Sen. Francis ”Tol” Tolentino during a hearing on October 4, 2023. Senate PRIB / Voltaire F. Domingo
MANILA , Philippines — The headquarters of the Philippine National Philippines-Maritime Group (PNP-MG) should be stationed near the country’s waters and not on Edsa.
Senator Francis Tolentino made this remark when he raised at a Senate hearing on Wednesday the issue of the latest incident off Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal).
A collision between an alleged crude oil tanker registered under the flag of the Marshall Islands, an island country in the Pacific, and a Filipino fishing boat resulted in the death of three Filipino fishermen, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.
Currently, the PNP-MG’s main headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Quezon City, PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said during the hearing of the Senate finance subcommittee.
Acorda responded to Tolentino, who asked about the maritime group’s budget and location.
It has a budget of P117 million this year, the PNP chief said.
“If there’s a unit of the PNP which deserves an increase, it’s the PNP maritime command,” Tolentino said.
The senator pointed out that the PNP-MG enforces navigation and pollution control laws and fishing regulations.
“While others might think that there is an overlap with the functions of the Philippine Coast Guard when it comes to territorial waters, inland waters, law enforcement functions should be lodged with the maritime command,” Tolentino said.
“At nakakalungkot po, narinig natin, ang headquarters ng Philippine Maritime Command ay nasa Camp Crame sa Edsa…” the senator added.
(And it’s sad; we already heard that the headquarters of the Philippine Maritime Command is located at Camp Crame on Edsa.)
This situation, according to him, reminds him of Bolivia, which has a powerful Navy but does not have access to the sea.
“Tayo naman, yung ating Maritime Command nasa Crame,” the senator pointed out.
(In our case, our Maritime Command is at Camp Crame.)
At the proper time, Tolentino said he would propose to raise the budget of the maritime group and the establishment of its headquarters either in Zambales, Palawan, or in areas where oil spills always occur.
“Dapat po nasa dagat sila, hindi po sa Edsa,” he stressed, “Minsan lang pong bumaha sa Edsa noong umulan two weeks ago. No offense…”
(They should be in the sea, not on Edsa. It only flooded on Edsa once when it rained two weeks ago. No offense…)