MANILA – Federal Bureau of Investigation Deputy Director Jon Pistole has offered assistance and training to the Philippine National Police (PNP) in its anti-crime and anti-terror campaigns. Pistole held a closed-door meeting with PNP chief Director General rturo Lomibao and other senior police officials recently during which he was briefed on the government’s efforts to combat al-Qaeda-linked terror groups, the Muslim insurgency and an alleged emerging alliance between communist and military rebels.

“He (Pistole) expressed full satisfaction with the gains we have been making in the fight against crime and terrorism and offered the FBI’s full assistance, particularly in terms of training and the granting of modern crimefighting tools,” Lomibao said. Lomibao, however, refused to elaborate on the security briefing for Pistole.

PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao Jr. said the one-hour private conference focused on anti-terrorism efforts, peace and order and transnational crimes. Pagdilao said the meeting also focused on the effect of transnational crimes to the region’s economy and discussed ways on how to address the problem.

Pistole and Lomibao also agreed to enhance exchange of intelligence information on all issues pertaining to terrorism and transnational crimes. Pistole also assured Lomibao that the US continued to support efforts to address the terrorism problem in the country and in the region. “He (Pistole) pledged his government’s support in addressing the country’s terrorism problem,” Pagdilao said.

Pistole visited Manila in the course of a tour of several countries in the region. Pistole also was scheduled to meet officials of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) “to touch base with them and discuss some of the issues in law enforcement and counterterrorism cooperation that’s going on between the US and the Philippines.

NBI acting director Nestor Mantaring said the bureau would create within the month a new operations unit dedicated to combating terrorist activities. Mantaring said they had been planning to form an anti-terrorism division (ATD). “We need to strengthen our anti-terrorism efforts. We all know that terrorism is a worldwide problem,” he said.

Mantaring clarified that the plan had nothing to do with the visit of Pistole. The FBI deputy director made the visit at the NBI head office in Manila with Special Assistant Nathan Grey and Counter-Terrorism Division chief Donald Vanduyn.