PH Coast Guard seeking addt'l funds for sustained presence in West PH Sea
By Dhel Nazario
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has asked the Senate for a supplemental budget in adherence to the directive of President Marcos to have a sustained and continued presence in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
PCG Commandant Adm. Artemio Abu disclosed that the agency requires a supplemental budget of P600-million for fuel during deliberations of the Senate Committee on Finance chaired by Sen. Grace Poe.
"This is over and above traditional functions of the Coast Guard in addressing maritime incidents in conducting patrol missions not only in WPS but all over the archipelago," Abu said.
The supplemental budget is on top of the P1.7 billion allotted under the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP) for fuel.
Abu also mentioned that PCG requires an additional P562 million for the maintenance of PCG vessels and P144 million confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) for fiscal year 2024.
"We have submitted a very modest, a very conservative amount for the CIF of PCG," he said.
He added that since 2013, the PCG has only been given P10 million CIF.
Under NEP, PCG proposed a P24 billion budget against its P21 billion budget under the General Appropriations Act (GAA). The bulk of PCG's budget increase, according to Abu, will go to the recruitment of an additional 4,000 personnel amounting to P1.7 billion.
Meanwhile, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri expressed his support for PCG, calling them one of the "most active" agencies of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
"I think the one most active and nagbubuwis buhay para sa atin (risk their lives for us) is no other than the PCG. That’s why now is the time, Admiral Abu, to ask us for your wish list. We have committed, all of us are united in committing our support to the Armed Forces and the Coast Guard,” he added.