By Brian Jules Campued
As the Philippines “continues to confront a range of serious challenges that threaten not only the country’s territorial integrity,” President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has signed Executive Order (EO) No. 57 creating the National Maritime Council (NMC) to strengthen maritime security and domain awareness among Filipinos amid China’s aggressive tactics and threats in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
In a six-page EO 57 signed on March 25, Marcos underscored the need to boost the country’s efforts in defending its sovereignty to tackle issues that also threaten Filipinos’ fundamental right to a peaceful existence—despite the government’s actions in promoting stability and security in WPS.
“Strengthening the country’s maritime security and domain awareness is imperative to comprehensively tackle the crosscutting issues that impact the nation’s national security, sovereignty, sovereign rights, and maritime jurisdiction over its extensive maritime zones,” he said.
The President also renamed and reorganized the National Coast Watch Council (NCWC) to the NMC which will be the “central body in charge of formulating policies and strategies to ensure a unified, coordinated, and effective governance framework” for the maritime security and domain awareness of the country.
The NMC, chaired by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, is tasked to formulate and release guidelines for the implementation of EO 57 within 60 days from its effectivity.
The members of the council include the heads of the following departments/agencies:
- Department of National Defense
- National Security Council
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Energy
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources
- Department of Foreign Affairs
- Department of Finance
- Department of the Interior and Local Government
- Department of Justice
- Department of Transportation
- Office of the Solicitor General
- National Intelligence Coordinating Agency
Meanwhile, the NCWC Secretariat—which was renamed as the Presidential Office for Maritime Concerns—is mainly tasked to provide consultative, research, administrative and technical services to the NMC, among other functions.
The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea, which was created in 2016, will be an attached agency that will orchestrate and synchronize the employment of the capabilities of different agencies to achieve unified action in the WPS.
The EO 57 will take effect immediately upon its publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation where a complete list of the NMC’s power and functions, and the support agencies are stated along with the functions of the POMC and the National Maritime Center, according to the Presidential Communications Office.
The Chief Executive issued the EO following a recent water cannon attack of China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia on a Philippine supply vessel in Ayungin Shoal which injured at least three Filipino personnel and damaged the ship.
Marcos maintained that the Philippines will not surrender its sovereign rights over the WPS, adding that a “response and countermeasure package” will be implemented against China’s aggressive actions.
“We seek no conflict with any nation, more so nations that purport and claim to be our friends, but we will not be cowed into silence, submission or subservience,” he said.
“Filipinos do not yield,” the President stressed.
The National Security Council (NSC) also clarified that EO 57 also covers other maritime domains of the country such as the Philippine Rise and the sea bordering Malaysia and Indonesia.
In an interview in Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon on Monday, NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya added that the new EO also aims to boost diplomatic measures to prevent further escalation in the region.
“The proportionate, deliberate, and reasonable response that the President was talking about covered not only the aspect of strengthening our military or defensive capabilities…but it also talks about exhausting diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue,” Malaya stated. – avds
