PRESIDENT Duterte has appointed Vice Adm. Artemio Abu as the new commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard effective yesterday.
Abu, a member of the Philippine Military Academy class of 1992, headed the PCG’s Maritime Safety Services Command and the PCG Task Force Kaligtasan sa Karagatan prior to his designation as the 29th PCG commandant.
Abu will succeed Vice Adm. Eduardo Fabricante, who served as PCG officer-in-charge in concurrent capacity as PCG deputy commander for operations, last February 10 after the retirement of PCG commandant Vice Adm. Leopoldo Laroya.
Abu, a native of Malvar, Batangas, holds a masters degree in marine management from the Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
He has headed key PCG units in the past, including the PCG District Southern Visayas, PCG District Southern Tagalog, and the Coast Guard Education, Training and Doctrine Command.
Abu also commanded various PCG ships where he earned the most coveted “Command at Sea” badge.
“All units that CG (Coast Guard) Vice Admiral Abu commanded, both ashore and afloat, received the distinction as ‘Best Unit of the Year’ at the national level,” the PCG said in a statement.
In 2020 when Taal Volcano erupted, Abu was designated commander of the PCG Task Force Taal that led PCG units in delivering assistance to individuals affected by the calamity.
In 2021, Abu was recognized by the PMA Alumni Association Inc. as a Distinguished Cavalier Awardee in the field of Coast Guard operations.
