MANILA, Philippines — Two newly commissioned gunboats of the Philippine Navy (PN) acquired from Israel are set for deployment to the West Philippine Sea where they would help in maritime law enforcement as well as in disaster response and humanitarian operations, President Marcos said yesterday.
In a speech during the 125th anniversary celebration of the Navy in Manila, Marcos renewed his commitment to modernize the Armed Forces, citing the “changing tides of our national security.”
As part of the anniversary celebration, Marcos led the commissioning of the two vessels – fast-attack interdiction craft platforms (FAIC) – named BRP Gener Tinangag and BRP Domingo Deluana, in honor of posthumous Medal of Valor awardees Cpl. Gener Tinangag and Sgt. Domingo Deluana.
Marcos boarded the Tinangag and inspected equipment on the bridge.
The President said he is looking forward to the completion of the AFP Modernization Program, especially the Horizon 3 phase, which is devoted to the naval aspect of military operations.
“Considering the changing tides of our national security and the significant gains that we have made in terms of internal security, our Armed Forces is working to recalibrate its focus more towards external defense of our borders,” he said.
In a media interview shortly after the Navy event, Marcos was asked whether the new commissioned vessels would be used to patrol the West Philippine Sea.
“Yes. We will actually use all of these for patrolling, not only in the West Philippine Sea but also in civil defense,” the President responded.
“Since they have already been commissioned then we will actually include them in the inventory of our patrols to be used, both for the defense from external forces and also for civil defense in helping during disasters in the Philippines,” he added.
Meanwhile, Marcos said the plan to acquire submarines for the Navy is still on the table.
There are offers from different countries not only for submarine acquisition, but also for domestic assembly and construction of naval assets, the Chief Executive said.