The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has committed to forge stronger collaboration with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to maintain peace and order in Western Mindanao.
PCG Commandant, Admiral Artemio Abu paid a courtesy visit to Lt. Gen. Alfredo Rosario Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom), in Calarian, Zamboanga City on Monday, April 4, where he assured the military official of improving the interoperability and cooperation between the two forces in the southern part of the country.
“I come here to assure you of the PCG’s full support for all the efforts of the AFP WestMinCom for peace and order in Mindanao. Today, I urge our men and women to develop a deeper relationship that surpasses inevitable leadership changes,” Abu told Rosario during their meeting.
The WestMinCom is the AFP unified command that is in charge of all the military affairs in Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9), Northern Mindanao (Region 10), and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
It faces various land and at-sea security challenges such as terrorism, piracy, communist insurgency, and other transnational crimes.
Rosario thanked Abu for the PCG’s renewed commitment of cooperation and recognized the importance of collaboration between the AFP and PCG.
He also acknowledged the inclusion of the PCG in the Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center (JPSCC) together with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the AFP.
“Through our united efforts, we will not only fight terrorism and insurgency but also uphold maritime law enforcement, maritime security, maritime safety, maritime search and rescue, and marine environmental protection,” Rosario said.
“We welcome this move anchored on mutual respect towards keeping our nation safe, secure, and free,” he added.