Senate President Chiz Escudero said the legislation fixing the term of office of the commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to three years will provide stability to the service in the face of challenges confronting the country in the West Philippine Sea.
According to Escudero, who sponsored the committee report on House Bill No. 10841, the measure is aligned with the security interest of the country as it ensures continuity in the position and leadership of the PCG chief.
“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,” the veteran legislator said, after the Senate approved the bill recently.
Fixing the term of the PCG commandant to three years also aligns it with that of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and is part of efforts to reform the PCG.
“This was made separate to provide the current commandant, Admiral Ronnie Galvan, the opportunity to complete his plans and programs for the agency.”
The seasoned lawmaker explained that this was made separate to provide the current commandant, Admiral Ronnie Galvan, the opportunity to complete his plans and programs for the agency.
Appointed only in October 2023, Galvan would only be able to serve for less than 16 months as PCG Commandant since he is set to retire on February 21 this year, upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.
“This would allow CG Admiral Galvan to continue leading the valiant men and women of the PCG, who have been faced with great adversity in the post-war era and have effectively upheld our sovereignty in our territorial waters,” the Senate Chief said.
“The reforms to the PCG would continue to be taken up and fine-tuned, given the complexities involved in modernization measures.”
He said the reforms to the PCG would continue to be taken up and fine-tuned, given the complexities involved in modernization measures.
Among the proposed reforms in the PCG is the increase by a year in the retirement age of the PCG Commandant, from 56 to 57.
HBN 10841 was reported out by the Committee on Public Services chaired by Senator Raffy Tulfo and was co-sponsored by Senators Win Gatchalian and Joel Villanueva.
The Senate approved the bill on third and final reading with a vote of 21 in favor, zero against and no abstention.
