THE PHILIPPINE Senate on Monday approved on third and final reading a bill that would fix the term of the commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to three years, expected to ensure stability in the agency’s leadership structure amid maritime tensions.
Twenty senators unanimously voted in favor of House Bill No. 10841, which provided that the PCG commandant who holds the rank of coast guard admiral may only serve three years and be considered retired only after he serves the maximum term, unless relieved by the President.
In a statement, Senate President Francis G. Escudero said fixing the term allows appointed commandants who near the age of 56 years old to serve full terms in the position and to carry out programs for the agency.
“Given the situation we are facing in the West Philippine Sea, it is in our best interest to ensure that we have some level of continuity in the leadership of the PCG, the agency tasked to patrol our territorial waters and secure our shores,” he said in a statement. In 2016, a United Nations-backed arbitration court based in The Hague said China’s claim to nearly the entire South China Sea was illegal.
China has largely ignored the ruling, calling it void. Aside from the Philippines and China, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam also claim parts of the waterway.
“With the passage of this measure, we will have continuity of leadership, a definitive term that allows the Commandant to fully implement maritime security plans, infrastructure projects, and modernization programs without the risk of abrupt leadership changes,” Senate Majority Floor Leader Francis N. Tolentino told the plenary floor after the bill’s approval.
“We strengthen the autonomy and integrity of the Philippine Coast Guard, allowing it to focus solely on its mandate. And most importantly, it will achieve a strategic modernization program.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez