Closing Session

Address – Mr. M. Kitada, Director, UNAFEI
Address – Mr. H. Ono, Resident Representative, JICA
Closing Speech – Hon. Mr. J. Lina, Secretary, Department of the Interiorand Local Government and Chairman,
National Police Commission, the Philippines

Please note that the following papers have not been edited
for publication. The opinions expressed therein are those of
the author’s. They do not necessarily reflect the position of
the departments or agencies that they represent.

CLOSING ADDRESS
By
Mr. Mikinao KITADA
Director of UNAFEI

Honorable Jose D. Lina, Jr., the Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government andthe Chairman of the National Police Commission,
Honorable Hideo Ono, the Resident Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency of thePhilippines Office,
Honorable Guests, Distinguished Participants of the Philippines-UNAFEI-JICA Joint Seminar, Ladies andGentlemen, Good Afternoon.

The Joint Seminar between the Philippines and UNAFEI is now closed. As the Director of UNAFEI,
I would like to offer my congratulations to all the distinguished participants for their completion of the Joint
Seminar.
At the same time, I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Governmentof the Philippines and JICA for their generous understanding, strong support and great cooperation insuccessfully carrying out this Joint Seminar.
In this Seminar, we dealt with various issues related to the community involvement in criminal justiceadministration in the Philippine as well as Japanese contexts. I am very grateful that eminent experts andhigh-ranking officials kindly presented in the respective topic sessions. Every presentation was wellprepared, informative and very comprehensive. Moreover, discussions were always of great value and verystimulating. I admire the sincere commitment and dedication of all the Seminar participants.
I truly believe that this Joint Seminar provided all of us with a forum to discuss the various issues inorder to involve communities for the betterment of criminal justice administration. Moreover, our common
interest in the safety of communities, motivated earnest study and produced results beneficial to us all. I
have no doubt that such a valuable outcome will encourage all of us to develop and enhance the partnership
between communities and the justice system.
Through the Seminar, UNAFEI has learnt a lot about the current situation and challenges in thePhilippines. This information will be very useful for the enrichment of future International Training Courses
and Seminars at our Institute.
At the same time, it is our hope that the presentations from UNAFEI and our discussions, are of some
use to you in the development of effective strategies for the mobilization of communities in the combat
against crime, and for the enhancement of the criminal justice system and its administration, in thePhilippines.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to stress that this Joint Seminar is of great significance, in thatcriminal justice personnel from all components of the system have met at one place; shared the related
problems of their system; jointly examined practical ways and means to solve problems; and identified thenecessary coordination and cooperation required. I sincerely hope that the officials of the Philippine
criminal justice system will work in concert to further develop their efforts in facing contemporary
challenges.

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I genuinely hope that UNAFEI will be able to further contribute to the development of a more
effective and efficient criminal justice system in the Philippines.
Lastly, I truly wish for the continued betterment of crime prevention and criminal justice in thePhilippines, as well as for the further development of closer and friendlier relations between the people of
the Philippines and Japan.
Thank you.

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CLOSING ADDRESS
ByMr. Hideo ONO
JICA Resident Representative

Good morning. We are deeply impressed by the tremendous response we received to our call forparticipation in this seminar we have been conducting for the past several days. To us, your participationand involvement signify your support to strengthen the ties between the community and the neighborhood
police in the fight against crime.
As there is today that pressing need for an improved and safe environment, it is therefore, heartening
to know that inspite of your busy schedule you have found the time to give your share in helping create abetter place for the people to live in, safe from harm and free from constant fear.
On behalf of JICA, we thank you for your wholehearted participation and for being a part of thisactivity.
The conduct of this program at this time when the present administration is working on an intensified
anti-crime campaign is most opportune. By focusing our attention on this concern we in a way, have taken
the initial step towards the fulfillment of the government's objective to create a climate the people can best
enjoy.
We are confident that all the representatives from the agencies and communities who participated inthis program, have gained invaluable insights that will assist them in performing their respective duties. The
experience gained will, we are certain, go a long way in promoting the benefits that will be derived fromworking together and how these can further enhance unity and solidarity between policemen and ordinary
people in facing the adversities that threaten the community's security and stability.
We also hope that the program will not simply make the people recognize the policemen's power andauthority, but also instill in them the appreciation for the dedication and selfless sacrifices of our guardiansof peace, especially when these are rendered beyond the call of duty.
And eventually we hope to be able to revive the people's trust to the law enforcers and at the sametime remind, particularly those who due to some unfortunate events have turned critical of men in uniform,
that majority of the country's police officers and enlisted men continue to discharge their daily duties withthe highest regard for honor, duty and society.
I personally thank UNAFEI and NAPOLCOM for spearheading this commendable endeavor incooperation with the the agencies concerned, and for making the seminar the success that it has been. I also
thank the resource speakers for their very enlightening talks and all the participants for your interest andenthusiasm. My special commendations to all of you for a job well done.

