PH police commissioner searches for Pinoys in UAE

By: Dexter Cavarza
– 54 seconds ago

Commander-in-Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP). Rudolph Azurin Jr. – Senate PRIB

The Philippine National Police plans to station a resident police commissioner in the United Arab Emirates to serve more than 700,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle Eastern country.

PNP Chief General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said creating such a post in the UAE is in line with the government’s goal of developing a “comprehensive, integrated plan to resolve conflicts and address security issues that threaten global security.”

Azurin said he discussed the proposal with Alfonsovir, the country’s ambassador to the UAE, during a meeting at the Philippine embassy in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

The PNP said they spoke about “measures to protect the rights of Filipinos working in the UAE, address crimes such as human trafficking, people smuggling and other safety issues affecting the Filipino community, and improve emergency response and support systems for Filipinos in need” on Tuesday. .

“Our focus is to expand our efforts to fight transnational crime by strengthening coordination and communication with the international intelligence community,” Azurin said.

“By considering internal security issues on a global scale, we can better respond to and prevent transnational crimes that can affect countries,” he said.

Azurin added that by cooperating with foreign law enforcement agencies, the police can help combat illegal gambling, drug trafficking and cybercrime that can affect both countries.

8 OPAs worldwide

There are currently eight Philippine Police Commissioner’s Offices (OPAs) in the following locations: Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, United States; Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, China, Malaysia, France, and Indonesia.

The OPA is an overseas office under the administrative supervision of the postmaster of the host country, such as an ambassador or consul, but it is also under the operational control of the PNP intelligence bureau.

Azurin was in Abu Dhabi as head of a 10-member Philippine National Police delegation for the 24th Interpol Asia Regional Conference from February 7 to 9.

On Wednesday, he plans to give an update on human trafficking and migrant smuggling in the country as part of the biennial conference.

Meet with Interpol chief

On the sidelines of the event on Tuesday, Azurin met Interpol Secretary-General Jürgen Stock.

“The Philippines is a safe country for its citizens and tourists. We are willing to enhance innovative solutions, such as the widespread use of biometrics, to strengthen our security measures,” he said during the meeting.

Citing cybercrime and human trafficking as “two of the most pressing issues” in the world, Azurin assured the Interpol chief that the PNP is “proactively” addressing them.

He said the PNP was continuously enhancing the capabilities of its anti-cybercrime unit by recruiting and training more personnel to detect, investigate and prosecute such cases.

As for human trafficking, the PNP chief said a “multidisciplinary” approach is needed and that it needs to be done in collaboration with other government agencies and NGOs.

The two officials also discussed Stoke’s possible visit to the Philippines and the prospect of the country hosting the 25th Interpol Asia Regional Conference.