Government fingerprint database project to push thru with Japanese funding

The campaign against terrorism and criminality has received a boost after the government finally found funding for the long-awaited Automated Fingerprint Identification System which would help law enforcers identify suspected criminals and terrorists.

The dream of being able to easily identify criminals and terrorists was brought back to life after a technical board of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) endorsed to the Cabinet the approval of the P446-million fingerprint database project.

The project, long a basic part of law enforcement in other parts of the world, will virtually be funded by the Japanese government, which would pay some P394 million through its general grant aid program, according to NEDA public investment director Jonathan Uy.

The Japanese grant will cover the purchase and installation of the equipment, fingerprint collection kits and personnel training.

The Philippine government, on the other hand, will provide counterpart funding of P53.2 for a building for the equipment as well as operation, maintenance and personnel costs.

The fingerprint database system is expected to be fully operational within 19 months after the installation of the equipment in an appropriate building and completion of data conversion.

It was not immediately clear if the project was part of the computerized National Crime Information System (NCIS) which was proposed but unimplemented during the term of former President Fidel Ramos.

Under the NCIS program, a fingerprint database project was envisioned to consolidate the fingerprint databases of the Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement agencies.