GMA creates National Anti-Environmental Crime Task Force

President Arroyo has abolished the National Anti-Crime Task Force (NACTAF) and replaced it with a multi-agency environmental crime task force to be headed by Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Angelo Reyes.

The President issued Executive Order 522 last March 31 to officially dissolve the NACTAF. Now she has issued Executive Order 515 to create the National Anti-Environment Crime Task Force (NAECTAF) to absorb some of the functions of the now defunct anti-crime body.

Under EO 522, the funds of NACTAF, its assets and equipment will be turned over to the newly created NAECTAF under the supervision and control of Reyes.

NACTAF, on the other hand, held its last meeting yesterday after its members learned the President had issued the order dissolving the anti-crime body.

According to National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Regional Director Reynaldo Esmeralda, most of them were taken by surprise when Interior Undersecretary Melchor Rosales handed them copies of EO 522 officially dissolving the anti-crime unit.

"I was just about to submit our accomplishment report to the NACTAF, but it turned out to be our terminal report," said Esmeralda, who represents the NBI at the NACTAF.

Esmeralda said he is not aware of the participation of the NBI under the new task force.

"If we would have any participation, maybe it would be limited in terms of enforcement," he said.

The NACTAF was created on Sept. 23 last year when Reyes was interior secretary.

The task force was an offshoot of the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTF) which successfully neutralized some of the most notorious kidnap-for-ransom syndicates in the country.

Reyes, then Secretary of National Defense, headed the NAKTF.

The task force was later renamed NACTAF and given a wider role against criminality.

NACTAF is a unit under the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) chaired by Mrs. Arroyo and vice chaired by Reyes.

Its members consist of top officials from the Philippine National Police (PNP), NBI, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Other officials include NACTAF director for administration Senior Superintendent Jonathan Miano and director for operations Senior Superintendent Mario dela Vega.

One of its elite police operating units under NACTAF is the Police Anti-Crime Emergency Response (PACER).

Reyes, however, was transferred to the DENR early this year replacing Michael Defensor who was appointed presidential chief of staff.

Antipolo Rep. Ronaldo Puno was then transferred from the House of Representatives and appointed to head the DILG, replacing Reyes. Puno’s posting, however, triggered speculation that he had been assigned to the post to supervise Charter change initiatives at the local government level.

While no reasons were given why NACTAF was abolished, it was learned that Reyes wanted to bring in the resources of the defunct task force to the DENR to effectively address environmental crimes.

It was also learned that all military and police personnel assigned under NACTAF will be asked to join the new task force.

PACER head and PNP Deputy Director for Administration, Deputy Director General Oscar Calderon, on the other hand, said NACTAF is not totally out, but was only placed on "inactive status."

"It (NACTAF) was not totally abolished. It will just be inactive," Calderon said.

A regular NACTAF meeting was scheduled yesterday at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame with Esmeralda looking forward to submitting the NBI’s contribution to the task force. They meet thrice a week.

"The NACTAF personnel were saddened by the news. They were receiving P10,000 monthly allowance from this additional assignment," Esmeralda said.

"The task force has about 100 personnel and they would now return to their mother units such as the PNP and the AFP," he said.

All 12 in the NBI-Special Task Force (STF) are members of the now defunct task force.

Esmeralda added that Reyes took great pains to improve the task force as its first chief.

He said Reyes even installed high-tech telecommunications equipment and several television monitors showing the real-time security situation in various parts of the country.

"Secretary Reyes was proactive. The seven-month-old task force established liaison with the embassies," Esmeralda added.

For its part, the NBI reported yesterday to the NACTAF the arrest and prosecution of operatives from the defunct Presidential Anti-Illegal Recruitment Task Force (PAIRTF) headed by retired police Captain Reynaldo Jaylo, now a fugitive.

The NBI also reported the filing of a graft case against Bureau of Immigration (BI) Intelligence Chief Faizal Hussin stemming from the controversial deportation of a Chinese suspect in a kidnapping case; the arrest of Allan Sy for the alleged murder of casino financier Emerson Sy; and the arrest of Indian national Harris Abichandani who was allegedly caught in possession of 53,304 vials of ketamine worth P53 million.

Esmeralda also announced before the NACTAF’s last meeting the progress of their investigation of the escape of immigration detainees Keerthi Jayamaha, Tan Ty Siao and Go Siak Ping.