EXECUTIVE Secretary Salvador Medialdea has ordered the Coast Guard to help the military and police maintain order in Mindanao following the declaration of a state of national emergency.
He signed Memorandum Order 4 expanding the application of MO 3 following Presidential Proclamation 55, which put the country under a state of lawlessness after the Davao City bombing that killed 15 people and wounded more than 60 others on Sept. 2.
Medialdea’s MO 4, issued on Sept. 26, directs the Coast Guard to deploy additional personnel to increase visibility and security in all ports, harbors and major coastal areas.
He also tasked the Coast Guard to intensify its activities related to the enforcement and maintenance of maritime safety and security to suppress lawless violence at sea.
”The Department of Justice shall closely coordinate with the PCG and other law enforcement agencies for the prompt investigation and prosecution of all individuals or groups apprehended for committing, or conspiring to commit, acts of lawless violence,” the MO 4 says.