PNP Maritime Group

Updated on Sep 28, 2024

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Common name PNP Maritime Group Formed January 16, 1991		Abbreviation PNP-MG

Motto "By Land and Sea, we overcome" Preceding agencies Constabulary Off-Shore Anti-Crime battalion (COSAC) PNP Maritime Police Command (PNP-MARICOM) Legal personality Governmental: Government agency

The Philippine National Police Maritime Group (PNP-MG) is one of the twelve (12) National Operational Support Unit (NOSU) of the Philippine National Police mandated to perform all police functions over Philippine territorial waters, lakes, and rivers along coastal areas to include ports and harbors and small islands for the security and the sustainable development of the maritime environment in the Philippines. The unit was created along with the PNP by virtue of Republic Act RA 6975 otherwise known as Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990 (Section 35.b.1):

History

The concept of a maritime police unit emanated during the days of Philippine Constabulary that led to the creation of a seaborne battalion called Constabulary Off-Shore Anti-Crime battalion (COSAC) on February 1, 1971. The COSAC was tasked to suppress all criminal activities that affects the environment. After the establishment of the Philippine National Police thru the Republic Act 6975, the Maritime Police Command (MARICOM) was created on January 16, 1991, by virtue of NHQ Philippine National Police General Orders No. 58 as one of the National Support Units of the PNP. The original members of the Maritime Command are personnel of Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Marine Corps, Integrated National Police and Philippine Coast Guard. On September 12, 1996, the National Police Commission (Philippines) issued the Resolution No.96-058, changing the name of the Maritime Police Command (MARICOM) to Maritime Group (MG).

Mission

To perform all police functions and ensure public safety and internal security over Philippine territorial waters and rivers including ports of entry and exit; and sustain the protection of the maritime environment. These include the following specific functions:

Functions

To train, equip, mobilize, organize and manage resources for effective maritime law enforcement and internal security operations;

To enforce all laws, rules, regulations and ordinances relative to the protection of lives, properties and environment;

To arrest, investigate and assist in the prosecution of terrorists, smuggling, drug traffickers and other criminal element;

To conduct search and rescue operations.

Organization

The unit is currently headed by Police Chief Superintendent Edmund A. Gonzales as the Acting Director. It operates 17 regional maritime units (RMUs) and 2 special units (SUs).

Special Operations Unit

In response to the increasing number of criminal activities committed at sea, the National Police Commission (Philippines) approved the activation of Three (3) Special Operations Units (SOUs) under the direct operational and administrative control of PNP Maritime Group. These units are envisioned to protect the territorial waters of the Philippines by providing rapid and highly mobile seaborne law enforcement response.

The operational jurisdiction of these SOUs are as follows:

1st SOU-MG - maritime areas of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Isabela City;

2nd SOU-MG - maritime areas of Palawan Province; and

3rd SOU-MG - maritime areas of Zamboanga, Maguindanao, and Lantawan, Basilan.

Their mandates and tasks includes:

To support the Police Regional Offices (PROs) by conducting security, anti-terrorism and anti-criminality operations;

Enforce environmental and maritime laws; and

To conduct tactical boat operations and maritime investigations.

Operational accomplishments

The PNP Maritime Group is very active in the conduct of maritime law enforcement operations which resulted to several notable operational accomplishments. The unit is focused on preventing and/or arresting dynamite and cyanide fishers, wildlife law violators and foreign commercial vessels that are intruding in the country. For 2014, the unit accomplished the following:

arrest of 36 persons for violating Forestry Law of the Philippines;

seizure of Php 2 million (41,220.54 US Dollar) worth of illegally cut timber and other forest product;

arrest of 23 foreigners ( including 11 Vietnamese and 11 Chinese nationals) for violations of fisheries and wildlife laws of the Philippines;

confiscation of Php 7 million (144,271.89 US Dollar) worth of illegally caught fish and other wildlife products; and

the poachers paying US$2 million in administrative fines to the government.

The PNP-MG confiscated an estimated Php107 million worth (2.2 million US Dollar) of evidence.

Chinese Fishermen Poaching of more than 500 Sea turtles in Palawan

On May 6, 2014, a PNP Maritime Group patrol intercepted a Chinese fishing vessel loaded with about 500 live and dead Sea turtles, of assorted species, off the coast of Western Palawan. Nine (9) Chinese fishermen were arrested and later charged for violations of Fishery and Wildlife laws of the Philippines. A total of 555 Sea turtles were recovered based on the inventory of the PNP Maritime Group. Of these total, 177 were alive and were released immediately back to wild. The maritime police investigators also discovered that 207 sea turtles were slaughtered and stuffed by the Chinese fishermen.

Vietnamese Fishermen arrested for poaching

On October 21, 2013, 13 Vietnamese fishermen were arrested for poaching and illegal entry. Upon inspection of their cargo hold, Maritime Group personnel discovered an undetermined number of Sea turtles, mostly slaughtered for meat and frozen in the onboard refrigerators. The Vietnamese poachers were detained and later charged in court for violations of Philippine Fisheries Law.

On March 26, 2014, a Vietnamese vessel marked KH-96365-TS was intercepted by PNP Maritime Group operatives for poaching off the waters of Taytay, Palawan. The maritime police operatives discovered about 50 assorted dead sharks, including great white sharks, bull sharks and hammerhead sharks, all believed to be caught in Philippine waters. They were charged in court for violations of Philippine Fisheries Law.

References

PNP Maritime Group Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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