Taiwan and the Philippines concluded a cooperative agreement on law enforcement education and training Jan. 22 in Manila, paving way for the two sides to step up efforts in cross-border crime investigation and prevention, according to the Investigation Bureau under the Ministry of Justice.
The pact was signed by Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines Representative Gary Song-huann Lin and Angelito Banayo, chairman of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan. IB Director-General Tsai Ching-hsiang and Dante Gierran, director of the Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation, were also present during the signing.
Under the agreement, Taipei and Manila will work to enhance the expertise and skills of law enforcement officials from the two countries in areas spanning cybercrime investigation, forensic science and law enforcement technology. In addition, reciprocal visits are set to increase in order for authorities to better share experience and expertise.
According to Lin, the agreement will help enhance future cooperation between Taiwan and the Philippines in the fight against cross-border crimes, particularly drugs, fraud and terrorism.
The agreement is also in keeping with the New Southbound Policy, he added. A key component of President Tsai Ing-wen’s national development strategy, the policy seeks to boost Taiwan’s agricultural, business, cultural, education, tourism and trade ties with the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand.
The signing ceremony was the highlight of a four-day tour organized by the IB to the Southeast Asian country. Over the course of the visit, the bureau chief also visited the Bureau of Customs and the Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency to discuss collaboration on related issues between the two nations, with BOC Director Isidro Lapena thanking Taiwan for providing information that led to the cracking of a major drug trafficking case. (SFC-E)
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