President Duterte has appointed Vice Admiral Artemio M. Abu as the 29th Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) effective Tuesday, Feb. 28.
Abu is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1992.
Prior to the appointment, Abu served as the commander of the Maritime Safety Services Command (MSSC) and the Task Force Commander of the PCG Task Force Kaligtasan sa Karagatan- a that ensures the effective enforcement of laws and regulations relevant to the promotion of safety of life and property at sea within the Philippine maritime jurisdiction.
A native of Barangay Luta Sur, Malvar, Batangas, Abu is a holder of a Master's Degree in Marine Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
He served as the commander of the PCG District Southern Visayas, PCG District Southern Tagalog, and the Coast Guard Education, Training, and Doctrine Command (CGETDC).
Abu was also the Commanding Officer of various PCG ships where he earned the most coveted “Command at Sea" badge. All of Abu’s units he led, both ashore and afloat, have received the distinction as 'Best Unit of the Year' at the national level.
During the Taal Volcano eruption incident in 2020, he was designated as the Commander of the PCG Task Force Taal, which propelled the Coast Guard as a uniformed, maritime, and humanitarian service of the country.
Abu also received the Distinguished Cavalier Awardee for 2021 in the field of Coast Guard operation – the highest recognition given to PMA alumni for their outstanding achievements in the field of government service.