RP navy acquires $13 million ship to guard Spratlys

The mighty China dragon may have an aircraft carrier, 21 destroyers, 68 submarines, 42 modern frigates and 760 ships along with 2.3 million soldiers to bully the Philippines into submitting to its will in the Spratlys but help is on the way. The pesky mosquito will have the services of the 378-foot Hamilton-class cutter BRP Gregorio Del Pilar to guard its “Tirad Pass” from foreign invaders in the Kalayaan Island Group of the Spratly Islands.

The slingshot of David against the armada of Goliath.

The BRP Gregorio del Pilar, the biggest ship ever to be acquired by the Philippine Navy, will have a full complement of 180 men and women, 95 of whom were recently trained in the San Francisco Bay Area at Coast Guard Island in Alameda.

Before it was purchased by the Philippine government for $13 million, this Weather High Endurance Cutter (WHEC) was largely used by the US Coast Guard for drug and migrant interdiction, law enforcement and defence readiness. The Philippine Navy intends to use this multi-mission Surface Combatant Ship (SCS), the first gas-turbine jet engine-powered vessel in the Philippine Navy fleet, for operations in the West Philippine Sea.

On the eve of the ship’s departure for the Philippines on July 17, I attended a Mass officiated on the ship by Fr. Jose Reburiano. Before Holy Communion was served, Philippine Navy Flag Officer in Command Vice Admiral Alexander Pama spoke to personally thank the members of the Filipino American community.

“We may face insurmountable odds,” he said, “but at the end of the day, it is people who are the decisive factors in any conflict and I want you all to know that we have people of outstanding quality in our navy.”

After the Mass, we joined the officers and crew at the ship’s mess hall for their final dinner in the United States. We watched the video of the May 13, 2011 turnover ceremonies attended by Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Cuisia, Jr. and US Coast Guard Vice Admiral Manson K. Brown.

The highlight of the May 13 turnover rites was the departure of the entire US Coast Guard crew from the ship as the US flag was lowered and the raising of the Philippine flag as 21 members of the Philippine Navy, who had been in training in the US since February 25, 2011, boarded the ship. On the following day, 74 additional members of the Philippine Navy arrived to undergo training on the Philippine Navy’s newest ship.

At the helm of BRP Gregorio del Pilar is Navy Captain Alberto Cruz, PMA Class of 1988, who along with his Executive Officer Navy Commander Reynaldo Lopez PMA Class of 1992, arrived in Alameda on February 25. 2011
They underwent intensive hands-on training on board the USCGC Boutwell, the sister ship of the Hamilton, for two months travelling to Colombia, Ecuador and El Salvador to interdict drug smugglers. With no access to the telephone or the Internet, the crew later told reporter Gemma Nemenzo, they felt like “the lost command.” Worst torture for some of them — the steady diet of potatoes, meat, potatoes and more potatoes. No rice.

At dinner at the Officers’ Mess Hall on July 17, I sat down with Vice-Admiral Alex Pama who had flown in from Manila just the day before to formally issue the orders to Capt. Cruz. He expressed relief that the Philippine Navy was finally getting attention from the national government after years of neglect.

I recalled Pres. Noynoy Aquino’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 26, 2010 when he said: “We have 36,000 nautical miles of shoreline, but we only have 32 boats. These boats are as old as the time of (US General Douglas) MacArthur.” While Pres. Aquino has been hammered by his critics for lack of accomplishments, he quietly found the government funds to purchase the Hamilton cutter from the US government and is negotiating to acquire even more de-commissioned cutters.

Vice-Admiral Pama told me that the decision to rename the USCGC Hamilton to the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar was no fluke. Philippine Navy officers were well aware of the heroic exploits of the “Boy General” who led his Filipino soldiers to victory in the Battle of Quingua on April 23, 1899 against the cavalry charge of the US forces of Col. John Stotsenburg. On December 2, 1899, Gen. Del Pilar, with just 60 Filipino soldiers, defended Tirad Pass for five hours against the vastly superior 33rd Infantry Regiment led by Gen Peyton March before he was fatally shot in the neck and his men routed.

On Monday, July 18, we attended the send-off ceremonies at Alameda as Vice Admiral Pama officially issued the order to Capt. Cruz to depart for the Philippines. I then joined the Filipino-American community in shaking the hands of each of the 95 officers and crew of the BRP del Pilar to wish them each Godspeed. As I shook their hands and looked in their eyes, I worried that they may be the first casualties of a war with China over the Spratlys.

The Filipino American community has scheduled a national Day of Prayer for Peace in the Spratlys for Sunday, August 21, the 28th anniversary of Ninoy Aquino’s assassination, to pray for the peaceful and just resolution of our territorial conflict with China and for the protection and safety of the brave men and women of the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar.

Send your comments to Rodel50@gmail.com or mail them to the Law Offices of Rodel Rodis at 2429 Ocean Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94127 or call 415.334.7800).