AS Association of Southeast Asian Nations Ministers and Leaders conclude the 20th Asean Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) in Makati, Interior Secretary Juanito Victor C. Remulla is confident of a stronger, more effective, and regional response to combat evolving transnational crimes.
On Wednesday, Asean leaders including Remulla, the AMMTC chairman; Goh Pei Ming (Singapore), Dato’ Seri Setia Awang Haji Sufian bin Haji Sabtu (Brunei Darussalam), and Maj. Gen. Kongsavat Boulnieng (Laos) concluded the meeting.
Delegations and officials also represented Vietnam, Malaysia (led by Home Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Dr Awang Alik Jeman), Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar.
Dato’ Astanah Abdul Aziz attended the meeting as the Deputy Secretary-General of the regional body for the Asean Political-Security Community.
At a news briefing on Wednesday, Remulla enumerated three significant outcomes of the three-day meeting, which saw Asean Member State Ministers and Leaders actively taking part in the discussions.
Remulla said the AMMTC has advanced the Asean Declaration to Protect Children against Sexual Abuse and Exploitation, including material created with Artificial Intelligence; took up the first Asean Region Trafficking in Persons Report, providing the region an overview of the drive against trafficking in persons, and agreed to adopt a joint statement that sets the next steps in trafficking in persons, terrorism, and cybercrime.
‘In December 1997, Asean ministers met for the first time in Manila to discuss transnational crime. AMMTC has come home. All 11 ASEAN Member States sat for consultations with Japan, China and the Republic of Korea,’ Remulla said.
Much has changed since 1997, including online scams, trafficking, money laundering and drug trafficking; now they feed each other, and they move across borders, he added.
The Philippines will soon turn over leadership to Singapore for the 21st AMMTC.
Border control
REMULLA said the DILG is coordinating with various law-enforcement agencies, including possible conduct of joint operations with Asean neighbors to strengthen the Philippines’ capability to secure its borders.
‘That is an internal security matter that we are taking up to strengthen our borders,’ he said, admitting that it has been a point of concern for authorities.
‘We are upgrading our capacity, upgrading our technology, and upgrading our monitoring to better protect our borders,’ he said.
Internal security to protect the country’s border is ongoing to protect its borders and prevent trafficking in humans, particularly for those who make use of backdoor channels, admitting that it is a complicated matter that require close coordination between and among law-enforcdement agencies in the Philippines and its Asean neighbors.
‘Remember, we have the third largest coastline in the world. Thinking that there’s a simple solution to a complicated problem makes it a simplistic affair. But it is not. It is very complicated but we are focused and we are determined to protect our borders,’ he said.
Remulla underscored the strength of regional cooperation, citing the interception of 521 kilos of suspected shabu in Laos from Malaysia, which is bound for the Philippines.
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He said close coordination between and among agencies, including intelligence sharing, proved effective in combating drug trafficking in this case.
Micro scam hubs
REMULLA also said that authorities are also closely looking into the operation of at least three micro scam hubs in Metro Manila following the successful raid of a scam hub in Zamboanga Sibugay early this month.
The hub was dubbed as the largest Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) that continues to operate despite the ban by the Marcos administration more than two years ago.
Authorities arrested 244 foreigners, mostly Chinese, during the operation.
Remulla said the operation of micro scam hubs may proved difficult to track because of the size of the employees, which range between 10 to 20 people only.
He said the Pogo operation is small and they would only rent a small house, instead of a big building or space.
He said that these small micro hubs are operated both by foreigners with local contacts and partners.
He also debunked the claim that the anti-Pogo campaign is ningas-kogon, saying there has been no let up in the operation, resulting in the dismantling of the hubs and arrest of employees.