PNP revives Korean help desk

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police has activated its Korean help desk amid “sensational and heinous crimes” involving South Koreans in the country, its spokesman said.

“The Korean Desk will take charge not only on the arrival of visitors but also monitor Korean criminal groups who are pretending to be tourists but are actually out to establish their network in the Philippines,” Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz said.

The help desk was reactivated on the request of South Korean Ambassador Lee Min Hye during a quarterly meeting with officials of the PNP and the Department of Interior and Local Government early this month.

But PNP chief Director General Raul Bacalzo clarified that the Korean Desk will not just cater to Korean nationals but to all foreign nationals in the country.

“The PNP Korean Desks is primarily there to cater to our visitors not just Koreans,” Bacalzo said.

Bacalzo said the desk was revived to aid in the investigation of “sensational and heinous crimes” involving Koreans.

The Korean desks are set up at the Manila Police District, National Capital Region Police Office and other regional and provincial offices, Cruz said.

“The PNP had already deployed tourist police in places frequented by both local and foreign tourists aside from the Motorized Anti-Street Crime Operatives and had intensified the conduct of mobile and foot patrol in-line with the Police Integrated Patrol System,” Cruz said.