCG personnel “will assist the US Navy personnel (involved in the operation).” Coast Guard vessels will also “conduct patrols to secure the Tubbataha Reef area while the operation is underway,” Balilo added. Reports reaching the PCG headquarters in Manila said the SMIT Borneo of SMIT Singapore Pte. Ltd., the floating crane contracted by the US Navy to remove the grounded Guardian, has arrived at the reef. US naval salvage experts have assessed that attempts to remove the Guardian intact, such as towing or pulling it off the reef, could cause more damage to the reef and the ship’s hull and most likely result in the vessel breaking up or sinking. The Guardian ran aground on Jan. 17, while transiting to Indonesia after a port visit at the former US naval base in Subic, Zambales. On Jan. 31, the US Pacific Fleet Read More …

Another US warship to dock in Subic Tuesday

 News
Feb 042013
 
Another US warship to dock in Subic Tuesday

By Fat Reyes INQUIRER.net 3:49 pm | Monday, February 4th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines – Another United States (US) warship is set to dock in Subic Tuesday as the US Navy is embroiled in a controversy over its minesweeper USS Guardian, which remains stuck on the southern atoll in the Tubbataha Reef. In a statement Monday, the US embassy in Manila said that the USS Stockdale, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, was set to arrive in Subic Bay on Tuesday for a “routine port visit.” As in previous visits by US ships, the embassy noted that the stop in Subic would permit the vessel to “replenish supplies as well as offer its crew an opportunity for rest and relaxation.” “Visiting Subic Bay provides us with a great opportunity to continue the long-term relationship between the Philippines and the United States and this is very important to us,” Lex Walker, commanding officer of USS Stockdale, was quoted as saying in the statement. The ship is the second vessel from the US to make a stop in Subic after the USS Guardian ran aground on the atoll last Jan. 17. The Guardian ran aground on the atoll while in transit to Indonesia after a port visit to Subic, a former US naval base. Authorities said that one of the US Navy’s plans was to dismantle the minesweeper and remove it in sections from the marine sanctuary, but a final plan had yet to be approved. The US had said that it would Read More …

$1.4B needed for children in global humanitarian crisis–UNICEF

 News
Feb 022013
 
$1.4B needed for children in global humanitarian crisis–UNICEF

$23M appeal for Philippines included INQUIRER.net 3:53 pm | Saturday, February 2nd, 2013 MANILA, Philippines – UNICEF has appealed for almost $1.4 billion to meet the immediate, life-saving needs of children in 45 countries and regions globally gripped by conflict, natural disasters and other complex emergencies this year. Funds raised by the annual appeal will also go towards improving disaster preparedness, and to strengthening the resilience of communities to withstand and minimize the impact of new shocks. “We are still in the first month of 2013, which has already proved harsh for millions of children suffering in Syria and for refugees who had to flee to neighboring countries. Mali and the Central African Republic are also experiencing worsening conflict, threatening the lives of children and women,” said Ted Chaiban, UNICEF’s Director of the Office of Emergency Programs. “Children are extremely vulnerable in emergencies, often living in unhealthy and unsafe conditions, at high risk of disease, violence, exploitation and neglect.” The Humanitarian Action for Children 2013 appeal includes countries prominent in today’s news headlines along with many other countries that receive much less media coverage, such as Chad, Colombia, Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen and the Philippines, but which also require urgent attention and assistance. “The complex emergency in Syria represents one important focus of UNICEF’s global emergency response,” said Chaiban. “But we are also delivering results for children in highly challenging and largely forgotten emergencies around the world.” The Philippines’ US$23 million appeal aims to address humanitarian needs in the Mindanao armed conflict, the Typhoon Read More …

US sub’s visit has Palace OK

 News
Feb 012013
 
US sub’s visit has Palace OK

By Michael Lim Ubac Philippine Daily Inquirer 2:21 am | Saturday, February 2nd, 2013 ‘TOM CLANCY’S SUB’ The USS Cheyenne (SSN 773), a Los Angeles-class submarine, is scheduled to arrive in Subic Bay Friday for a routine port visit. This stop in Subic will permit the Cheyenne to replenish supplies as well as offer its crew an opportunity for rest and relaxation. Cheyenne is the primary subject of Tom Clancy’s novel “SNN,” a fictional war over the Spratlys. PHOTO FROM US EMBASSY INFORMATION OFFICE MANILA, Philippines—The port visit of the USS Cheyenne, a nuclear attack submarine belonging to the US Pacific Fleet, has been cleared with Malacañang. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigal Valte said that although Cheyenne is a “nuclear-powered submarine,” this does not necessarily mean that it is carrying nuclear warheads. The Cheyenne arrived on Friday at the former US naval base on Subic Bay, Zambales, for a “routine port visit,” according to the US Embassy. The US Embassy in Manila did not say how long the 110-meter-long submarine would stay in the Philippines. But Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chair Roberto Garcia said the USS Cheyenne would be in Subic for a week. At a briefing in the Palace, Valte clarified that the port visit was not violative of the constitutional ban on the presence of any nuclear armaments in the country. Nuke-powered “Just to clarify, the Constitution prohibits nuclear armaments, not nuclear-powered (vessels). So this is nuclear-powered and this has diplomatic clearance of the DFA, in consultation with Read More …

Cheyenne, Tom Clancy’s attack sub, arriving in Subic Friday

 News
Jan 312013
 
Cheyenne, Tom Clancy’s attack sub, arriving in Subic Friday

By Tarra Quismundo Philippine Daily Inquirer 1:54 am | Friday, February 1st, 2013 ‘TOM CLANCY’S SUB’ The USS Cheyenne (SSN 773), a Los Angeles-class submarine, is scheduled to arrive in Subic Bay Friday for a routine port visit. This stop in Subic will permit the Cheyenne to replenish supplies as well as offer its crew an opportunity for rest and relaxation. Cheyenne is the primary subject of Tom Clancy’s novel “SNN,” a fictional war over the Spratlys. PHOTO FROM US EMBASSY INFORMATION OFFICE In Tom Clancy’s world of fiction, it’s a US nuclear submarine that fights China over the disputed Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). The submarine, according to Wikipedia, is the USS Cheyenne, a nuclear attack submarine belonging to the US Pacific Fleet. In Clancy’s novel “SSN,” the Cheyenne battles China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) warships in the disputed Spratlys. The Cheyenne is arriving Friday in the former US naval base on Subic Bay, Zambales province, not to battle the PLA but for a “routine port visit,” according to the US Embassy. Tubbataha mess Unfortunately the Cheyenne is arriving amid deep embarrassment for the US Navy whose minesweeper USS Guardian is stuck on the southern atoll in the Tubbataha Reefs, a Unesco-World Heritage Site in the Sulu Sea. In a still unexplained misadventure, the Guardian ran aground on the atoll on Jan. 17. As the ship is badly damaged, the US Navy has decided to break it apart. The US Navy is facing investigation Read More …

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