Duterte promotes Coast Guard commandant Laroya to admiral

President Rodrigo Duterte promoted Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commandant Leopoldo Laroya to admiral, the agency announced on Tuesday.

In a statement, the PCG said Duterte approved the promotion of Laroya as admiral effective on Friday, November 5.

Laroya held the rank of vice admiral before his promotion. The PCG said admiral is the highest rank of PCG commissioned officer.

He was recently appointed as the 28th commandant of the Coast Guard last September 28.

Laroya started his military career at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in 1983 and graduated as a member of the “Maringal” Class of 1988.

He finished his post-graduate studies for Masters in Maritime Safety and Environmental Protection at the World Maritime University in Malmö, Sweden, in 2000.

Before his stint as deputy commandant for operations, Laroya served as commander of the Maritime Safety Services Command; Coast Guard Education, Training and Doctrine Command; and Maritime Security and Law Enforcement Command.

He also became a district commander of PCG Districts in Western Visayas, Northwestern Luzon, Southwestern Mindanao, and Bicol.

Meanwhile, Duterte has also appointed former PCG commandant George Ursabia Jr. as undersecretary of the Department of Transportation (DOTr)’s maritime sector effective on Thursday, November 4.

During the inauguration of the PCG District Western Visayas in Iloilo City on Monday, DOTr secretary Arthur Tugade bared the approval of the chief executive to appoint Ursabia as DOTr undersecretary of maritime sector.

Duterte also promoted Coast Guard Captains Ramon Lopez and Joeven  Fabul to the rank of commodore effective October 15.—Richa Noriega/LDF, GMA News