THE Philippine Navy has dissolved a command by reactivating two commands it had dissolved a year ago as it continues to experiment on naval security operations.
“In the midst of evolving and expanding maritime concerns, transformation and reorganization are continually implemented for it to become a naval force that is adaptive to the emerging and ever changing challenges, said Navy spokesperson Lieutenant Commander Marineth Domingo.
Domingo said the naval high command has reactivated the Naval Forces Northern Luzon (NFNL), based in La Union, and the Naval Forces West (NFW), based in Palawan.
The new commander of NFNL will be Commodore Danilo Rodelas while Captain Alert Mogol will serve as NFW acting commander.
The two commands were merged last year to form the Naval Forces North West, which is now effectively deactivated.
The NFW was placed under the Western Command (Westcom) which is currently led by Vice Admiral Alexander Lopez whose command jurisdiction covers the entire WPS.
It was also during this period when the northern portion of the WPS was ceded to the jurisdiction of the Westcom commander from the jurisdiction of the commander of the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) since the NFNL was already dissolved.
Thus, Nolcom and Westcom will have distinct naval components to better respond to their territorial defense and humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations while continuing their current internal security operations campaign.
But some say the restoration of the commands could have something to do also with the recent swapping of position between AFP Vice Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Glorioso Miranda and Nolcom chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Tanalgo.
Defense and military observers believed the restoration of the original commands “speak for itself” since Tanalgo is a Marine officer “who found himself in the playground of the Army.”
“It’s good higher headquarters restored the NFNL not only in the case of General Tanalgo but I see the need for it. Now we’ve a Navy officer at the Westcom and a Marine officer at Nolcom,” said a military general who asked not to be identified.
There was also rumors that Tanalgo was allegedly laterally transferred to Nolcom from the vice chief of staff position because he was allegedly one among generals who met with presidential candidate Vice-President Jejomar Binay.