MANILA — Malacañang on Monday confirmed the appointment of Vice Admiral Artemio Manalo Abu as the new commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard.

Cabinet Secretary and acting Palace spokesman Karlo Nograles said President Rodrigo Duterte signed Abu's appointment earlier Monday.

"We are confident that CG Vice Admiral Abu will steer the PCG to greater heights in the performance of its mandate towards maritime law enforcement, maritime search and rescue, marine environmental protection and maritime safety and security," Nograles said in a statement.

Abu's appointment came more than two months after the Coast Guard announced its "white" ships will be assigned to resupply missions for Philippine Marines stationed on Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

• PCG ships with water cannons to be used for resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal

Despite an international arbitration ruling in 2016 that said it has no legal basis, China has aggressively claimed the majority of the South China Sea as its own, including the West Philippine Sea or the Philippines' EEZ.

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