President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said the presence of the Philippine Coast Guard has become more crucial in the West Philippine Sea.
During the oath-taking of the PCG officers at Malacañan Palace, Mr. Marcos emphasized the Coast Guard’s crucial role in protecting the country’s maritime domain by conducting patrols and forging partnerships with foreign allies like the United States and Japan.
“But perhaps nowhere is your presence more crucial, than in the West Philippine Sea. Your continued patrols across the Kalayaan Island Group, the Philippine Rise, and our other maritime zones reaffirm our unwavering commitment to our sovereign rights,” he said.
“What you are doing is not only protecting territory. What you are doing is not only protecting citizens. You are defining for the rest of the world the territory of the Republic of the Philippines. And having done so, you are defending that territory. That is the importance of what the job has become for Philippine Coast Guard,” the President added.
Mr. Marcos assured the PCG of his administration’s firm resolve to boost its personnel’s capabilities through advanced vessels, new technologies, and support systems.
He said the Comprehensive Social Benefits Program and the Free Legal Assistance for Military and Uniformed Personnel Act are among the initiatives of his administration to help the PCG personnel, including those who face any charge arising from incidents related to the performance of their official duty.
“In moments when lives hang in the balance, you have proven time and again: The Coast Guard is there. The Coast Guard never turns away. You have responded to over 2,000 maritime incidents and rescued nearly 4,500 individuals. Each one tells a story of survival because someone in uniform answered the call,” the President said.
Mr. Marcos also hailed the PCG for enforcing environmental standards with nearly 18,000 inspections of vessels and facilities and 555 shore-based patrols to make sure that those who operate in the Philippines’ maritime domain “always respect those waters.”
He said nearly 600 individuals have been held accountable for illegal maritime activities following the PCG’s conduct of 33,000 sea marshaling operations.
“The missions are declarations: we will always stand for what is ours, and we will do so with dignity, with integrity, (and) with strength,” Mr. Marcos said.
