Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

File photo of BRP Antonio Luna via Bianca Dava, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Bianca Dava

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756796522420cropped-Gz0g5QwbEAARQ-e.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">File photo of BRP Antonio Luna via Bianca Dava, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Philippine Navy’s guided-missile frigate BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151) sustained minor damage during a maritime training activity in Malaysia last week.</p><p>Philippine Navy spokesperson Captain Marissa Arlene Martinez said the incident happened on August 27 during the MALPHI LAUT Exercise 2025 at the Lumut Naval Base in Perak.</p><p>“The BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151) was the vessel sent to participate in the MALPHI LAUT. After the harbor phase—it was the sea phase already—when she was carefully maneuvering in a narrow space, unfortunately, it incurred superficial damage to its freeboard,” Martinez told reporters in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo on Tuesday.</p><p>Martinez clarified that the damage was minimal and limited to the outermost portion of the ship’s portside (left side), describing it as “superficial.”</p><p>“When I say superficial damage, I mean to say it is the outermost portion of the surface of the freeboard, it’s on the left side or portside. In naval terms, it is from waterline to the funnel—that’s the freeboard,” she explained.</p><p>No one was injured in the incident.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/30/-mas-malakas-tayo-ngayon-ph-navy-on-readiness-in-west-ph-sea-1639">‘Mas malakas tayo ngayon’: PH Navy on readiness in West PH Sea</a></div><p>Despite what happened, the BRP Antonio Luna continued to take part in all at-sea events of the exercise.</p><p>“Immediately after that incident, the ship was still mission-capable and was able to participate in all serials of the at-sea events. In fact, it is on its way home. I would also like to highlight that the people there are professional and competent. The CO [commanding officer] himself is a seasoned surface warfare officer,” Martinez noted.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;MANY RISKS&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The Navy official stressed that such risks are inherent in maritime operations.</p><p>“I would just like to highlight that these are just one of the many risks, operational risks, that a commanding officer or a ship will always incur, whether you are a civilian ship or a merchant ship,” Martinez said.</p><p>“When we speak of maneuvering, there is what we call an uncontrollable force and that is the weather or that could be the wind or the current,” she added.</p><p>According to Martinez, an assessment and investigation will be conducted once the BRP Antonio Luna returns to the Philippines.</p><p>Asked whether the ship’s commanding officer may face sanctions, the official answered: “A group of technical people from the Philippine Navy will be conducting an assessment as soon as the ship would come back… Usually, if there is an incident, whether it is minor or major, there will always be an assessment and investigation that will be conducted.”<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/28/afp-welcomes-dnd-push-to-fast-track-modernization-program-2248"></a></p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/28/afp-welcomes-dnd-push-to-fast-track-modernization-program-2248">AFP welcomes DND push to fast-track modernization program</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xjwvyemzFKE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

PH Navy frigate sustains 'superficial damage' in bilateral exercise in Malaysia

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PH Navy frigate sustains 'superficial damage' in bilateral exercise in Malaysia

Bianca Dava,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 02, 2025 03:07 PM PHT

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BRP Antonio Luna

Philippine Navy

Malaysia

West Philippine Sea

Maritime activity

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