3 agencies forge pact vs criminality

It’s a three-for-all.

The Philippine National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) signed an agreement yesterday for a total approach strategy against crime.

PNP chief Director General Leandro Mendoza, AFP chief Gen. Diomedio Villa-nueva and NBI Director Reynaldo Wycoco approved the joint implementing guidelines for the me-morandum of agreement against heinous crimes.

Mendoza told reporters that the guidelines set the ground rules and procedural actions to be observed by the PNP, AFP and NBI when conducting joint operations and investigation of heinous crime cases, particularly kidnapping-for-ransom, armed robbery and drug trafficking.

"The tri-agency agreement on joint anti-crime operations complements President Arroyo’s Executive Order No. 23, creating the National Anti-Crime Commission composed of nine government agencies representing the law enforcement and prosecution services," the PNP chief said.

Mendoza said the joint agreement gives thegovernment the advantage of establishing inter-cooperati on within the three agencies in pursuit of the Arroyo administration’s anti-crime policy.

He added the President’s order for the military to take a more active role in the anti-criminality campaign was most welcome.

Villanueva, for his part, said: "We have dedicated a specific unit alone, primarily for this function, and this is the AFP’s Anti-Crime Task Force."

He said the ACTAF was organized to assist the NBI and the PNP, in particular to lend active support to police operations against organized crime syndicates.

"This is not a ningas-cogon (cogon spark). There is so much to do in anti-crime operations, not just in Metro Manila but in other provinces as well. Our forces are working hand in hand with other government agencies," Villanueva said.

He added that the ACTAF has under its wings the different tactical support units from the military’s major services such as the Army’s Special Operations Command, the Air Force Special Operations Wing, Naval Special Warfare Group and the Marine Force Recon.

The joint accord has adopted a three-level crime condition scale to determine the necessity of deploying military units for anti-crime operations under a given situation.

Among other salient points of the joint implementing guidelines, the ACTAF, whenever deployed for anti-crime operations, shall be under the direction of the PNP or NBI unit until completion of the mission.

A joint secretariat shall be established at the PNP national headquarters to oversee, monitor and supervise the deployment of the task force for police operations.