AMBASSADOR SIGNS TIP AGREEMENT WITH JUSTICE

UNCLAS MANILA 003882 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP, G/TIP SNEUMANN, INL/AAE YKAPOYOS, DRL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KCRM KTIA PHUM RP SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR SIGNS TIP AGREEMENT WITH JUSTICE SECRETARY SIPDIS REF: A. E-MAIL FULLERTON/DEAN SEPT 8 ¶B. 05 STATE 61855 ¶C. 04 MANILA 1559 ¶1. Ambassador Kenney and Secretary of Justice Raul Gonzalez signed a Letter of Agreement (LOA) September 12 to provide USG assistance to support the anti-trafficking in persons (TIP) efforts of the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). With INL and G/TIP funds, Post will provide nearly USD $35,000 worth of equipment to the Anti-Human Trafficking Division of NBI to improve its abilities to investigate TIP cases, with the goal of more effective prosecutions of TIP offenses. ¶2. During the ceremony, held at the Philippine Department of Justice, Ambassador Kenney highlighted the importance of USG and GRP cooperation on anti-TIP efforts and applauded the work of GRP and civil society groups to combat this problem. Secretary Gonzalez thanked Ambassador Kenney for the ongoing SIPDIS assistance of the Mission to improve the GRP's anti-TIP efforts and noted the December 2005 convictions of seven traffickers in the Philippines. Media was present, and the event received both broadcast and print coverage. Visit Embassy Manila's Classified SIPRNET website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/ KENNEY