Task force has P60-M surveillance equipment

An official of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) admitted yesterday the elite group has P60 million worth of sophisticated surveillance equipment but invoked national security in refusing to reveal their technical capability.

Lt. Col. Dioscoro Reyes, chief of the PAOCTF technical support group, told the Senate impeachment court yesterday that the surveillance equipment is being used to monitor the activities of suspected organized crime groups.

Reyes, an Army officer detailed with the Camp Crame-based task force, told the court he could not divulge the full inventory of the equipment because documents covering them were "classified" and involved national security.

"Since the issues here involve national security, I am willing to reveal the details of the equipment in executive session," he said.

His response drew strong reactions from Senators Teofisto Guingona Jr. and Franklin Drilon, who insisted that Reyes give a detailed list of the surveillance equipment in a sealed envelope with secret markings to be submitted to the court.

Drilon and Guingona insisted that the list be made public but Senator-Judge Juan Ponce Enrile said the law prohibits the disclosure of classified information without the approval of the President.

To help resolve the issue, Enrile proposed that the Senate impeachment court convene itself into an executive session to hear the testimony of Reyes on the capability of the PAOCTF in undertaking intelligence operations.

The impeachment court will hold its executive session today with Reyes testifying.

Reyes, who calls himself an expert in "technical intelligence gathering," also admitted before the court that he went to Germany to shop for more sophisticated intelligence-gathering equipment for the use of the task force.

However, he said the plan was shelved because the gadgets he found were "not compatible with the situations" in the country.

Reyes’ statement yesterday was the first admission from a PAOCTF official that the group really has in its possession sophisticated surveillance equipment it is using against organized crime syndicates and even individuals perceived to be critical of the government.

Philippine National Police chief Director General Panfilo Lacson has even denied a claim by a Filipino businessman that he supplied P46 million worth of surveillance equipment to Camp Crame.

Debunking official police claims that the PNP did not purchase multimillion-peso bugging equipment, the businessman told The STAR late last month that he was prepared to face the Senate to shed light on the controversy.

The businessman requested anonymity until he has been given protection by authorities.

The controversy began when Camp Crame reporters last week uncovered documents showing that the nationak police had purchased electronic surveillance equipment three months ago.

The exposé came as the Senate impeachment court trying President Estrada conducted hearings to probe allegations that the PAOCTF was bugging officers of the impeachment court and other public figures, including journalists.

Lacson even vowed to disband the PAOCTF once it is proven that it has been monitoring the movements of opposition leaders, congressmen and journalists.

"If any of my people committed the acts as described in the newspapers, then I think I would have lost effective control over the task force and there is no reason to remain there a minute longer," Lacson had told reporters.