BRP Cabra/PHOTO from PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday ordered the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to purchase more air assets for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) “for any purpose at all,” including maritime security in the West Philippine Sea and search and rescue operations.
He pointed out that the PCG only currently has one aircraft and has no reserve if it becomes unavailable.
“I am ordering DOTr Secretary Tugade to buy mga tatlong eroplano pa, so apat. Okay na ‘yun, apat para may pang-crash kayo na dalawa, may maiwan pa,” he said in his speech during the inauguration of the PCG Kalayaan station in Palawan.
(I am ordering Tugade to buy three more so that it would be four. That’s fine already. Four so that you can crash two and there would still be left.)
He said it is “very urgent” for PCG to have more aircraft in Palawan, one in Mindanao, and one in the Visayas.
“The Coast Guard has to worry about the other areas. You need four aircraft, actually, for any purpose at all, be it evacuation, rescue, or anything,” he said.