MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines was recently elected to hold the highest seat in Southeast Asia's anti-piracy council.
According to Lieutenant Cmdr. Armando Balilo, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Public Affairs chief, Vice Admiral Ramon Liwag, PCG's vice commandant for operations, was unanimously elected last March 2 as the new chairperson of the governing council for the Regional Cooperating Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery in Asia-Information Sharing Center (RECAAP-ISC) which is based in Singapore.
Being the chairman of the council, Liwag will spearhead the anti-piracy policy formulation, oversee the financial integrity and accountability of the organization, and review and endorse the annual work plan and budget of the RECAAP-ISC.
Balilo said Liwag's installation as the new chief of the Southeast Asia's anti-piracy council is viewed as recognition of the growing confidence of Asian countries in the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Philippines in general, as a regional key player in enhancing cooperation to combat piracy.
Last year through the RECAAP network, the PCG recovered three pirated shipping vessels which included M/T Asta, a tugboat which was pirated in Indonesian waters and recovered in Dinagat Island,
Surigao.
