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Sunday, June 25, 2017
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DUMAGUETE City – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Thursday appealed to security providers and other stakeholders at the city port here for full cooperation to ensure the safety and security of everyone amidst the terror threat with the ongoing conflict in Marawi City.
This is the first time that the Coast Guard Dumaguete Station, headed by its commander Lt. Junior Grade Donna Liza Ramacho, called for a maritime safety and security forum with concerned agencies and stakeholders. This, after Department of Transportation (DOTr) secretary Arthur Tugade recently signed a department order designating the Coast Guard as the lead agency in port security.
The Coast Guard took over this responsibility from the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) as an offshoot of President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of Martial Law in Mindanao due to the Marawi siege.
Until the Martial Law in Mindanao is lifted, the order remains.
In the meantime, the PPA is now under the operational control of the Coast Guard, same with private security groups assigned in the ports, said Ramacho.
Ramacho also called on the Maritime Police, the Bureau of Customs and the Maritime Industry Authority for their full support and cooperation in security enforcement at the ports.
Ramacho pointed out that while the DOTr order when issued a couple of weeks ago was effective immediately, she waited for the right time to have some consultation with the agencies and stakeholders to clear out certain issues prior to the Coast Guard’s taking over of the port security operations.
She told representatives from shipping lines present in Thursday’s meeting that the Coast Guard will now be boarding inbound and outbound vessels.
She added that there has to be a passenger manifesto of all the seafarers coming and leaving the city port.
Ramacho said they continue to negotiate with the PPA to allow Coast Guard personnel to use motorcycles inside the piers to hasten inspection of the vessels docked at the different piers.
Having to walk from one berthing space to another will delay the departure of these inter-island vessels, Ramacho pointed out.
Part of Thursday’s security briefing included drills on identifying potential suspected terrorists and dubious persons.
The Coast Guard commander reiterated that because the security and safety of the Dumaguete port is an inter-agency responsibility, there will be protocols to follow.
For shipping firms, she warned them to be responsible to check and verify cargo and other shipment that are to be transported on the cargo vessels to avoid smuggling of contraband items.
Ramacho also asked PPA, through its port police, to submit their security plan for review to ensure coherence between both agencies.
Ramacho also disclosed that she has already designated a port security officer-in-charge to be the focal person to communicate with the other security providers at the port.
Petty Officer 3 Alfahum Abdula was named the Coast Guard’s port security chief and will be coordinating with the station commander of the port police, the private security agency assigned at the port and other security units. (PNA)
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