US Navy 'di pa bayad sa Tubbataha

MANILA, Philippines - Hindi pa nagbabayad ang gobyerno ng Amerika sa pinsalang idinulot sa Tubbataha Reef isang taon mahigit na ang nakalilipas, ayon sa isang militanteng grupo.

Sinabi ng grupong Bayan ngayong Biyernes na bukod sa hindi pa pagbabayad sa sinirang parte ng world heritage site ay wala pa rin ni isang tripulante ang napapanagot.

"The US Navy is a respondent to our Supreme Court petition regarding the damage wrought by the USS Guardian on the Tubbataha reef in January 17, 2013. More than a year since the incident, not a single cent has been paid. Not one soldier has been made accountable under Philippine law as the US officers merely got a slap on the wrist," wika ni Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr.

Dagdag niya na pinalala pa ng Amerika ang sitwasyon sa pagdaong ng USS Blue Ridge sa Maynila.

"In light of the US' continuing refusal to pay damages, every port call by US ships is an affront to our sovereignty. Every port call is an insult to our people. If the US can act with impunity in Tubbataha, we have every reason to be worried with the ongoing access negotiations which aim to bring more ships and troops in the country for a longer period of time,"dagdag niya.

Sumadsad ang  68 metrong minesweeper na USS Guardian noong Enero 17, 2013 na patungo sana ng Indonesia.

Sa tantiya ng pamahalaaan umabot sa 4,000 square meters ng bahura ng Tubbataha, na kinilala ng United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) bilang World Heritage Site.