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Friday, March 29, 2024

PCG steps up WPS patrol to protect fishers

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The Philippine Coast Guard has increased the number of its patrol vessels in the West Philippine Sea after Chinese vessels drove away a Filipino fishing boat in Ayungin Shoal on Jan. 9.

In a statement, the PCG said the increase in patrol vessels would ensure the safety of Filipino fishers.

PCG commandant Admiral Artemio Abu said the Coast Guard will continue to follow rules-based approaches in ensuring the security of the country’s exclusive economic zones.

Just before the incident, the Philippines and China signed an agreement to establish direct lines of communication for maritime incidents in the West Philippine Sea.

Last week, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he has dealt with the problem of discontentment within the military “permanently.”

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“In what I refer to as rationalizing the seniority within the officer corps, what we did was the solution to the problem that was the disgruntlement that was going on in the ranks,” the President said.

“This is the way we were told that we could fix it. So that’s what we’ve done,” he said.

On Sunday, Mr. Marcos explained that he was rationalizing the seniority in the military ranks by appointing Gen. Andres Centino, a full-fledged four-star general in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), to replace his previous appointee, Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, who only had three stars.

The appointment of Centino back as AFP chief prompted then-Defense Department officer-in-charge Jose Faustino Jr. to resign, saying that he was not formally informed about the matter.

Faustino has since been replaced by Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.

Galvez on Tuesday admitted that there were “rumblings” or discontentment within the military due to the “unintended consequences” of Republic Act 11709, which grants a three-year fixed term for key AFP officials, including the chief of staff.

Nonetheless, the new Defense secretary said they are planning to resolve the unrest within the AFP on or before the end of 2023’s first quarter.

Last week, President Marcos promoted 17 senior AFP officials led by now Major General Joseph Ferrous Cuison of the Philippine Navy-Marines, Antonio Nafarette of the Philippine Army, and Edgar Cardinoza of the Philippine Air Force.

Commodore Jose Ambrosio Espeleta was also promoted to the rank of rear admiral.

The promotions were done by President Marcos while he was attending the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

At the same time, the President said he does not believe there are people in the government who had been working to oust former National Security Adviser Clarito Carlos.

He made the statement after Carlos revealed shortly after she resigned that there were people who worked for her ouster since getting the key government post.

“Well, she felt that there were people moving against her in the government. I didn’t, I kept telling her, I don’t really think so,” Marcos Jr. said.

He said mere criticisms are not enough reason for him to terminate the appointment of his officials in government.

Marcos Jr. said he appointed officials in his Cabinet because he believes in their capacity and their love for the country.

On Saturday, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the bill limiting the coverage of the fixed three-year term in the AFP will receive strong support from the senators.

He expressed confidence that the bill would be approved by the chamber.

Earlier, Zubiri said the Senate aimed to pass the bill amending Republic Act 11709 by the first quarter of 2023.

RA 11709, which grants three-year fixed terms for key AFP officials, including the chief of staff, was signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte months before he stepped down from office.

President Marcos has already certified House Bill 6517, which seeks to amend RA 11709, as urgent.

Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. admitted last Tuesday that there were rumblings within the military ranks due to the “unintended consequences” of RA 11709.

He said they wanted to resolve the unrest within AFP on or before the end of first quarter of 2023.

Meanwhile, Zubiri said that the Senate would prioritize a bill seeking to establish a military pension fund like the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), as he expressed concern about the large share of pensions for retired AFP personnel in the annual national budget.

“We are paying more now for the pensions of retired military personnel than active military personnel,” he said.

“We should come up with a GSIS system or SSS system for our military pensioners,” he said.

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