The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) have jointly established a Chinese Help Desk to strengthen efforts against transnational crimes linked to organized syndicates.
In a statement on Friday, Oct. 31, acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the desk will serve as a key coordination hub in addressing cross-border crimes such as kidnapping, scamming, and cyber fraud, while safeguarding the rights and safety of all communities in the Philippines.
“Through this desk, we can respond swiftly and effectively to incidents involving Chinese nationals while upholding our laws and due process,” Nartatez said.
He emphasized that the initiative aims to foster trust and ensure the safety of both the Filipino-Chinese community and the general public.
“Layunin po natin na mapabilis ang koordinasyon at mapalakas ang ugnayan ng mga ahensya para masugpo ang mga sindikatong kumikilos sa loob ng ating bansa. Hindi po ito para sa iisang grupo lamang, kundi para maprotektahan ang lahat ng mamamayan, Filipino man o banyaga, laban sa kriminalidad,” he added.
The Chinese Desk was formally launched on Oct. 28 in Binondo, Manila, in coordination with the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines.
As part of the initiative, the Chinese Embassy provided an initial list of 27 missing Chinese nationals in the country.
Security agencies are now cross-matching this list with intelligence databases to determine their status and possible whereabouts.
Nartatez said the PNP is working closely with the PAOCC, Bureau of Immigration, and other relevant agencies to verify information and investigate potential links to human trafficking, illegal detention, and cybercrime operations.
He also directed the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG), Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), and Intelligence Group (IG) to intensify coordination and real-time intelligence sharing in the crackdown on transnational crime syndicates. (Martin Sadongdong)
