Marcos urged to find 'competent' PCG chief

ADMIRAL Artemio Abu is stepping down as head of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) today.

Five senior PCG officers have been shortlisted to replace Admiral Abu, who served for 18 months — Vice Admirals Rolando Lizor Punzalan, Ronnie Gil Gavan, Joseph Coyme, Allan Victor dela Vega and Vice Roy Echeverria.

In choosing the next head of the coast guard, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. must take into account the «competence» of each candidate since the PCG has become a very consequential player in the Philippines' efforts to advance its maritime rights and interests.

Herman Tiu Laurel, president of the Manila-based think tank Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute (ACPSSI), said the next commandant must be able to guide the PCG «in reaching its full institutional maturity by sustaining growth and administrative reforms.»

One important focus of the new commandant should be human resource management, said Laurel, as the PCG expects to hire 7,000 additional personnel by 2025.

«The next commandant should have experience with or a thorough understanding of personnel administration. This pertains to the recruitment of additional personnel in order to boast a formidable workforce that would allow the PCG to effectively fulfill its mandates covering the country's vast maritime jurisdiction, including manning newly procured vessels,» he told The Manila Times in an interview on Wednesday.

Another asset that the PCG commandant must possess is fiscal management, given that Congress is considering realigning billions of pesos worth of intelligence and confidential funds for the PCG.

«The new commandant will have to deal with an organization that only received a total of P120 million for its intelligence fund in the past 17 years but now has billions of fresh funds not subject to regular mandatory audits. The temptation for corruption will be greater,» said Laurel.

The next head of the PCG should also continue to establish linkages with other coast guard organizations in the region, including that of China, «considering the shared responsibilities of Coast Guard organizations to protect the marine environment, ensure sustainable fishery practices, guarantee the safety of