Singapore-based firm to 'lift' US ship from Tubbataha Reef

MANILA, Philippines - The United States (US) government has contracted a Singapore-based towing company to remove the USS Guardian from Tubbataha Reef.

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commandant Vice Admiral Rodolfo Isorena said the decision to remove by lifting the doomed US minesweeper is the best option to prevent further damage to the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and  Cultural Organization)-declared marine heritage park.

“That’s the plan presented to us: to lift the vessel in order to avoid additional damage on the reef,” Isorena said.

The Joint Task Force Tubbataha and the US Navy came up with three options to remove the ill-fated warship, which has been stuck at the South Atoll of Tubbataha for almost a week now. These three options were: to pull, lift or dismember the warship.

The vessel was sailing to Indonesia for another port call, after a brief refueling stop at Subic Bay in Zambales last Sunday, when it ran aground in Tubbataha.

The task force also wants to determine why it took the US warship four days to pass the Tubbataha Reef from Subic.

"The warship [should have] already been in Indonesia because it was reported that it left Subic Bay last Monday," one informed source said.

At least 1,000 square meters of coral reef have been destroyed as a result of the mishap. There are fears that the lifting of the ship may further result to the destruction of the country’s protected marine park.

“Of the three options, the number two option (to lift) is the best if we are to protect the reef. If USS Guardian will just be dragged out of her present location, definitely it will create more damage to the coral reef,” Isorena said.

Informed sources also pointed out it is no longer possible to pull and tow the stricken minesweeper as the vessel’s hull is heavily damaged and flooded and its main engine was no longer functioning properly.

Admiral Thomas Carney, commander of the US Logistic Group Western Pacific based in Singapore and the designated the overall head of the salvage operation, announced that the US government has contracted services of the Singapore-based towing company to remove  and load USS Guardian to salvage barge.

Aside from three salvage tugs already in the area, another US Navy’s Salvor ship is scheduled for arrival on Thursday, with the US Navy deploying more ships with powerful cranes from towing company in Singapore.

Isorena said that the actual salvage operations would be dictated by the prevailing weather and sea conditions in the area which as of Thursday remains very rough.

“There’s no specific date when the actual salvage operation would commence, as everything will depend on the prevailing weather,” Isorena said.

He said that the salvage operation may commence on January 30 or January 31.

Carney had informed the joint task force that they intend to take the disabled warship to an unnamed US shipyard after it was extracted from the damaged reef.