THE AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH NEW POLICE CHIEF

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 003247

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ASEC PHUM RP
SUBJECT: THE AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH NEW POLICE CHIEF

REF: A. MANILA 2680


B. MANILA 2697


1. Summary. New Philippine National Police (PNP) Director
General Calderon assured the Ambassador on July 28 that the
PNP is focusing the necessary resources to investigate and
bring to justice those responsible for the recent killings of
leftist activists. The PNP has embarked on a ten-year
transformation program, while also undertaking a
comprehensive effort to curb corruption within its ranks.
The Ambassador turned over computer forensic equipment
provided by the Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program to the
PNP's Criminal Investigative and Detection Group. End Summary.

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Solving extrajudicial killings
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2. On July 28, the Ambassador, accompanied by DCM and
members of the Embassy's Law Enforcement Working Group (LEWG)
paid a courtesy call on the new Director General of the
Philippine National Police (PNP),General Oscar "Oca"
Calderon. (Ref A reported on the Ambassador's meeting with
outgoing PNP chief Lomibao.) General Calderon raised the
killings of leftist activists, assuring the Ambassador that
the PNP was actively investigating and describing the PNP's
new Task Force Usig ("to prosecute"). The Task Force was set
up to coordinate efforts to bring to justice culprits of
extrajudicial killings as well as to safeguard threatened
journalists, party-list representatives, and other activists.
(Ref B reported on TF Usig's findings and actions; Pol/C
will meet on August 8 with the TF commander for an update,
especially given additional recent killings.)


3. General Calderon reiterated that it was strictly against
Philippine government policy to suppress political dissent or
fundamental Constitutional freedoms, to use torture, or to
murder critical journalists, leftists, or members of the
political opposition. He emphasized that the GRP would hold
accountable those who through "excessive zeal and misreading
or ignorance of applicable law" had engaged in such
activities, no matter who or how highly-placed they might be.

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Fighting corruption
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4. General Calderon described how the PNP's anti-corruption
campaign, in conjunction with the PNP's ongoing Integrated
Transformation Program (ITP),also operates in coordination
with anti-corruption efforts of other GRP agencies, notably
the Ombudsman's Integrity Development Review program and the
Presidential Anti-Graft Commission's Integrity Development
Action Plan. He cited the deployment of "Honesty Teams,"
which are special teams of police detectives targeting
abusive and corrupt policemen. He explained how the PNP's
anti-corruption plan includes a series of prevention,
education, deterrence, and partnership action plans. As part
of its anti-corruption drive, the PNP has instituted two new
anti-corruption projects -- "Kotong Text 2920," which
encourages the public to report corruption of government
employees through text messages, and a "PNP Procurement
Monitoring Information System" (PPMIS),which provides a
centralized database for all PNP procurement transactions.


5. General Calderon outlined the most common corrupt
practices, based on PNP investigations and analysis:
-- personnel, e.g., recruitment, placement, promotion,
retirement, awards and decorations, discipline, and health
services;
-- intelligence, e.g., abuse of intelligence funds, selling
classified information, fabrication of information for
extortion, protection rackets, recycling of evidence, abuse
of authority, irregularity in the service of warrants, and
"red tape;"
-- operations, e.g., abuse of authority for personal gain
and bribery, extortion, and theft during the conduct of
police operations;
-- logistics, e.g., irregularities in procurement, supply,
and disposal of equipment; and,
-- comptrollership, such as the misuse of government funds,
malversation, and other corrupt practices.

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ATA equipment
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6. The Ambassador turned over $190,000 in Anti-Terrorism
Assistance-funded computer forensic equipment to the PNP's
Criminal Investigative and Detective Group. In her speech,
the Ambassador congratulated General Calderon on his
promotion, stated that "our countries have a tireless

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partnership to improve the lives of Filipinos," and noted
that the new equipment would help the PNP catch criminals and
make the streets of the Philippines safer. (In a separate
ceremony on July 14, then-A/DCM made a presentation of about
$95,000 worth of similar equipment to the Acting Director of
the National Bureau of Investigation.)

Kenney