Duterte appoints new PCG commandant

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has named Vice Admiral George Ursabia Jr. as new commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

“The Palace confirms that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed today, June 1, 2020, the appointment of Mr. George Villareal Ursabia, Jr. as commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque confirmed in a statement.

Roque expressed confidence that Ursabia’s appointment as 29th commandant “will bring the PCG closer to its vision of being a world-class guardian of the sea.”

“We wish the new commandant good luck as he begins to lead the PCG in this challenging time,” Roque said.

Prior to his appointment, Ursabia was commander of the PCG-Marine Environmental Protection Command and the Task Group Laban Covid-19 Water Cluster.

Ursabia, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1987, was one of the three senior flag officers recommended by Transport Secretary Art Tugade to assume the PCG’s top post. The two others are Vice Admiral Leopoldo Laroya and Rear Admiral Jose William Isaga.

Ursabia will replace Admiral Joel Garcia who formally vacated his post on Monday after 35 years of service.

Duterte appointed Garcia at the helm of PCG in October 2019.

During his term, Garcia implemented the Safety, Security, and Environmental Numbering (SSEN) System — a database of 232,205 registered vessels in various port areas and waterways across the country that allows the PCG to prevent the use of watercraft in maritime infractions such as piracy, terrorism, kidnap-for-ransom, and smuggling.

It was also under his leadership when the National Coast Watch Center partnered with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and Bureau of Customs to protect the Philippine coastlines against illegal drug smuggling, transportation and transshipment.

Under Garcia’s leadership, manpower reached 17,000 at the end of May 2020, contributing more than 50 percent or 9,500 personnel his tenure.

Garcia has also been on top of the isolation of returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) amid the prevailing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) health crisis