Navy cites historical value of Sangley Point

MANILA, Philippines — Clarifying that the Navy is not against the plan to put up an international airport in Sangley Point, Cavite, Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo said the Sangley Point Naval Base and its historical value to the country should be preserved.

Bacordo, the flag-officer-in-command of the Philippine Navy, explained yesterday that the Sangley Point Naval Base where the headquarters of the Philippine Fleet, the headquarters of the Naval Installations Command, and other vital facilities and offices are located should not be removed or relocated elsewhere.

He said Sangley Point in Cavite was the site of the battle for Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War, which was a very important event in Philippine history that marked the end of centuries of Spanish rule in the country.

“We should preserve it… the historical value for the country. Preserve it in all its entirety, not reclaim,” Bacordo said.

He noted that the plan to put up a new international airport in Sangley Point could proceed but the military installations, vessels and personnel should be retained.

He said that there is also no issue on the plan to have a Chinese firm blacklisted by the United States for participating in South China Sea or West Philippine Sea construction activities.

“No, no… what we want to emphasize is we can both co-exist. If that contract was awarded to them (China Communications Construction Co. Inc.), there’s no quarrel with that,” Bacordo said.

“Our point here is we can both co-exist,” he said, proposing the Cavite provincial government should sit down and talk with the Navy since nothing in the plan submitted by the province and Cavite Holdings to the national government talks about what will happen to the Navy.

“Based on the plans, they will occupy the whole of Sangley and the reclaimed Cañacao Bay. In short, there will be no more space. Nothing left for the Philippine Navy,” Bacordo complained.

“Instead of reclaiming Cañacao Bay which is south of 1898 Avenue, why won’t you reclaim north of 1898 Avenue,” he said, trying to come up with a formula so that something can still remain with the Navy.

Bacordo said there should be talks to arrive at a win-win solution “so that the airport will be there and the Navy will still be there. There is enough space for both.”