The Philippine National Police (PNP) announced on Sunday an intensified operational campaign to dismantle foreign criminal syndicates attempting to establish illicit networks across the country.
“Foreign criminal groups have no place in our communities,” PNP Chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. stated, emphasizing a zero-tolerance policy against transnational crime.
The directive follows statements from Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., who highlighted security concerns regarding unlawful activities linked to foreign nationals, specifically citing illegal offshore gaming operations tied to former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and substandard steel manufacturing facilities linked to Chinese nationals.
To carry out the executive mandate, Nartatez outlined a tech-driven and intelligence-focused approach to target criminal syndicates.
“We will use intelligence, technology, and evidence-driven operations to expose their networks, disrupt their activities, and hold those responsible accountable under the law,” Nartatez said. “Our mandate is clear: protect our people and prevent our country from becoming a safe haven for illicit operations.”
Addressing potential concerns regarding profiling, the PNP chief clarified that law enforcement actions will target unlawful behavior rather than specific ethnic or national origins.
“Our enforcement must be directed at criminality, not nationality. We will go after individuals and networks when evidence shows that they are engaged in illegal activities, regardless of where they come from,” he said. “The rule of law applies equally to everyone, and our duty is to protect the Filipino people through fair, professional, and evidence-based policing.”
Nartatez affirmed that all police actions will be strictly grounded in solid evidence and conducted in coordination with international law enforcement counterparts to combat cross-border operations effectively.
“We will continue to strengthen partnerships with other law enforcement agencies to prevent these nefarious activities,” Nartatez added, while urging citizens to remain watchful and report suspicious activities involving foreign syndicates to local authorities.