Group hits US for 'trespassing'

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines -  For alleged trespassing and damaging the Tubbataha Reef on Thursday, the Philippine-based ecological warrior Kalikasan PNE denounced the US military.

The group is partly blaming the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) for the incident.

A US Navy minesweeper got stuck on the reef on Thursday,  damaging marine-resource rich area, according to the report of Tubbataha Park Management Officer Angelique Songco.

“This incident shows us how the United States military forces have brazenly disrespected our laws and  damaged our country's environment and national treasures,” said Clemente Bautista, coordinator of the Kalikasan PNE (Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment).

Even the US Pacific Fleet confirmed that their ship USS Guardian, an Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship, ran aground at 2:25 a.m. Thursday, about 98 nautical miles from Puerto Princesa City.

The area is accordingly a part of a protected national park and is classified as a world heritage site for the richness of its marine biodiversity.

According to the Tubbataha Park Management Office, the US ship entered these areas without permission and failed to coordinate with them.

“We denounce how the US military forces responsible for the damage have barred our environmental officials from inspecting the USS Guardian to immediately assess the incident. They are the intruders and violators, yet they still have the gall to disrespect Filipino officials and bar them from doing their environmental duties. This is the height of US military arrogance and brazenness,” Bautista fumed.

The environmental group asked: “What  (is) the US military doing in Tubbataha Reef and its environs? What other environmentally-critical areas has the US military presence damaged or destroyed?”

Bautista said that the incident “underscores the problem with the current VFA, which allows the US military to move around unhampered in Philippines territory and destroy our natural resources with impunity.”

US naval ships regularly participate in joint military exercises within the country under the bilateral military agreement VFA.

The group said that the recent incident is "just one of the recent environmental crimes" the US military should be held liable of.

On October 2012, Glenn Defense Marine Philippines Inc., a US Navy contractor, was proven to have dumped human and toxic waste into Subic Bay, Bautista said.

“In almost 15 years of implementation of VFA, US military forces have routinely infringed on our sovereignty, violated the right of our people, and destroyed the environment. It is most urgent for the government to review and junk this unjust, onerous agreement. The VFA clearly only serves the interests of US military forces and will never be advantageous our country,” he said.