Statement by U.S. Ambassador Harry K. Thomas, Jr. On the Grounding of the USS Guardian

MANILA, January 25, 2013 -- On behalf of the United States government, I wish to convey to the Philippine government and people my profound regret over the grounding of the USS Guardian on Tubbataha Reef.  This was an unfortunate accident, and I recognize the legitimate concerns over the damage caused to a unique and precious wonder of nature, internationally recognized for its beauty and biological diversity.

 My military colleagues and I are totally committed to working jointly with our Philippine counterparts to remove the ship as expeditiously as possible, making every possible effort to avoid or minimize further damage.  We will work collaboratively with the Philippines to assess the damage and to take steps to address the environmental issues that have arisen from this incident.

 I am deeply grateful to the Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Navy for their close cooperation with us.  We will continue our combined efforts to resolve this matter.  As the investigation of this matter proceeds, we hope to continue our close coordination with the Philippine government to understand precisely what happened so we can ensure there will be no recurrence.