THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) have strengthened collaboration and cooperation between the coast guard stations in Western Mindanao and the military units under the command and control of Westmincom.
Admiral Artemio Abu, PCG commandant, and Lieutenant General Alfredo Rosario Jr., Westmincom chief, discussed the matter when the former visited Monday, April 4, the Westmincom headquarters.
The two officials also shared ideas on how to offer better service to the public and recognized the importance of interagency collaboration in maintaining peace and order in Mindanao.
They both agreed that to sustain this collaboration, the establishment of a deeper relationship between the two security agencies is a must despite the constant changes in leadership.
The officers and enlisted personnel of Westmincom rendered battalion-sized military honors to Abu during his arrival at Camp Don Basilio Navarro, Calarian, home of the Westmincom headquarters in Zamboanga City.
Rosario, together with his two deputy commanders, Brigadier General Antonio Nafarrete and Brigadier General Arturo Rojas, and command staff, received Abu at the Laong Laan Hall of Westmincom.
Abu is the newly installed Commandant of the PCG. He was appointed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte as the 29th Commandant of the PCG effective February 28, 2022.
Before his current designation, Abu was the commander of the Maritime Safety Services Command and of the PCG Task Force Kaligtasan sa Karagatan.
Abu is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy "Tanglaw-Diwa" Class of 1992. (SunStar Zamboanga)