(Eagle News) — Vice Admiral Artemio M. Abu is the new Philippine Coast Guard commandant, the PCG said on Monday, Feb. 28.
According to the PCG, this was after President Rodrigo Duterte appointed him to the post left vacant by Admiral Leopoldo Laroya, who retired from the service early February.
With his appointment, Abu is officially the 29th PCG commandant, the PCG said.
According to the PCG, before his appointment, Abu was the Commander of the Maritime Safety Services Command (MSSC) and the Task Force Commander of the PCG Task Force Kaligtasan sa Karagatan — a unit that ensures the enforcement of laws and regulations within the Philippine maritime jurisdiction.
As a Coast Guard officer, Abu was also assigned as Commander of the PCG District Southern Visayas, PCG District Southern Tagalog, and the Coast Guard Education, Training, and Doctrine Command (CGETDC).
He served as Commanding Officer of various PCG ships where he earned the most-coveted “Command at Sea” badge.
The PCG said all the units that Abu commanded, both ashore and afloat, received the distinction as ‘Best Unit of the Year’ at the national level.
During the Taal Volcano eruption incident in 2020, Abu, a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy in 1992, was also designated as Commander of the PCG Task Force Taal.
Abu was also named a Distinguished Cavalier Awardee for 2021 in the field of Coast Guard operation, the PCG said.
The award is the highest recognition given to PMA alumni for their outstanding achievements in the field of government service.
