US Navy destroyer visits Cebu

CEBU, Philippines – An official of the Cebu International Port (CIP) yesterday confirmed that it is a United States Navy destroyer that has been in the municipal waters of Talisay City since Saturday, and that it is there not for any war exercise but for "rest" and "recreation."

"They didn't categorically tell us that it is a warship, because they don't give us that kind of information, but I believe they came together with that US naval carrier which docked in Manila Bay also last Saturday," said Lilius Udtohan, CIP's terminal manager.

Udtohan said that the personnel in that ship are here in Cebu "to rest and for recreation" or a "goodwill visit" like what that US naval carrier in Manila Bay was there for in Manila.

He said they don't know where the ship had come from, but it is set to leave today.

Udtohan explained they allowed the vessel to anchor in Talisay because it is "too big" at the CIP. A fast craft had to be hired to ferry its personnel to and from the mainland, he said. A land-ing platform was also rented at the CIP where the visiting personnel could touch down from the fast craft, he added.

According to NAVFORCEN, the ship is the USNS Chung Hoon (DDG 93) and will leave today.

Meanwhile, officials of the city of Talisay were clueless of the ship's business at the city's municipal waters. Supt. Henry Biñas even called the coast guard's attention regarding it.

For his part, city public information officer Arturo Bas, who was on a three-day seminar at the Department of Science and Technology since Monday, did not also know about the presence of the warship, and that he had no idea if the city was informed of it. Bas said there is an existing city ordinance, approved during the term of former Vice Mayor Aberdovey Belleza (2004-2007), which provides berthing or docking fees for marine vessels that lay their anchors on its seawaters. The ordinance was however not implemented due to its "minimal" fees that coun-cilors during that term had proposed to amend it increasing the fees.

Last August 13, Councilor Bernard Odilao filed Proposed Ordinance No. 2010-4-1 imposing environmental preservation fees for the use of the city's coastal areas and providing penalties to offenders. Under this law, the councilor has outlined fees per day for non-motorized boats or watercrafts (P20), motorized boats (P50), marine vessels weighing less than three tons gross weight (P100), three tons up to six gross tons (P150), 6.1 gross tons up to 150 gross tons (P250), 150.1 gross tons up (P500), and yacht (P100).

The proposed ordinance was approved on first reading and the same was referred to the council committees on Laws and Finance for review and recommendation. (FREEMAN)