SENATOR Francis “Tol” Tolentino sought clarification from the Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding the claims earlier made by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) about its lack of jurisdiction over “pleasure yachts” coming into the country.
Tolentino, at the resumption of the public inquiry of the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs on the alleged Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) document “leaks” Monday, May 13, 2024, referred to the statement of PCG officials made during the first panel hearing that they cannot act on “pleasure yachts” because of existing circular of MARINA giving the jurisdiction to the latter.
“I like to ask the honorable undersecretary of the DOJ, iyong position ng coastguard na yung circular ay pwedeng matabunan ang isang batas na ginawa ng Congress?” Tolentino inquired.
In response, Justice Undersecretary Raul Vazquez told the committee that the position of the PCG is without basis, noting that its mandate is according to statute. Since the statute or law holds higher authority than a memorandum circular, the mandate of the Coast Guard should be upheld.
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