SAYS DFA: In APEC, only RP has no state-of-the-art passport system

First posted 09:56pm (Mla time) Oct 21, 2005
By Veronica Uy
INQ7.net


AMONG the 21 members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, only the Philippines does not have a machine-readable passport believed crucial in tracking down terrorists and other international criminals.

Daniel Espiritu, foreign affairs undersecretary for international economic relations, said the Philippines has yet to comply with this APEC requirement.

“[APEC] recognizes that the major casualty of a terrorist attack is the economy,” said Daniel Espiritu, special assistant to Custodio. “The core activity is risk management.”

The APEC counter-terrorism framework includes discussions on the security of movement of people, goods, information, and capital.

A machine-readable passport, which falls under the movement of people category, facilitates the screening of “threat individuals” like terrorists, criminals, and even human traffickers.

But since APEC “is [a] voluntary” organization, Custodio said the agreements could not be forced upon its member economies. "The principal question is capability,” he said, adding that those capable of implementing the agreements are encouraged to do so. “Also, this is still a developing framework.”

Espiritu said the only disadvantage that a non-machine readable passport has is that it takes a little longer to check the authenticity of passports.

The International Police (Interpol) already provides countries with a watch list on stolen and fraudulent passports, he said.

APEC leaders are set to meet in Busan, South Korea in November.

Some of the anti-terror measures the leaders will discuss include security of maritime and aviation ports, use of anti-money laundering laws to stop the financing of terror groups, and protecting websites from cyberspace attacks.

The 21 APEC member economies are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Viet Nam, and the United States.