Us Navy Cancels Port Call

[Tukaram (Tim)]

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/113820/9-us-ships-cancel-port-calls-to-subic/

 

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Philippines—Nine US Navy ships scheduled to arrive here this month until December have decided to cancel their port calls due to “anti-American sentiments” in the country after a US Marine was implicated in the slaying of a Filipino transgender in Olongapo City last month, a group of business owners said.

The Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (SBFCC) said the cancellation disappointed local businessmen, who had been preparing for the “liberty” (rest and recreation) of American troops.

“This anticipated visit could have meant a better Christmas for the business owners and their employees…. But after the cancellation, one can only imagine the disappointed faces,” the SBFCC said in a statement sent to the Inquirer on Sunday.

The US Embassy and the Department of Foreign Affairs on Sunday night couldn’t immediately confirm the cancellation of the port calls by the nine US Navy ships in Subic.

Kurt Hoyer, US Embassy first secretary and press attaché, told the Inquirer that he still had to check the information.

In a separate phone interview, DFA spokesman and Assistant Secretary Charles Jose also said he had to verify whether the department had information about the cancellation of the port calls.

However, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chair Roberto Garcia confirmed the cancellation of the port calls.

Citing a report from Global Terminals and Development Inc., which operates ports here and provides service to US Navy ships, Garcia on Sunday said four ships were supposed to visit this free port this month while five were expected in December.

Garcia said the port visits were “put on hold until further notice.”

But he said two US Navy ships—USS Pecos and USNS Mary Sears—were scheduled to arrive here next week for emergency repairs.

The SBFCC said the death of transgender Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude not only caused a social and political impact, “but an economic chain reaction as well.”

Laude was found dead in a motel in Olongapo City on the night of Oct. 11, a few minutes after her American companion left.

Her companion, who was later identified by witnesses as US Marine Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton, is facing a murder complaint filed by Laude’s family in the Olongapo Prosecutor’s Office.

Pemberton is held in a detention facility jointly managed by the American and Philippine governments at the Armed Forces of the Philippines headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

The SBFCC said it sympathized with the Laude family and had joined calls that justice be served.

But Laude’s death, it said, brought about losses and unrealized income for many establishments in the Subic Bay area.

“On the other side of things, businesses in the city and in the bay [area] are also restless. But more than being twitchy, these businesses are suffering,” the statement said.

It said businessmen here found it unfair that there was an impression that people in this free port and nearby Olongapo City were not receptive to visits by US troops.

“We also want the US Navy to know that they are still welcome to visit Subic Bay and enjoy the culture and beauty of our natural flora and fauna, and the festivities that we offer,” the SBFCC said.–With a report from Christine O. Avendaño in Manila

Originally posted: 7:39 PM | Sunday, November 2nd, 2014

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[Tukaram (Tim)]

If true, I think this great!  Hit em where it hurts  :tiphat: 

 

If guilty I hope the Marine goes to jail but I really want to see him get a fair trial!.   Maybe some of the pro-Americans should hold a rally?   Let's see how many show up.  The anti-American crowd is very loud, but are they really very large?

[jon1]

I am sure that they are doing everything possible to keep out of the news. If the port of call's were not operationally necessary, it's an easy call to cancel. 

 

Even when they do return for routine port of calls, the service members won't be allowed out of the Freeport and be dictated as to what is off limits within the Freeport. I suspect that Pier 1 will become off limits due to the ongoing issues with transgenders there frequently harassing unattended males (happening quite frequently to Expats here).

 

Believe it or not, there have already been several pro-American rallies but they obviously didn't get any press. 

 

This only hurts the people who make money from the ships (port services, vendors, taxis, restaurants, hotels and bars). It doesn't hurt the anti-American block as they are not Entrepeneurs... 

Edited November 3, 2014 by jon1

[Methersgate]

There are many more "pro-Americans" than "antis" in Subic, but also everywhere else except the UP campus at Diliman.  

