The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Navy (PN) have expressed strong commitment to further reinforce existing police-navy cooperation in safeguarding the country’s maritime security.
Philippine Navy Flag-Officer-in-Command, Vice Admiral Toribio D Adaci Jr. reaffirmed the commitment of the Philippine Navy to enhance inter-operability with PNP Units in law enforcement operations in the country’ maritime domain as well as in capacity building thru joint training.
The Philippine Navy FOIC was guest of honor and speaker at the traditional flag raising ceremony of the PNP on Monday, February 13, 2023, in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
IN his speech, Vice Admiral Adaci outlined the Philippine Navy’s agenda, which is to continue transitioning into a modern and multi-capable naval defense force.
He highlighted the PN and PNP’s mutual interests in preserving and securing peace in the Philippine territory and the importance of enhancing interoperability between the two agencies.
“The PN and PNP have many points of convergence that require close coordination and collaborative actions,” said Vice Admiral Adaci. “With our strong partnership, we are creating a formidable force, together with our maritime stakeholders, that will defend our country against threats,” he added.
General Azurin echoed the sentiment, highlighting the formidable collaboration between the PNP and PN stating “The PNP and the PN have always had a strong partnership, and this has never been more pronounced than in our intensified conduct of police and navy visibility patrols, seaborne patrol operations, and efforts against piracy and response to other maritime incidents.”
“Our cooperation and coordination have made us more responsive to the challenges of today and to the needs of our countrymen”, General Azurin added.
The two leaders also emphasized the importance of the tripartite mechanism between the PN, PNP, and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) set forth by the Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center (JPSCC) policy. They acknowledged the successes of past joint missions and expressed prospects for future collaboration between the police and navy, including coordination and information-sharing on maritime security, education and training concerning floating assets and equipment, and dialogue between staff to improve collaboration in terms of operations, intelligence, logistics, and community relations as well as disaster response.
The PN and PNP have a long-standing partnership in protecting the peace and security of the Philippines, and with their commitment to modernizing their defense force, they are well on their way to creating a safer future for the country.
