The Bureau of Immigration (BI) recently led the Philippine delegation to the ASEAN Regional Forum Inter-Sessional Meeting on Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (ARF ISM on CTTC), held in Honolulu, Hawaii.

According to the Bureau, this forum, which was held on 2 and 3 May, co-chaired by the United States, Bangladesh, and the Philippines, brought together law enforcement authorities from participating countries to discuss important concerns such as terrorism and transnational crime.

During the forum, BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco stressed the importance of border security measures and intelligence-sharing capabilities in preventing and combating terrorism and transnational crime, which are significant areas of concentration for the agency.

Participants also talked about issues like border security, human trafficking, and the growth of illegal activity.

Tansingco also emphasized the importance of the discussions for immigration to the Philippines, as well as the BI’s commitment to preventing and countering violent extremism and people trafficking within the greater framework of national and regional security activities.

“We must continue to show the world that we implement effective mechanisms for preventing and addressing terrorism,” the BI chief stated. “By strengthening our security measures and enhancing our intelligence sharing, we bolster our defenses against the threat of terrorism,” he added.

Tansingco believes that by working together, they can make great progress in the battle against terrorism and other transnational crime.

In order to investigate how to create policies to address growing security risks within the nation, the ARF ISM on CTTC Crime brings together ARF members as well as selected regional and international organizations and institutes.