WWII ship explorers hit over Philippine permits

Paterno R. Esmaquel II

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WWII ship explorers hit over Philippine permits
A Philippine governor and the team of US billionaire Paul Allen clash on whether authorities allowed the search for the famous World War II ship 'Musashi'

MANILA, Philippines – The governor of Romblon province criticized the team of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who discovered a Titanic-like shipwreck from World War II in Philippine waters, for allegedly failing to inform Philippine authorities about their activities.

Allen’s team, for its part, asserted that the Philippine government permitted them to search for the famous Japanese battleship Musashi, which American warplanes sank in 1944. (READ: WWII Japanese ship found in Philippines, says US billionaire)

The Philippine government requires researchers to seek the National Museum’s permission to conduct “underwater archaeological explorations or excavations.” It also obliges foreigners aboard privately-owned yachts or sailboats to secure a visa and inform the Philippine Coast Guard “upon entry into the Philippines.”

In a statement Friday, March 6, Romblon Governor Eduardo Firmalo said his provincial government was “unaware of the presence of Mr Allen’s vessel and his team at Sibuyan Sea.”

Firmalo stressed that while Allen’s team hasn’t disclosed the Musashi‘s exact location, “it may be within the territory of the province of Romblon.” 

The Romblon governor said: “Claiming that they have been searching for the Musashi for more than 8 years, there has been no information shared nor coordination with the local authorities. We have known that even the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine Navy were also unaware about the exploration conducted.”

‘Like finding the Titanic’

Firmalo added that government institutions such as the National Museum and the National Historical Commission “must also be informed” since the Musashi might contain “historically significant” artifacts.

He said it “is also proper to inform” the Japanese embassy in the Philippines because the Musashi is a Japanese vessel.

“We hope that national laws and international protocols be observed for proper coordination and collaboration,” Firmalo said. 

Allen announced on Wednesday, March 4, that researchers aboard his M/Y Octopus exploration vessel found the Musashi one kilometer (1.6 miles) deep on the floor of the Sibuyan Sea.

The Musashi was one of a trio of vessels built by Japan during the war that, at 263 meters (863 feet) each, were its biggest battleships ever.

American warplanes sank the Musashi on October 24, 1944, at the height of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, regarded as the largest naval encounter of the war where US and Australian forces defeated the Japanese.

Historian Manolo Quezon III, an Undersecretary at the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office, told Agence France-Presse that the discovery, if verified, “would be like finding the Titanic.”

Quezon cited “the status of the ship and the interest on the ship.”

National Museum supervision needed 

In a fact sheet posted on their website on March 4, however, Allen’s team said it conducted its recent and previous Musashi expeditions “pursuant to permits issued by the Philippine government.”

On whether the Philippines approved the exploration in Philippine waters, the researchers said, “Yes, the exploration team is working with the Philippine Coast Guard to operate in the waters where they are searching.”

Rappler is still trying to reach Allen’s team, as of posting time, for a reaction to Firmalo’s statement.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte, for her part, said the National Museum “is already taking steps to look into the situation.”

The National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, or Republic Act 10066, states that the National Museum “shall regulate and control” all forms of “archaeological excavation or exploration.”

RA 10066 states, “No terrestrial and/or underwater archaeological explorations and excavations for the purposes of obtaining materials and data of cultural value shall be undertaken without written authority and direct site supervision by archaeologists and/or representatives of the National Museum.”

It is unclear if Allen’s team had the “direct site supervision by archaeologists and/or representatives of the National Museum.”

The Philippines also requires temporary visitor’s visas for foreign nationals “who are traveling to the Philippines onboard privately owned yachts and sailboats,” according to the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

“Upon entry into the Philippines, the crew of the yacht and sailboats are required to register immediately with the nearest Coast Guard Station and submit the yacht/sailboats to Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine inspections,” the DFA said in a fact sheet. – with reports from Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com

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Paterno R. Esmaquel II

Paterno R. Esmaquel II, news editor of Rappler, specializes in covering religion and foreign affairs. He finished MA Journalism in Ateneo and MSc Asian Studies (Religions in Plural Societies) at RSIS, Singapore. For story ideas or feedback, email pat.esmaquel@rappler.com