PNP unveils automated fingerprint ID system

Philippine National Police (PNP) officials unveiled yesterday the automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS), the first electronic and scientific method of capturing fingerprint images and textual information.

PNP chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. expressed hope that the new technology will help investigators in establishing the identities of suspects involved in crimes.

PNP Logistics director Chief Superintendent Dominado Resos Jr. said the AFIS project was brought to fruition after the Department of Finance (DOF) approved the P700-million funding for it.

The Japanese General Grant Aid Program (GGAP) and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will facilitate the grant that covers the procurement and installation of the AFIS equipment, fingerprint collection kits and training for personnel, Resos said.

The AFIS system will speed up the fingerprint matching process to determine if the fingerprints lifted off a crime scene match the fingerprints of known criminals kept on file by the PNP.

The PNP Crime Laboratory Service will take care of technical service and support to PNP offices involved in criminal investigations.

Resos said the project will process over 200,000 fingerprints cards manually lifted and filed by the PNP Crime Laboratory.

Later this year, the PNP Crime Laboratory’s Fingerprint Division will hook up with the existing networks of the Philippine Criminal Justice System, the National Crime Information System, National Bureau of Investigation and the Supreme Court for data integration and systems compatibility.