The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Bicol has intensified its
intelligence gathering by closely coordinating with the Philippine National
Police (PNP) and the Philippine Army (PA), a PCG officer said on Wednesday.
The move is to prevent any possible future offensives of New
People’s Army (NPA) rebels who on Tuesday attacked a PCG detachment in Guijalo
pier, in Caramoan town in Camarines Sur, Lt. Archie Hicban, PCG operations
officer and spokesman said in a phone interview.
Hicban condemned the atrocity committed by the communist
rebels, saying the PCG is a civilian agency whose mandate is to maintain
maritime safety and security in all ports across the country.
He said his office has placed all PCG units in Bicol on
heightened alert.
To avoid similar incident attacks in the future, the PCG
Bicol command directed all its units to closely coordinate with the PNP and the
PA for intelligence exchange, Hicban said.
“We have to strengthen and intensify our intelligence
network by closely working with the police and the Army,” he said
The PCG officer said that during the NPA attack only one PCG
member was manning their detachment as nine of its personnel were conducting
water and search training at the Gota
Beach
The rebels held Seaman Second Class Juan Miguel Rabago at
gun point.
A sketchy police report said 34 NPA rebels swooped down on
the PCG detachment in the Guijalo pier.
Police Senior Insp. Malu Calubaquib said the attack occurred
at about 10 a.m. Tuesday.
The communist rebels seized an M16 rifle, a base radio with
antenna and a cellphone.
They also fired at a PCG boat, damaging its 4-horse power
engine.
Hicban said that in 2010, a similar attack on a PCG
detachment by NPA rebels took place in Matnog Port
A coast guard died during the attack.
The PCG is the third armed service under the Department of
Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and is involved in search and rescue
during storms and other sea disasters.
It maintains security in all ports and conducts marine environmental
protection.(
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=825794
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