5 senior PCG officials shortlisted to replace retired Commandant Abu

Five senior officers of the Philippine Coast Guard are vying to be the PCG's 30th Commandant, replacing Admiral Artemio Abu who retired on Tuesday, 19 September.

PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armando Balilo identified the shortlisted senior officials as CG Vice Admiral Rolando Lizor Punzalan, CG Vice Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, CG Vice Admiral Joseph Coyme, CG Vice Admiral Allan Victor Dela Vega, and CG Vice Admiral Roy Echeverria.

Punzalan, a member of PMA Tanglaw Diwa Class of 1992, is currently the PCG Deputy Commandant for Operations, while Gavan, a member of PMA Maalab Class of 1993, holds the number-three position in the Coast Guard hierarchy as the PCG Deputy Commandant for Administration.

Coyme, of PMA Bantay Laya Class of 1994, serves as the Commander of the Maritime Services Command, while Dela Vega, of PMA Class of 1993, is the Commander of Weapons, Electronics and Information Systems.

On the other hand, Echeverria serves as Commander of the Maritime Security and Law Enforcement Command and Director of the National Coast Watch Center. He is a member of the PMA Class of 1993.

"The five candidates will undergo a series of interviews and will face the senior leadership of the Department of Transportation before they will be endorsed to the Office of the President," CG Rear Admiral Balilo said.

"But the President, aside from the five nominees, can still choose from the qualified flag rank officers of the PCG," he added.

Abu served a year and a half as PCG commandant when his men suffered numerous bullying and aggressive incidents at the hands of Chinese maritime authorities in the West Philippine Sea.

Despite this, Abu maintained that "with utmost professionalism and due regard for the safety and welfare of all persons with lawful business in our waters, the PCG is in lock-step with our commandant's clarion call that despite the dangers of patrolling our waters in the West Philippine Sea, the PCG's men and women will always be prepared to fulfill our obligations not only to the present but also to the future generations of Filipinos to the fullest."

Prior to this post, he served as the commander of the Maritime Safety Services Command and the Coast Guard Education and Training Command.