Wednesday, October 18, 2006 Coast Guard needs ‘more resources’
THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) needs more personnel, dogs and equipment to improve security measures at the port and at sea, two officials said yesterday.
Commanders Redempto Delejero and Jose Balbino Luspo of the Coast Guard Central-Eastern Visayas said terrorists and rebels must be prevented from doing illegal activities during the meeting of the heads of states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Cebu.
Some of the foreign delegates are expected to travel to Bohol and Oriental Negros provinces and nearby islands during their stay.
“We are requesting for additional personnel, canine and equipment so we can effectively work and secure the ports and the sea lanes,” Luspo said.
Ceres Ceromo of the Department of Justice (DOJ) said during the Association of Government Information Officers Forum that when she returned to Cebu from Mindanao recently, she noticed that authorities did not inspect her and her co-passengers.
She said she just went straight to take a taxi upon disembarking from the vessel.
This is dangerous, Ceromo said, because most ports in Mindanao with connecting routes to Cebu are known as transshipment points of illegal drugs and illegal guns.
Earlier, Maritime Industry Authority Director Glenn Cabañez said that while a vessel is docking, the security and safety of passengers is the responsibility of Marina, Philippine Coast Guard and the shipping lines.
The security of the port, from the gate to the vessel, is the responsibility of the Cebu Port Authority and the Philippine Ports Authority for ports outside Cebu.
Delejero has urged all passengers to report to the authorities if they notice suspicious-looking co-passengers or people carrying contraband.
Delejero said that while it is the primary duty of the authorities to inspect passengers and cargoes at the port of origin, the PCG will inspect passengers and cargoes arriving in Cebu during the Asean summit in December.
Meanwhile, Luspo said that another mandate of the PCG is marine environmental protection.
“This is the reason we tried our best to prevent the oil spill in Guimaras Province from reaching Cebu,” Luspo said.
Luspo said that because they are undermanned, they rely on support from the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary, a civilian reservists group. (EOB)
