Philippine Coast Guard and GIZ hold 3rd Forum on Maritime Law Enforcement and Digital Evidence

The PCG held its 3rd Forum on Maritime Law Enforcement and Digital Evidence last 25 November 2024 at the Sheraton Manila Bay Hotel. This last part of the series focused on: 1) Scientific, Policy and Law Enforcement Cooperation: West Philippine Sea Fisheries, Economy and Security, 2) Blue Economy, and 3) Human Rights in Maritime Law Enforcement.

The event was co-organized by the PCG, through the Office of the Deputy Coast Guard Chief of Staff for Strategic Studies and Modernization (CG-15) and the GIZ Project "Support to the Philippine Coast Guard in Securing the Rules Based International Order in the Indo Pacific (PCG P2)." 

RADM EDGAR IBANEZ PCG, Deputy Chief of Staff for Administration, emphasized the role of the Philippine Coast Guard in ensuring the safety and security of the country’s 36,000km coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). He shared that despite the challenges faced by the organization which include illegal fishing, maritime disputes, and other transnational crimes, there is a call to improve surveillance, response and capabilities.

The forum harnessed the knowledge of different sectoral experts: 

  • Mudjekeewis Santos, Ph. D., Scientist V of the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute and an Academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology: How activities and events in the West Philippine sea affect its biodiversity. 
     
  • Benjamin M Vallejo Jr PhD, Professor of Environmental Science in UP College Diliman: Post- modern policy making where information from scientific research and data is important in shaping policies that affect coastal waters. 
     
  • Atty. Ray Paolo J. Santiago, Team Leader of the Fostering Advancement on Inclusive and Rights-based (FAIR) Justice: The importance of the different kinds of human rights and some issues of human rights in law enforcement. He also challenged to change the thinking paradigm about the conventional human rights.

Joining the speakers in the panel discussions were: USEC Jesus Domingo, Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Affairs,  Department of Foreign Affairs; CG CDR Severino B. Destura Jr., Chief of the Information Operation Group at the National Maritime Center; Mr. Robert Chuidian, Chief, Technical Services Division of the  Presidential Office for Maritime Concerns; RADM (Dr) Rodrigo Ong PCG AUX, Former Chief Science Research Specialist at the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (PITAHC); ILT Gabriela Michaella V. Gan PN(M). 

In his message, Mr. Maurizio Noll, Project Manager for the PCGP2 Project, thanked the participants and shared that the PCG and the other agencies have been instrumental in the success of the project including the validation of the proof of concept of flying the drones

GIZ PCG P2 Advisor for Capacity Building Measures, Digital Evidence and Processing, Maria Regina Corazon Sibal shared in her synthesis of the event and closing remarks the importance of the Rules based international order in ensuring rights and responsibilities within and among nations. She reiterated that the forum speakers and panelists emphasized how proper information is needed to make effective policies and decisions to ensure a just society in economy and environmental stewardship, and the fundamental human rights are observed.

The participants represented the following offices: PCG, Presidential Office for Maritime Concerns, National Maritime Center, Department of Justice - Prosecutors Office, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine Center on Transnational Crime, National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, National Mapping and Resource Institute, Philippine National Police- Maritime Group, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force, Philippine Marine Corps, Intelligence Service AFP (ISAFP), Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DENR- BFAR).  Philippine Space Agency (PHILSA). Also present were participants from FAIR Justice and the National Fisheries Reform Group. Also were reps from the German Political Institutions- Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung - Southeast Asia Regional Office and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation - Philippines.