RP, Indon police strengthen fight against transnational crimes

DAVAO CITY — The Indonesian National Police (INP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) strengthened anew their joint effort in fighting transnational crimes.

"The fight against transnational crimes should be a coordinated effort between Indonesia and the Philippines. We should cooperate with each other to be more effective," North Sulawesi regional police chief Gen. Gordon Mogot of Indonesia told The STAR.

Mogot, as well as INP deputy chief for operations Gen. Adang Ferman and other high-ranking Indonesian police officials, arrived here last week for the joint meeting of the INP and the PNP to tackle the cooperation between the two countries in the fight against terrorism and other transnational crimes such as illegal drugs trafficking, maritime fraud, cyber crimes, money laundering, card fraud and other commercial offenses

"The Philippines and Indonesia have joined efforts in fighting these transnational crimes, including that of the Jemaah Islamiyah. The increasing threat of transnational crimes has become a concern of two countries," PNP deputy director for human resource development Chief Superintendent Napoleon delos Santos said.

The joint PNP and INP meeting here, tackled how the said cooperation can be made more effective.

Delos Santos said a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed in a separate meeting. He said the matter on JI was one priority area, especially since the JI has identified the two countries as core grounds for advancing their goal of converting the entire Southeast Asian region into Islam.

Indonesia, he said, has been identified as the operations center of the JI while Mindanao is being targeted as its training ground and Malaysia and Singapore as finance centers.

"Both police forces are looking seriously at the JI problem," Delos Santos added.

Indonesian JI members on board motorboats are said to be freely entering the country through the long coastal areas of Mindanao.

Delos Santos said the meeting here in Davao City followed the initial meeting in Bali, Indonesia where the MOU was signed last year.

"What we have discussed here are matters regarding the organizational structure of the joint committee that has been tasked to formulate and recommend policies and procedures in preventing and combating transnational crimes," Delos Santos explained.

He said the operational matter on JI will be discussed further by the two police forces in the next meeting to be held in April at the East Indonesian capital of Manado in North Sulawesi.

Ferman headed the Indonesian delegation in the meeting here yesterday along with Gen. Sitompul, regional police head of East Kalimantan.

The implementation of the Bali MOU shall involve the exchange of intelligence information and documents, which shall be in compliance with their respective national legislation and within the limits of their responsibility.

The two national police forces shall also undertake coordinated police activities in accordance with existing laws and within the limits of their authority to prevent and combat transnational crimes.

Delos Santos also said that this cooperation with their Indonesian counterparts involves primarily the regional police commands in Mindanao, including Regions 9, 11, 12 and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

"These are the areas that are directly facing the Indonesian territorial waters and the same areas that are mainly involved in the joint police cooperation," Delos Santos said.