Phl Navy retrieving Del Pilar
MANILA — The Philippine Navy's Western Command has deployed all its vessels to retrieve the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, which has run aground near HasaHasa Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
The Navy's flagship ran aground on a shoal in waters that China also claims late Wednesday evening, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said.
Col. Noel Detoyato, AFP public affairs office chief, said the Western Command has mobilized its assets to conduct assessment, retrieve the aground vessel, return to safe harbor and assist all personnel aboard the ship.
"An investigation is expected in such situations to find out the possible causes of the grounding and to come up with steps to ensure that similar incidents will be prevented," Detoyato said in a statement released yesterday.
None of the personnel aboard the Navy vessel were hurt during the incident, according to the AFP.
The military also noted that other nearby assets are on standby for any contingency.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier confirmed that BRP Del Pilar is still aground in Hasa-Hasa Shoal while the Navy is assessing the damage.
The Del Pilar is one of the Hamilton-class cutters that the Philippine Navy acquired from the United States Coast Guard in 2011 and has converted into frigates.
The vessel has a 25-millimeter Bushmaster auto-cannon, a 76-millimeter Oto Melara cannon and machine guns.
The barren shoal is known internationally as Half Moon Shoal and lies on the eastern edge of the hotly contested Spratly archipelago in the disputed sea.
Detoyato said late Thursday that Philippine ships "have already been mobilized to conduct assessment, retrieve the aground vessel and return her to safe harbor and assist all personnel aboard BRP del Pilar."
The frigate is one of three former US Coast Guard cutters which were acquired by the Philippine military from the United States and now are the Philippines' largest warships.
A military report seen by The Associated Press said the propellers of the frigate, which has more than 100 crewmembers, were damaged by the grounding. The crew checked the frigate after it ran aground and found it was not taking in water.
The Philippine Navy has dispatched ships to assess, retrieve and bring flagship BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PF15) to safe harbor after it ran aground on Hasa-Hasa Shoal (Half Moon Shoal).
The Philippine News Agency quotes Lorenzana confirming the ship had run aground and saying: "It is still there and the Navy is still assessing damage before pulling it out."