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CLOSING SPEECH
By
Mr. Jose D. LINA, Jr.
Secretary, Development of
the Interior and Local Government andChairman of NAPLCOM

Director Mikinao Kitada of the United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime
and Treatment of Offenders (UNAFEI);Mr. Hideo Ono, the Resident Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in thePhilippines;
Commissioner Edgar Dula Torres of the National Police Commission;
Our Visiting Experts from UNAFEI;
Our Participants to this Seminar from Government Agencies Representing the Five Pillars of the
Criminal Justice System;
Our Partners and Allies from the Non-government Organizations;
Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good Afternoon.

It is with great pleasure that I greet you today on the occasion of the closing ceremonies of thePhilippines-Japan joint seminar on crime prevention and treatment of offenders.
The crucial role of international and regional cooperation and technical assistance in fostering crime
prevention and criminal justice has, no doubt, been given much importance these past four days.
This close cooperation between the governments of Japan and the Philippines in the promotion ofsocial justice, peace and sustainable development, based on law and order, has benefited the Philippines inmany ways.
Of course, we know that Japan has been one of the strongest partners of the Philippines in trade andindustry. Technical cooperation activities of the Japanese government with the Philippine government havemade possible the development and implementation of policies, the infusion of new technology, theexchange of information, and the training of personnel in various fields or areas of human development.
The strongest link of the Japanese government to the Asia and Pacific region in the area of technicalcooperation undertakings is JICA. For many years now, JICA has been providing the most essential
technical support to developing countries, thereby, making life easier and better for many people not only
in our part of the world.
Under the auspices and financing of JICA, training of government personnel and even, I believe, ofpeople from the private sector, in various fields, has enabled us to keep pace with the fast changes in theso-called knowledge-based economy.
And so, we are most grateful and thankful to JICA, through its resident representative, the honorable
Hideo Ono, for JICA’s continuing presence and vast contribution to our government’s initiatives ofimproving Filipinos’ way of life. Most especially, we would like to thank you for graciously funding thisjoint seminar.

