01 August 2006
U.S. Donation, Training Will Help Philippines Catch Cybercriminals
Equipment will further capabilities of Filipino investigators in lab, field
Washington -- A donation of $190,000 in computer equipment by the United States to the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will provide assistance in cybercriminal investigations, according to a press release issued by the U.S. Embassy in Manila July 28.
The donated items include highly advanced hard drives, laptops and software that will give Filipino investigators full computer forensic capabilities.
The donated equipment will enhance the PNP’s Criminal Investigative & Detection Group’s abilities in analyzing digital and electronic evidence of crimes for catching cybercriminals and cyberterrorists, the press release says.
“This top-of-the-line equipment [consists of] the same models used by law enforcement agencies in the United States,” U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney said in a ceremony held July 28 to transfer computer equipment to PNP Director General Oscar Calderon.
“The impact on the capabilities of the PNP and NBI will be substantial, leading directly to the prosecution of criminals,” Kenney said. “The American people are excited that their partnership with the Philippines will lead to real benefits in improved security for their Filipino friends.”
ANTI-TERRORISM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
In addition to donating equipment, the United States is sending experts from the State Department to the Philippines to train PNP and NBI investigators to obtain evidence from computers, cell phones and other digital devices for use in prosecuting criminal cases.
After the training, Filipino investigators will be able to recognize, seize and analyze computer hard drives and other electronic storage devices using the most technologically advanced forensic applications available, according to the U.S. Embassy in Manila’s press release.
The program is part of the State Department’s Antiterrorism Assistance (ATA) Program run by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security. The ATA program provides training courses throughout the year, which PNP and NBI investigators have attended.
According the ATA program’s Web site, the program trains individuals from countries that lack the capability to perform effectively in the following areas:
· Protecting national borders;
· Protecting critical infrastructure;
· Protecting national leadership;
· Responding to and resolving terrorist incidents; and
· Managing critical terrorist incidents having national-level implications.
Training is offered to civilian security and law enforcement personnel in police procedures dealing with terrorism including bomb detection, crime-scene investigation, airport and building security, maritime protection and VIP protection, the Web site says.
In 2003, the ATA program gave grants to both the PNP and NBI to build cyber-terrorism response and investigation skills.
According to the program’s Report to Congress for Fiscal Year 2004, the grants created the Philippines’ Cyber Terrorism and Crime Office to gather digital evidence and track down possible terrorist transactions through the Internet and computer technology.
As a result of the grants, the cadre of investigators and ATA-equipped units has become an invaluable resource for investigations involving electronic evidence, the U.S. Embassy in Manila said. “Again and again, evidence produced by these units has led to arrests and the discovery of valuable data,” the embassy said.
According to the report, the Philippine National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force utilized skills from courses offered by the ATA to rescue a kidnapped American citizen in March 2004. The Cyber Terrorism and Crime Office conducted a thorough analysis of the kidnapper’s computer equipment, discovering important evidence for the prosecution.
Since 1983, the ATA program has trained and assisted over 48,000 foreign security and law enforcement officials from 141 countries, according to the program's Web site.
The full text of the news release on the computer equipment donation is available at the embassy’s Web site.
More information on the Antiterrorism Assistance Program and the full text (PDF, 37 pages) of the program’s Report to Congress for Fiscal Year 2004 are available on the State Department’s Web site.
For additional information about U.S. policies, see Response to Terrorism.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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