[Tukaram (Tim)]

Everyone I meet seems to like the US.  And everyone here that I have talked to either thinks Laude was asking for it (I would not be quite so callous), or they just don't give a crap about it.  But the news is playing it up big, and really showing the anti-US sentiment.  I am glad the US is responding like this.  No muss, no fuss, just no visit ha ha  :tiphat:

[Call me bubba]

seems that a recent incident in the Subic area has caused at least 9 US Navy ships to cancel

port call.

guess the some subic bay area GRO's will have a NO money NO honey Xmas

 

9 US ships cancel port calls to Subic

 

—Nine US Navy ships scheduled to arrive here this month until December have decided to cancel their port calls due to “anti-American sentiments” in the country after a US Marine was implicated in the slaying of a Filipino transgender in Olongapo City last month, a group of business owners said.

 

The Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (SBFCC) said the cancellation disappointed local businessmen, who had been preparing for the “liberty” (rest and recreation) of American troops.

 

“This anticipated visit could have meant a better    :t07051: Christmas for the business owners and their

 

employees…. But after the cancellation, one can only imagine the disappointed faces,” :sign0095:

 

the SBFCC said in a statement sent to the Inquirer on Sunday.

 

 

 

The US Embassy and the Department of Foreign Affairs on Sunday night couldn’t immediately confirm the cancellation of the port calls by the 9 US Navy ships in Subic.

 

Kurt Hoyer, US Embassy first secretary and press attaché, told the Inquirer that he still had to check the information.

In a separate phone interview, DFA spokesman and Assistant Secretary Charles Jose also said he had to verify whether the department had information about the cancellation of the port calls.

 

However, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chair Roberto Garcia confirmed the cancellation of the port calls.

Citing a report from Global Terminals and Development Inc., which operates ports here and provides service to US Navy ships, Garcia on Sunday said four ships were supposed to visit this free port this month while five were expected in December.

 

Garcia said the port visits were “put on hold until further notice.”

But he said two US Navy ships—USS Pecos and USNS Mary Sears—were scheduled to arrive here next week for emergency repairs.

 

The SBFCC said the death of transgender Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude not only caused a social and political impact, “but an   economic chain reaction as well.” :th_thholysheep:

 

 

Laude was found dead in a motel in Olongapo City on the night of Oct. 11, a few minutes after her American companion left.

Her companion, who was later identified by witnesses as US Marine Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton, is facing a murder complaint filed by Laude’s family in the Olongapo Prosecutor’s Office.

 

Pemberton is held in a detention facility jointly managed by the American and Philippine governments at the Armed Forces of the Philippines headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

The SBFCC said it sympathized with the Laude family and had joined calls that justice be served.

But Laude’s death, it said, brought about losses and unrealized income for many establishments in the Subic Bay area.

 

 

“On the other side of things, businesses in the city and in the bay [area] are also restless. But more than being twitchy, these businesses are suffering,” the statement said.

It said businessmen here found it unfair that there was an impression that people in this free port and nearby Olongapo City were not receptive to visits by US troops.

 

(the below I wonder what culture and beauty of natural flora and fauna that refer too)

 

“We also want the US Navy to know that they are Still welcome to visit to visit Subic Bay and enjoy the culture and beauty of our natural flora and fauna, and the festivities that we offer,” :th_hu:

 

the SBFCC said.–

 

 

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/113820/9-us-ships-cancel-port-calls-to-subic/

 

 

 

– The cancellation of port calls of United States (US) ships in Subic are due to “changing operational requirements” and ARE NOT related to the case of the Filipino transgender woman who was allegedly slayed by a US Marine.     :sign0095:

 

 

“The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) was informed through normal diplomatic channels on the cancelation of three US ships for operational reasons,” DFA Spokesman Assistant Secretary Charles Jose said in a press briefing Monday.

“Usually the purpose of port calls is for repair, and operational reasons. We can say that they are not related to the joint military exercises, they are not related at all,” he said.

 

 

The Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (SBFCC) released a statement Sunday saying that 9 US ships have cancelled port calls which disappointed them

because of the $$ revenues they could have earned . :thats-funny:

 

DFA confirmed only the cancelation of three ships that are said to be scheduled to arrive within November, but have no information on the status of the remaining six.

