Phl to receive $17 M for upgrade of law enforcement

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines will be receiving more than $17.68 million in assistance from the US to help Manila enhance its law enforcement and maritime law enforcement capabilities and support justice sector reforms, the Philippine embassy in Washington said yesterday.  

The assistance will be provided under Amendment 3 to the 2011 Letter of Agreement on Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement signed by Ambassador Jose Cuisia Jr. and Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement William Brownfield at the US Department of State on Thursday.

Cuisia said the funds will be used primarily to support the Global Security Contingency Fund Program (GSFP) to prepare the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Coast Guard to assume increased responsibility for combating terrorism and maintaining internal peace and security in the lands and waters of the southern Philippines.

The funds will also be used to support the Southeast Asia Maritime Initiative project to assist further development of operational and institutional capabilities of the Coast Guard and PNP Maritime Group.

Cuisia said the agreement would also cover funding for the Law Enforcement Support Project to help develop and institutionalize professional skills training within the PNP and other law enforcement entities as well as the Southeast Asia Regional Maritime Law Enforcement Development Project to strengthen regional coordination and law enforcement activities concerning maritime issues.

“This agreement will once again prove to be good to both the Philippines and the United States and for the entire Southeast Asia,” Assistant Secretary Brownfield said.

“With better enforcement and better ability of the Philippines to police its reefs, islands and other claims, the agreement will be beneficial to the rest of the world,” he said.