The US government has been helping the PNP in coming up with a campaign that would make the national police more effective and efficient in serving the public.
At least 15 experts in law enforcement, led by John Crow of the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, have been taking part in comprehensive assessment of the PNP.
In an statement earlier released by the US Embassy, the US government said the program, which is similar to the 2003 Joint Defense Assessment of the Philippines, intends to identify key institutional weakness and to formulate a blueprint on how to address and resolve them.
The assessment is also intended to support the PNP’s ongoing transformation plan. Experts traveled to the provinces to examine local conditions and regional community policing strategies.
The ultimate goal of the effort is to help the PNP transform into a 21st century police force serving the need of the Filipino people as well as to strengthen effectiveness in combating transnational threats, such as terrorism, narcotics trafficking, and trafficking in persons.
PNP chief Director General Arturo Lomibao welcomed the assistance to the transformation plan being implemented under his term.
"The transformation plan is the road map to building a more capable, more effective and more credible police organization that matches the people’s expectations with the resources and capabilities of the office," Lomibao said.
He gave a briefing for the joint RP-US Law Enforcement Assessment Team that visited police offices in Cebu, Davao, Zamboanga, Basilan and Abra to observe the actual situation in the field.
PNP deputy chief for operations Deputy Director General Oscar Calderon said the assistance from the US would surely help the PNP improve the enforcement and implementation of the transformation plan.
US experts attending the PNP assessment program are from the State Department’s Counterterrorism Office, the US Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration of Customs Enforcement and the US Pacific Command’s Joint Interagency Task Force West.