Bato to seek int’l cooperation on drug war in Malaysia meet

Members of the Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa climbs the stage used by protesters to give a message of peace and unity to them a few hours before the start of President Rodrigo Duerte’s first State Of the Nation Address. INQUIRER PHOTO/ ALEXIS CORPUZ

Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa on Tuesday flew to Malaysia to attend a four-day conference of police chiefs from member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to be held in Putrajaya.

De la Rosa is expected to discuss with his counterparts the Philippines’  cooperation with other Southeast Asian countries  in its ongoing war against drugs during the 36th Asean Chiefs of Police (Aseanapol) conference.

While De la Rosa is away, Deputy Director General Francisco Uyami Jr., PNP deputy chief for administration, will take over as PNP officer in charge.

“The PNP is honored to take an active part in the efforts of the international law enforcement community in maintaining an atmosphere of peace and stability in the Southeast Asian region,” De la Rosa said in a statement.

Southeast Asian police chiefs will tackle international cooperation and law enforcement best practices in curbing drug trafficking, commercial crimes, bank fraud, cybercrime, and trafficking in persons.

De la Rosa will lead the 15-man PNP delegation that will join discussions and committee meetings of the conference hosted by the Royal Malaysian Police.

With De la Rosa are Police Director Noel Vargas, Chief Supt. Jose Erwin Villacorte, Chief Supt. Augusto Marquez Jr., Chief Supt. Edward Carranza, Senior Supt. Mariel Magaway, Senior Supt. Soltero Ramos Jr., Senior Supt. William Segun, Supt. Villamor Tuliao, Supt. Regina Basco, Senior Insp. Wilson Caro, SPO3 Richard Lumbres and police nonuniformed personnel Josephine Quieta, Myla Dy, and Kevin Batan. They are expected to return on July 29.

De la Rosa will present in the plenary session the PNP’s country paper on current transnational crime concerns, including efforts aimed at strengthening international cooperation with other police forces in the Asean against transnational syndicates.

The police officials will also “exchange information on newly emerging militant and radical groups, and take action on other pressing regional security concerns on international fugitives, cross-border law enforcement, illegal wildlife trade, counterfeit currency syndicates, illegal firearms, smuggling and piracy in the high seas.”

The 10-member Aseanapol is composed of the Royal Brunei Police Force, Cambodian National Police, Indonesian National Police, Lao People’s Democratic Republic General Department of Police, Myanmar Police Force, Philippine National Police, Singapore Police Force, Royal Thai Police, Socialist Republic of Vietnam Police, and the Royal Malaysia Police.

Joining the Aseanapol members are their dialogue partners from Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia, Turkey and the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) with representatives from Timor Leste, the United Kingdom, Europol and International Committee of the Red Cross sitting as observers./rga