Coast Guard to get new speed boats from Japan

MANILA, Philippines — The Japanese government will be turning over two units of 12-meter-high speed boats to the Philippine Coast Guard on Wednesday afternoon.

Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koji Haneda will be leading the turnover of the speed boats at the PCG national headquarters in Manila.

Each unit, which has a maximum speed of 50 nautical miles, can carry up to eight personnel, according to PCG spokesperson Arman Balilo.

"The speed boats are part of the Anti-Terrorism packages under Japan’s Grant Aid for the Social and Economic Development Program for the Philippines and was requested by President Rodrigo Duterte to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during one of his visits in Japan," Balilo said in a statement.

The new speed boats are seen to boost the law enforcement capability of the coast guard, particularly in the southern part of the country where it will be used for the government's campaign against piracy and terrorism, PCG Commandant Admiral Elson Hermogino said.

Last year, Japan also turned over 10 seven-meter rigid hull inflatable boats to the PCG. The coast guard is now using these boats to patrol Palawan, Visayas and south western Mindanao.

In August last year, the PCG commissioned two of its new multi-role response vessels — BRP Bagacay and BRP Cape Engano — from Japan. These were the last batch of the 10 vessels loaned from Tokyo for P7.3 million. — Patricia Lourdes Viray