Ex-PCG commandant heads Cebu ports

MANILA, Philippines - Former Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) commandant Vice Admiral Edmund Tan returns to government service as general manager of the Cebu Ports Authority (CPA).

Tan stepped down as head of the maritime agency last December due to a suspension order, which he believed was unjust.

Tan said he is going to Cebu this morning to assume as head of the CPA, replacing engineer Dennis Villamor. He thanked President Aquino for giving him another chance to work for the government.

“I am grateful to President Aquino whose continued trust and confidence in me paved the way for my appointment to another government position after having retired from the Coast Guard service,” he said.

PCG spokesman Commander Armand Balilo welcomed Tan’s appointment to the CPA.

Last Sept. 25, President Aquino approved Tan’s appointment as commissioner and general manager of the CPA.

“With the dismissal of my Sandiganbayan case which abbreviated my stints as commander of PCG last year, I believe the President gave me another opportunity to serve our country and people for I was never guilty of the charges imputed against me,” Tan said in a text message.

Tan’s stint at the PCG was disrupted several times by a graft case that stemmed from the charges filed by businessman Reynaldo Chua Jr.

Chua claimed Tan, who was then chief of the PCG Visayas command, caused him undue injury when he detained his shipment of iron ore that resulted in docking penalties of P500,000.

The former PCG chief was suspended three times due to the graft case. The first suspension took place when he was still the PCG’s vice commandant for operations. The second when he was the commandant, and the third was when the anti-graft court sustained his preventive suspension that took effect until he retired from service in December last year.