Tubbataha incident won't affect Balikatan - AFP exec

MANILA, Philippines - The grounding of a US warship in Tubbataha Reef would not disrupt the future exercises and engagements between the Philippine and American armed forces, the military said Monday.

“This (incident) won’t affect the conduct of our exercises,” Armed Forces spokesman Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr. said when asked whether the grounding would have an impact on the two country’s military engagements.

“Nobody wanted that incident to happen,” he added.

In fact, the military is already planning for the next Balikatan exercises between US and Filipino troops to be held this year.

“We have been preparing for the Balikatan exercise (as early as) last year,” Burgos said.

Burgos added the need to preserve the environment was among the factors considered in their preparations.

Balikatan literally means shoulder to shoulder and is an annual exercise designed to enhance the interoperability between the US and Philippine troops. It was in line with the Mutual Defense Treaty signed by the two countries in 1951.

The military declined to comment on calls by some militants to abrogate the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), which allows US troops to hold exercises in the country.

Burgos, however, maintained that the controversial agreement has been beneficial to the military.

“Aside form improving our capability and also our interoperability, the benefit we derived is our disaster preparedness. We benefit a lot from (the exercises) considering that we constantly expect calamities (and) we are located in the Pacific Ring of Fire,” he said.

“It really means a lot if you are prepared for calamities that may happen.”

On Thursday, US warship USS Guardian ran aground at the Tubbataha Reef’s south atoll off Palawan, raising concerns about its impact on the heritage site.

The 1,300-ton, 68-meter-long warship had just completed a port call in Subic Bay and was en route to Indonesia and then on to Timor-Leste to join a training exercise when the grounding occurred. The US Navy said the ship has about 80 crew members.

Known for its extensive coral network, Tubbataha Reef  in Sulu Sea is one of only five Philippine sites declared as Word Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The other World Heritage Sites in the country are cultural houses in the town of Vigan in Ilocos Sur, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in Palawan, the Rice Terraces in the Cordilleras, and a grouping of baroque churches – San Agustin in Manila, Miag-ao in Iloilo, Paoay in Ilocos Norte and Santa Maria in Ilocos Sur.

Tubbataha, which spans 130,028 hectares, was declared a protected area, which means that swimming or diving in the area requires special permits from the government.

The environmental threat posed by the grounding of the ship has prompted militant groups to call for the scrapping of the VFA and the Mutual Defense Treaty.

The Communist Party of the Philippines has also condemned what it called the “incursion” of the US military into the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park.

“The entry of the USS Guardian in the protected area without prior notice or authorization shows the arrogance of the US military who swagger around Philippine territory in complete disregard of Philippine sovereignty,” CPP said in a statement.

“The failure of the Aquino government to stand up against the persistent incursions of the US in Philippine territory reveals its puppetry to the US imperialists,” it added.