The BRP Gener Tinangag and BRP Domingo Deluana during their christening at the Philippine Navy’s Pascual Ledesma Naval Station on May 8, 2023. The new two gunboats built by Israel Shipyards Inc. are fast-attack interdiction craft platforms delivered to the Philippines on April 11, 2023. INQUIRER.net / Ryan Leagogo
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Friday that the two newly commissioned gunboats would be used to patrol the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and respond to disasters.
“Oh yes. Lahat ‘yan ginagamit talaga natin pang patrolya, hindi lamang sa West Philippine Sea kung hindi pagka dun sa civil defense,” Marcos said in an ambush interview at the Philippine Navy headquarters when asked if the gunboats will be used to patrol the WPS.
(Oh yes. We use all of those patrols, not only in the West Philippine Sea but also in civil defense.)
The Chief Executive attended the celebration of the Philippine Navy’s 125th anniversary and witnessed the commissioning of the two new fast attack interdiction crafts (FAICs) – which were procured from Israel for P10 billion – that were named BRP Gener Tinangag and BRP Domingo Deluana, after Medal of Valor awardees Corporal Gener Tinangag and Sergeant Domingo Deluana who were killed in action.
READ: Two Navy gunboats named after fallen Medal of Valor awardees
“Since they have already been commissioned, then talagang ito ay isasama na natin sa imbentaryo ng ating mga barko para gamitin both for the defense from external forces and also for civil defense sa pagtulong sa mga disaster na nangyayari ngayon sa Pilipinas,” Marcos further said.
(Since they have already been commissioned, we will include them in the inventory of our ships to be used both for the defense from external forces and for civil defense in helping the disasters happening now in the Philippines.)
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