The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) confirmed the Philippine Navy (PN) Auxiliary General Research (AGR) had gone to Benham Rise and may return to continue its study.

“(BRP Gregorio) Velasquez is a research vessel that has survey capabilities so it does its work with other academicians with UP (University of the Philippines) MSI (Marine Science Institute). They’ve been there before so they may go back to continue the study that has been on-going and reinforce or follow through previous findings,” Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, AFP spokesman, told reporters Wednesday.

Padilla did not reveal details about the first survey or study about Benham Rise but he said AGR- 702 was immediately sent to area after it arrived in the country in June 2016.

“When it arrived, after she (BRP Velasquez) arrived, she immediately has her mission with Oceana, the UP MSI and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR),” he said.

“Perhaps in the future (exploitation of resources) but their first mission there is for science, to find out, to catalogue, to index, whatever is there, to see the condition of the plateau, because that is a plateau,” he added referring to the first mission of the ship.

Padilla said AGR-702 will return to Benham Rise but did not say when this will be.

“I am not at liberty to divulge that (date on the return of AGR-702 to Benham Rise) because sometimes that is operational security,” Padilla said. “They have a duty to perform and they will perform it,” he added.

It can be recalled that Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the government may conduct a survey of Benham Rise after the monitored presence of the Chinese Survey ship in the area last year.

The BRP Gregorio Velasquez, formerly the R/V Melville, was one of the two ex-American ships pledged by President Barack Obama when he visit the Philippines during the APEC Leaders Summit in November 2015.

The other US ship that also pledged by Obama was the BRP Andres Bonifacio (FF-17) or formerly named as USCGC Boutwell. Robina Asido/DMS