The Marine Security & Escort Group

he Marine Security and Escort Group (MSEG) is tasked to provide

security to naval operating bases, vital government institutions
and installations, security to authorized personages and provide
ceremonial honors and escort services. It is an integral part of
the Philippine Marine Corps and is inherently a combatant force - a
Marine can never be assigned to this unit without gaining the required
combat assignments in the operational area. As such, its officers and
men are combat veterans and basically riflemen. This means that the
group can be deployed and re-deployed to any place at any time. In
fact, during the height of the East Timor conflict, a great bulk of the
Marine contingent came from the MSEG.

Of all the tasks attributed to the Group, none is more spectacular

and breathtaking than the Philippine Marine Corps Silent Drill Team
Exhibition. This is a 20-minute precision drill exhibition without
verbal command where the members execute a series of calculated drill
movements and precise handling of their hand polished M-1 Garand Rifles
with nickel plated bayonets. The team performs for visiting Marine
Corps guests at Marine Barracks Fort Bonifacio, as well as in other
official functions for both the Philippine Navy and the entire Armed
Forces of the Philippines. It set the benchmark for other AFP units to
duplicate. However, none comes close to the Team as their performance
is indeed an amazing display of skill and coordination quite common in
the Marine Corps. (performance of the team can be dowloaded in .wmv
format at the contact us/download page of this site)

But perhaps the most honorable and prestigious of all the tasks
assigned on the MSEG is the detail posted at the Rizal Monument in
Luneta. The Marine Corps prides itself as being the only unit in the
entire AFP tasked to guard the monument of the country's national hero
day and night. A simple and rather unwitting description of Marine
discipline and spirit came from Mr. Teodoro Valencia, a renowned
columnist of the 60's and the 70's, when he wrote in his column after
the devastating typhoon "Yoling" ravaged manila in 1969: he wrote "all
the trees in Rizal park were down, the flowers were all blown away and
the shrubs in shambles. The only structures left standing were the
monument of Rizal and the two Marine Guards . . ."

Throughout its multifarious tasks, the MSEG shall always represent

the Philippine Marine Corps in an outstanding manner. Defenders,
combatants, stealth fighters, security men, skilful drillers, or such
other jobs that would be demanded from them, the officers and men of
the Marine Security and Escort Group would surely be out to comply
with.

MARINE SECURITY & ESCORT GROUP: (MSEG) ALL IN ONE

It may look so surprising to one's ears and mind to hear from an
organic personnel from this unit to lay claim that the Marine Security
and Escort Group is really the some it ALL-IN-ONE. And one may further
asks what could be the basis to coin this phrase and to some call it
could be a joke and a question mark. I further be that they will say,
"Ano yan, parang kape (three-in-one) o Cup noodles (na pwedeng kainin
kahit hindi niluluto)? But while savoring the aroma of your coffee and
cup noddle and further consume these to a bit, this writer intends to
present to everyone and anyone who comes across this article that such
claim is true.

The Activation
Pursuant to Paragraph 3, General Orders No.23 Headquarters Philippine
Marine Corps dated 20 January 2000, subject to confirmation to Higher
Headquarters, the Marine Security and Escort Group is provisionally
activated as a unit of the Philippine Marine Corps effective as of 01
January 2000.

Mission
The Marine Security and Escort Group is task to provide security to
Naval Operating Bases, vital government institution and installations,
security to authorized personages and to provide ceremonial and escort
services.

Consolidation of troops and Equipment

The deactivation of the Marine Guard Battalion (MGBN) which was
tasked mainly to provide security of Naval Bases and government
installations paved way although subject to confirmation by Higher
Headquarters for the activation of the Marine Security and Escort
Group.

The group, however and because it lacks the initial personnel and
equipment, absorbed the majority of its personnel and equipment from
the former MGBN. Relative to its mission, the Marine Security and
Escort Company (a separate unit) HQSBN, detachments at Naval Operating
Bases in Cagayan & Quezon which are tasked to provide ceremonial/escort
duties and physical securities at NOB's respectively, have also been
absorbed by the newly activated group.

In essence, the former Marine Guard Battalion, the Marine Security

and Escort Company and the personnel from HQSBN initially composed the
core of the group. At present, which because of its concurrent
operational commitment & personnel requirements, a peculiar task so
unique compared to other Marine units, the group continues to expand in
term of this aspect. Likewise, the transfer of the Group Headquarters
from the Batasan Complex to Marine Barracks Fort Bonifacio gave a
better command, supervision and coordination to higher and subordinate
units. Before I further discuss the group activities, which is meat of
this article to convince you, the reader, what my view is all about,
let me inform you that part of our consolidation, the logistical and
mobility assets has greatly improved. These, to include the vehicles,
the improvement of barracks and quarters, office equipment,
entertainment facilities and among others.

Present Deployment and Operational Commitments

At present, the group is satisfying its given mission, all at the
same time, the detachments in the Naval Bases in Cagayan and Quezon
continue to operate, which serve as perimeter security against attack
from the lawless elements and act as a deterrent to illegal activities.

Vital government institutions and installations such as, the House of

Senate and Congress, House of Representatives and Senate Electoral
Tribunals, the Commission on Elections have been effectively manned.
The rendering of protection and security services to authorized
personages has also been on a continuous basis. Providing ceremonial
honors and escort services, whether civilian or military dignitaries,
whether local and national official, have been continuously rendered.

The Silent Drill Platoon, a one of a kind in the Armed Forces of the
Philippines, although its not part of the ceremony nor one of the
Group's mission, provides entertainment to the civilian populace and it
serves as the "show-window" of what really the Marine Corps is.

Recently, the Light Rail Transit bombing in the morning of December

31, 2000 called for the immediate deployment of the Marine to man every
station along the LRT/MRT route. Despite of the already heavy-load
being carried out by the Group, still, the MSEG represented the
Philippine Marine Corps. In twenty-four (24) times, MSEG personnel are
now busy checking the passengers of LRT and MRT.

With the coming of campaign and election period, the Marine will be
once again figured prominently in terms of securing election
paraphernalia and beefing of security forces at COMELEC National
Offices. Soon, the MSEG will again represent the Corps. I Therefore, as
early as now, recommend to higher headquarters to assign some
additional personnel, because as I can deduce from this, the Group is
being fed more to what it could chew. " Hindi lang ALL-IN-One na, kundi
ALL plus ONE in ONE pa."