The US Ship: Mystery Deepens
Max De Leon, The Manila Times
ABS CBN News, Philippines
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Zamboanga City (Philipines):
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines gave different explanations about the mission of the US military ship seen off Zamboanga City Tuesday.
But they agreed there was nothing unusual or illegal about the presence of the US ship in Philippine waters. 
DFA spokesman Gilberto Asuque on Wednesday identified the ship as the USS Joint Venture, a commercial vessel chartered by the US military to carry cargo.
Asuque said the US had sent a note verbale to the foreign affairs department on October 3 requesting that the ship be allowed entry to Philippine territory and dock in Subic so it could load "humanitarian cargo" such as schoolbuilding materials that would be used for Project Bayanihan in "various areas in Mindanao" starting at the end of the month.
Armed Forces spokesman Lt. Col. Buenaventura Pascual gave a different description of the ship.
He said it is the HSV 2 (High-Speed Vessel) Swift, an 11,000-ton double-hulled craft on the way to take part in a new Balikatan exercise in Mindanao.
Asuque said the Joint Venture was still in international waters since the foreign affairs department has not responded to the note verbale.
He said the department still has to inform the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces about the entry of the ship.
The Joint Venture last docked in Tarakan, Indonesia.
The US Embassy in Manila said in a statement that the Joint Venture is scheduled to arrive in Manila next week for a two-day port visit to load humanitarian supplies to transport to Zamboanga, where another port visit is scheduled later this month.
The Joint Venture "is being tested as a military support and transport vessel by the US Pacific Command. The vessel, which is designed to transport personnel and equipment, will visit the Philippines to support humanitarian and civic projects under the joint US-Philippine humanitarian effort Project Bayanihan," the statement said.
The embassy said there was nothing irregular about the presence of the ship, since "US vessels routinely transit through international waters [near] the Philippines, participate in bilateral exercises and stop at ports for friendly visits, rest and resupply."
Philippine Navy spokesman Capt. Geronimo Malabanan said that his information showed the Joint Venture was still supposed to be in international waters on its way to Manila.
The ship is built of high-technology materials similar to the ones used on US Stealth fighter bombers, making it nearly invisible to radar.
The ship’s sudden appearance in Zamboanga came at a time when security forces intensified their pursuit of terrorists in Mindanao following the bombings in Bali, Indonesia.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita denied the insinuations that the Philippine government was being pressured by the US government to capture the two Jema'ah Islamiyah bomb makers reported to have sought refuge in Mindanao.
Ermita said at a press briefing that Malacañan is confident US authorities trust President Arroyo’s antiterrorism drive.
There had been speculations that the administration’s renewed effort to fight local and international terrorism in the country was spurred by US government pressure on the Philippines to bring to an end the recruitment and training of terrorists in Mindanao.
Sen. Rodolfo Biazon said Wednesday that he would rather get all facts in before commenting on the sighting of a supposed US naval ship, Stockholm, off Basilan the other day.
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See Also:
US Ship in Zamboanga: No Mystery
'Mystery ship' in Mindanao is latest on US Navy
US confirms 2 warships off southern RP
Details of HSV2 Swift
see archive:
Mysterious US Warship off Philippines Coast
________________________________________
Biazon, chairman of the Senate committee on national defense, said that although he is not questioning the report of The Manila Times about the sighting of the US Navy ship in Philippine territory, the details are still sketchy and he would not dare make any comment until he gets more details.
He also pointed out that there is a part of the waters off Basilan where right of passage is given to foreign ships.
"These waters are part of Philippine territory, but right of passage is given to international vessels from the tip of Mindanao to the Balabac Strait," he said.
He added that international vessels not registered in the Philippines regularly pass through this part of the country’s waters off Basilan without violating Philippine sovereignty.
With Anthony Vargas, Sam Mediavilla and Efren Danao
Oct 13, 2005
Max De Leon, The Manila Times
ABS CBN News, Philippines
__________________________________
Zamboanga City (Philipines):
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines gave different explanations about the mission of the US military ship seen off Zamboanga City Tuesday.
But they agreed there was nothing unusual or illegal about the presence of the US ship in Philippine waters.
DFA spokesman Gilberto Asuque on Wednesday identified the ship as the USS Joint Venture, a commercial vessel chartered by the US military to carry cargo.Asuque said the US had sent a note verbale to the foreign affairs department on October 3 requesting that the ship be allowed entry to Philippine territory and dock in Subic so it could load "humanitarian cargo" such as schoolbuilding materials that would be used for Project Bayanihan in "various areas in Mindanao" starting at the end of the month.
Armed Forces spokesman Lt. Col. Buenaventura Pascual gave a different description of the ship.
He said it is the HSV 2 (High-Speed Vessel) Swift, an 11,000-ton double-hulled craft on the way to take part in a new Balikatan exercise in Mindanao.
Asuque said the Joint Venture was still in international waters since the foreign affairs department has not responded to the note verbale.
He said the department still has to inform the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces about the entry of the ship.
The Joint Venture last docked in Tarakan, Indonesia.
The US Embassy in Manila said in a statement that the Joint Venture is scheduled to arrive in Manila next week for a two-day port visit to load humanitarian supplies to transport to Zamboanga, where another port visit is scheduled later this month.
The Joint Venture "is being tested as a military support and transport vessel by the US Pacific Command. The vessel, which is designed to transport personnel and equipment, will visit the Philippines to support humanitarian and civic projects under the joint US-Philippine humanitarian effort Project Bayanihan," the statement said.
The embassy said there was nothing irregular about the presence of the ship, since "US vessels routinely transit through international waters [near] the Philippines, participate in bilateral exercises and stop at ports for friendly visits, rest and resupply."
Philippine Navy spokesman Capt. Geronimo Malabanan said that his information showed the Joint Venture was still supposed to be in international waters on its way to Manila.
The ship is built of high-technology materials similar to the ones used on US Stealth fighter bombers, making it nearly invisible to radar.
The ship’s sudden appearance in Zamboanga came at a time when security forces intensified their pursuit of terrorists in Mindanao following the bombings in Bali, Indonesia.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita denied the insinuations that the Philippine government was being pressured by the US government to capture the two Jema'ah Islamiyah bomb makers reported to have sought refuge in Mindanao.
Ermita said at a press briefing that Malacañan is confident US authorities trust President Arroyo’s antiterrorism drive.
There had been speculations that the administration’s renewed effort to fight local and international terrorism in the country was spurred by US government pressure on the Philippines to bring to an end the recruitment and training of terrorists in Mindanao.
Sen. Rodolfo Biazon said Wednesday that he would rather get all facts in before commenting on the sighting of a supposed US naval ship, Stockholm, off Basilan the other day.
________________________________________
See Also:
US Ship in Zamboanga: No Mystery
'Mystery ship' in Mindanao is latest on US Navy
US confirms 2 warships off southern RP
Details of HSV2 Swift
see archive:
Mysterious US Warship off Philippines Coast
________________________________________
Biazon, chairman of the Senate committee on national defense, said that although he is not questioning the report of The Manila Times about the sighting of the US Navy ship in Philippine territory, the details are still sketchy and he would not dare make any comment until he gets more details.
He also pointed out that there is a part of the waters off Basilan where right of passage is given to foreign ships.
"These waters are part of Philippine territory, but right of passage is given to international vessels from the tip of Mindanao to the Balabac Strait," he said.
He added that international vessels not registered in the Philippines regularly pass through this part of the country’s waters off Basilan without violating Philippine sovereignty.
With Anthony Vargas, Sam Mediavilla and Efren Danao
Oct 13, 2005
