US still awaiting PH compensation request on minesweeper grounding in Tubbataha

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY: U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg reiterated Thursday his government’s regret over the grounding of its Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship USS Guardian (MCM-5) in the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (TRNP) World Heritage Site last January, and said that until now they are awaiting for the Philippine government to send the “compensation request.”

Ambassador Goldberg, who has been in this city since Wednesday for an official visit involving United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-supported Advancing Philippine Competitiveness (Compete) projects, said the accidental stranding of the USS Guardian in the Philippine marine protected site off the Sulu Sea was something they are sorry for.