Alongside the Philippine Coast Guard’s 116th anniversary, three Multi-role Response Vessels were commissioned namely MRRV-4404 Capones, MRRV-4406 Suluan and MRRV-4407 Sindangan.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is likely to send three Multi-role Response Vessels (MRRV) it acquired from Japan to the West Philippine Sea.
The Japanese government also formally handed over to the PCG three 7- meter rigid hull inflatable boats in show of support to the Philippine Coast Guard’s role in implementing law and security in the coastal regions of the country.
Four MRRV are still to be delivered to the Philippines by the Japan International Cooperation Agency or JICA to complete the ten vessels promised by Japan.
According to national security secretary Hermogenes Esperon, one of the priorities for the deployment of the coast guard is the patrol of the West Philippine Sea.
They plan to send the vessels in the area likely in January or February after the training of the PCG.
“We will have more coast guard ships for deployment nationwide especially in Cebu passage or in the tri-boundaries in Malaysia and Indonesia where we had the kidnappings before. With this, we can strengthen our trilateral maritime patrol to ward off kidnappers and other illegal activities that are proliferating every time we are not on patrol". said Sec Hermogenes Esperon.
According to PCG spokesperson Captain Armand Balilo, they are also planning to meet Chinese Coast Guards in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) to test the inter-operability of the two countries.
He said that part of the possible deployment of the MRRV would be in southern Philippines to combat piracy but according to Commodore Joel Garcia, he is contemplating of using them to patrol in West Philippine Sea. Which is also good, as our relationship with the Chinese Coast Guard is getting better.
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