The Philippine National Police (PNP) is stepping up efforts to catch fugitives who flee the country by using facial recognition technology and speeding up intelligence sharing with police forces across Southeast Asia.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered police units to maximize the responsible use of facial recognition technology to identify wanted persons with possible cross-border links.
He also directed police units to share and validate information on wanted persons more quickly with member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Chiefs of Police (ASEANAPOL).
“The responsible use of facial recognition technology will enable faster verification of identities, more efficient exchange of intelligence, and quicker coordination among ASEAN police organizations,” Nartatez said.
“These advancements will help us detect, locate, and apprehend fugitives who attempt to evade justice by crossing international borders,” he added.
The directive followed the 44th ASEANAPOL Conference hosted by the PNP, where police leaders endorsed the modernization of the electronic ASEANAPOL Database System, or e-ADS.
The modernization program includes wider use of facial recognition technology and stronger forensic cooperation to help identify fugitives and suspects moving between countries.
Nartatez said regional cooperation had already helped authorities arrest and deport several wanted persons, including Master Sgt. Rizal Alih in Sabah, Malaysia.
He also cited the deportation of wanted persons from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China through coordination with international law enforcement agencies.
The PNP chief said stronger cooperation is necessary because fugitives can exploit international borders to evade arrest.
“We will continue working with our ASEANAPOL counterparts to further improve information-sharing mechanisms and operational coordination so that alerts on wanted persons can be acted upon more quickly,” Nartatez said.
“Timely exchange of intelligence is essential in preventing fugitives from exploiting international borders,” he added.
The PNP is also strengthening its regional campaign against online scams through the newly created ASEANAPOL Scam Combat Operational Task Force 2026-2028.
The task force will allow the PNP and other ASEAN police forces to share intelligence in real time, coordinate cross-border investigations and conduct joint operations against scam networks.
“The ASEANAPOL Scam Combat Operational Task Force strengthens our ability to combat online scams by improving real-time intelligence sharing, coordinating cross-border investigations, and facilitating joint operations with our ASEAN counterparts,” Nartatez said.
“Since scam syndicates operate across national borders, no country can address this threat alone,” he added.
The task force was among the key agreements approved during the ASEANAPOL conference, where police leaders identified online scams as one of the fastest-growing transnational threats in the region.
Nartatez also ordered continued support for regional operations to dismantle scam hubs and rescue trafficking victims forced to participate in online scam activities.
“The PNP remains committed to ensuring that stronger regional cooperation results in faster action against fugitives and greater public safety for the Filipino people and the ASEAN community,” he said.
