Military authorities have given assurances the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar, one of the Philippine Navy’s largest warships, is still operational despite minimal damage when it ran aground near Hasa-hasa Shoal in Palawan Wednesday night.
The impact did not cause any heavy damage to the ship’s hull, AFP public affairs office chief Col. Noel Detoyato said Friday.
“Damage to the hull is very minimal,” Detoyato said, adding the starboard or right propeller sustained damage due to the grounding.
But he maintained the port or left propeller and engines remained intact.
Detoyato said two tugboats from Batangas had been deployed to aid in the recovery of the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar, which had 117 Navy personnel on board, with one leaving Thursday afternoon and another later on Friday.
These small craft are expected to reach the grounded frigate in two days and will be used in removing it. The grounding site is being secured by other naval assets in the area, military sources said.
The ship is one of three Hamilton-class cutters acquired by the PN from the United States Coast Guard and converted into frigates.
These ships have a gross tonnage of 3,250 tons, a length of 378 feet, beam of 43 feet, and draft of 15 feet while its propulsion systems consist of two diesel engines and two gas turbine engines, giving it a top speed of 29 knots.
They have a cruising range of 14,000 miles and a sea and loiter time of 45 days. They are armed with a 76-mm Oto Melara automatic cannon, 25-mm. and 20-mm. light cannons, and .50 caliber machineguns.
“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.
The Navy has not provided other details on the grounding except that BRP Del Pilar was on a routine maritime patrol inside Philippine waters.
BRP Del Pilar was procured under the excess defense articles during the incumbency of then President Benigno Aquino III. with Francisco Tuyay