 

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/113857/3-us-ships-canceled-port-calls-to-subic-due-to-operational-reasons/

 

[FlyAway]

This one was on Yahoo News. Looks like ships will come in for emergency repairs but crews will not be allowed off ship. Reading into all this I think everyone is going to look for a quick resolution to the legal case.

 

http://news.yahoo.com/us-navy-cancels-port-calls-amid-philippine-anger-100217421.html

 

US Navy cancels port calls amid Philippine anger over killing

Manila (AFP) - The US Navy has cancelled visits to the Philippine port of Subic amid public anger over accusations that a US Marine killed a Filipino on the city's outskirts, officials said Monday.

 

Foreign Department spokesman Charles Jose said the visits of three US ships to Subic this month had been cancelled, while the head of the Subic freeport said nine such visits scheduled for this year had been called off.

"The DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) was informed through normal diplomatic channels of the cancellation of the visits to Subic of three ships for operational reasons," he said.

 

Jose told reporters he did not believe the cancellations were linked to anger stirred by the investigation of a US Marine for the killing of a Filipina in Olongapo City last month.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman Robert Garcia said nine US ships due to dock at Subic this year had cancelled their visits.

 

He told AFP that two US Navy ships were still scheduled to make port calls in Subic for "emergency repairs" but their crews would not be allowed to disembark.

 

Normally, two or three US Navy ships make routine port calls every month for resupply in Subic, a former US naval base about an hour's drive from Manila, said Garcia.

He said the authority had been informed of the cancellations by the Subic chamber of commerce, which includes the company that services US ships.

However Garcia could not say why the visits were cancelled. US embassy officials declined to comment.

Jennifer Laude, a 26-year-old transgender Filipina, was found dead on October 12 in a cheap hotel near Subic with marks of strangulation on her neck.

US Marine Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton, who had just finished taking part in US-Philippine military exercises in Subic, had checked into the hotel with Laude and was the last person seen with her, police said.

Pemberton is now detained at Philippine military headquarters while prosecutors consider charging him.

Activist groups have seized on the incident to attack the defence ties between the United States and its former colony.

Frequent street protests have been staged against the US forces.

[Jollygoodfellow]

guess the some subic bay area GRO's will have a NO money NO honey Xmas  

 

More too it than GRO's, what about the normal bar and restaurant industry? The follow on effects of any local business can be affected.

[Americano]

 

guess the some subic bay area GRO's will have a NO money NO honey Xmas  

 

More too it than GRO's, what about the normal bar and restaurant industry? The follow on effects of any local business can be affected.

 

 

I agree with you about the bars loosing money but do you remember a few months ago I was the only poster who said US Military go to bars in other countries.  All other posters said they are not allowed to go to bars any more, that's a thing of the past, which I knew was not true.  The 4 marines went to the Ambyanz Disco Bar the night that the Filipino was apparently murdered.

[Call me bubba]

And everyone here that I have talked to either thinks Laude was asking for it (I would not be quite so callous), or they just don't give a crap about it.

 

little do any one knows( as the media only carried this story for a day or 2) was that another "transgender" was killed about the same time. he was stabbed over 18x by another Filipino in Caloocan. they seem to be more "knowledgeable" about the subic case than 1 that was committed by a on of their own

 

 

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/97900/suspected-killer-of-transgender-call-center-agent-stabbed-18-times-arrested-in-caloocan

 

 

A 22-year-old man identified as Felix Salut was arrested by the Caloocan Ciy police

 

after he was accused of killing transgender call center agent Norlan “Cielo” Mercado last month.  

 

Mercado died after suffering 18 stab wounds in the head, chest, and back. Mercado and Salut were together drinking liquor before the victim died last September 20 in an apartment in Caloocan.

 

Salut admitted to the crime, saying his mind got hazy from too much alcohol that led him to kill  27-year-old Mercado. “Sa sobrang lasing lang po talaga eh. Nagblangko lang po utak ko.”

Authorities were able to track down Salut through the cellular phone that he allegedly stole from Mercado.

Edited November 4, 2014 by Pittman apartments Sgn