PCG joins task force to boost West Mindanao maritime security

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 12, 2024): PCG joins task force to boost West Mindanao maritime security (By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz)

NEW TASK FORCE. Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) Commander, Lt. Gen. William Gonzales, hands a plaque to Maritime Security Law Enforcement Command (MARSLEC) Commander, PCG Vice Adm. Robert Patrimonio, during the activation of Joint Task Force (JTF) Poseidon on July 9, 2024. The PCG on Friday (July 12, 2024) said it has joined the task force to help boost security in the waters of Western Mindanao. (Photo courtesy of PCG)

MANILA – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has joined the Joint Task Force (JTF) Poseidon to boost maritime security in the southwestern Philippines, particularly Western Mindanao, following the deactivation of JTF Tawi-Tawi.

In a statement on Friday, the PCG said the initiative seeks to fortify defense capabilities within the Western Mindanao Command’s (Westmincom) Joint Area of Operations (JAO).

It will primarily focus on territorial defense operations, internal security operations, and supporting other law enforcement agencies.

Rear Adm. Francisco Tagamolila, chief of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM), has been selected as the commander of JTF-Poseidon.

The new JTF was created following the deactivation of JTF Tawi-Tawi after it achieved its mission of bringing peace to the area, a previous hotbed of insurgent and terrorist activities, particularly kidnapping.

Maritime Security Law Enforcement Command (MARSLEC) commander, Coast Guard Vice Adm. Robert Patrimonio, commended Westmincom’s continued efforts in the region and promised full support to the JTF Poseidon’s mission to enforce maritime laws, combat illicit activities, ensure maritime stability, and protect the country’s maritime domain.

On Tuesday, Westmincom activated JTF-Poseidon and will operate throughout the command's area, including the southern maritime borders of the Philippines with Malaysia and Indonesia.

In May, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. visited the JTF Tawi-Tawi headquarters in Bongao town and lauded how the region, previously a war zone, now has resorts and other ongoing developments due to the peace achieved by the soldiers of the task force.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1228887