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 — The Philippine Navy on Thursday said it already deployed its two newly commissioned patrol gunboats in Visayas and Mindanao.
A send-off ceremony was held in Naval Station Pascual Ledesma in Fort San Felipe, Cavite City on Wednesday for BRP Gener Tinangag (PG903) and BRP Domingo Deluana (PG905).
These two new fast attack interdiction craft are en route to the area of operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ unified commands in the said areas.
Littoral Combat Force Commander Commodore Carlo Lagasca led the ceremony.
“To all the personnel of PG903 and PG905, I admire you all for being ready and brave to be at the forefront against terrorism, insurgency, traditional threats, and maritime law violators,” Lagasca said during his speech.
The PG903 and PG905 are named after Medal of Valor awardees.
During the Battle of Marawi, Corporal Gener Tinangag, 23, was the assistant rifleman who rescued four wounded Marines before he was killed by an enemy sniper with a shot to the stomach.
Also, Sergeant Domingo Deluana provided suppressive fire to cover the medical evacuation of his wounded Marines until an RPG blast caught them during the campaign against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Maguindanao in 2000.
READ: 2 Navy gunboats named after fallen Medal of Valor awardees
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. also witnessed the commissioning ceremony of the two patrol gunboats.—Ivana Romero, INQUIRER.net trainee
READ: Marcos witnesses commissioning of two new PH Navy gunboats