Members of new anti-crime task force known

The military formally introduced to the public yesterday the men and women of the elite Anti-Crime Task Force of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ACTAFP), which was formed in April to help fight high-profile crimes especially kidnapping for ransom.

Led by Lt. Col. Antonio Supnet, the ACTAFP is composed of 15 officers and 141 men from select units of the AFP: Army’s Scout Rangers and Special Forces, the Navy’s Special Warfare Group, the Marine Force Reconnaissance Unit, and the Air Force’s Special Operations Wing.

Armed Forces chief Gen. Diomedio Villanueva said ACTAFP was created to support the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation, the two lead law enforcement agencies in combating criminal syndicates.

"ACTAFP will support the PNP, which will still play the primary role in fighting crime," Villanueva said. — Paolo Romero