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In the same vein, we would like to express our deepest appreciation to UNAFEI, through its director,
Mr. Mikinao Kitada, for its laudable contribution in the training of officials of the Philippines in the fieldof crime prevention and criminal justice. In addition to JICA, UNAFEI has been very instrumental, for the
past forty years, in the training of senior and junior police officers, prosecutors, judges and correctional
personnel. UNAFEI has veritably served as the bridge for countries in the Asia-Pacific region to analyze
current practices and to improve the same on the basis of each country’s unique experiences.
Despite these unique experiences, Asia-Pacific countries are drawn together by a similarity insituation. A common running thread connecting most countries in the region is the problem of economic
resources, I must say, of dwindling economic resources. But we hope this situation will change for the bettersoon.
In the early 1990s, the region emerged as a hotbed of economic renaissance and prosperity. This
optimism, however, has been shattered, giving rise to uncertainty, pessimism and turmoil as the overall
Asian and Pacific market and local currencies strain against the continuing onslaughts by financial hedging
and speculation. This was aggravated further by the global economic slowdown owing to the September
11 attacks in which even the economy of the most powerful country in the world, the United States, has notbeen left unscathed.
Amidst this backdrop comes the realization that rising and falling economy has its share ofconcomitant effect on the peace and stability of the region. This gives rise to a host of national andinternational concerns on law enforcement and policing.
Today, the Asia-Pacific region suffers from major crimes such as kidnapping for ransom, armed bankroberries and vehicle thefts to transnational organized crimes such as drug trafficking, white slavery andterrorism.
With increasing poverty as a leading economic problem facing many countries in the region,
developing countries such as ours will be financially constrained in channeling more resources to fightcriminality and to make criminal justice processes work better and more effectively to the maximum benefitof our people.
The monetary costs of the operation of crime prevention and criminal justice systems have not kept
pace with the increase in population nor with the increase in and sophistication of criminal activity.
Deficiencies in funding, technical expertise, manpower and research are realities that the police, prosecution,
courts and correctional agencies have to confront.
In light of these realities, more comprehensive and responsive policies and strategies involving active
community involvement need to continually be redefined. These are the kinds of policies and strategies that
had been the focus of the United Nations crime prevention and criminal justice programme in the past years.
Special emphasis on the general issues of criminal policy, in addition to dealing with specific aspectsof crime prevention and criminal justice, provided the impetus for this.
The United Nations congresses on the prevention of crime and the treatment of offenders have placed
crime and delinquency not merely as a problem of illegal behavior and law enforcement, but also as
phenomena closely associated with economic and social development.
Specifically, past UN crime prevention congresses have called the attention of member-states to,among others:- Take effective steps to coordinate and intensify crime preventive efforts within the context of the— 167 —

economic and social development that each country envisages for itself.
- Strengthen crime prevention activities nationally and internationally through the promotion of
exchanges of information and experience.
- Intensify the struggle against crime by promoting the rule of law, with due regard to human rights
of individuals and groups
Let me just inform our Japanese delegates from UNAFEI and our resident representative from JICA
that the Philippines continues to coordinate and intensify crime prevention and criminal justice efforts within
the context of our country’s goals for economic and social development and in light of social and economic
challenges facing the world today.
Under the leadership of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, a national socioeconomic summit will
be held on Monday, December 10, 2001 to forge a doable, timely and socioeconomic action agenda for theperiod 2001-2003 aimed at ensuring sustained socioeconomic growth, and mitigating the impact of theeconomic slowdown on the poor and the vulnerable economic sectors. The socioeconomic pact that will
result from this summit has emphasized the support by the private sector and the nongovernment sector in
the activities and agreements that will be submitted to the president. Actions to ensure peace and order andinternal security, especially in the most vulnerable areas, strategically form part of this socioeconomic pact.
Specific commitments therein will be closely monitored by the president. This is at the policy level.
At the program level, efforts to prevent and control crime with community involvement as a necessary
ingredient, continue to be implemented by the four formal pillars of the criminal justice system – the police,prosecution, courts and corrections.
In view of the lack of manpower and equipment in the police, prosecution, courts and correctional
agencies, initiatives to expand social consciousness and community awareness in crime prevention arebeing given focus.
In the Philippine National Police, aside from the partnership being forged on the ground level by the
local police with the community in the implementation of the Community-Oriented Policing System(COPS), there are continuing initiatives to link up with media in the airing of programs in television andradio, as well as in print media, on various police issues, concerns and programs. This is supplemented
by regular dialogues or face-to-face communication activities with the community. Police involvement inrelief and rescue operation programs in times of disaster, in medical and dental missions and othercountryside programs enable the police to touch base with the community on a regular basis.
In the prosecution pillar, the information program on the witness, protection security and benefit
program is one way of reaching out to the public, especially potential witnesses, on the importance of public
involvement in the effective prosecution of cases.
In the courts, there is now a public information office that services the information requirements ofthe public with regard to matters relative to justice dispensation, especially because of the concern often
times raised by the public on the slow disposition of cases in the various courts. In cooperation with theoffice of the court administrator, the National Police Commission has been conducting seminars on theoperational system and workings of the courts. This public information office and various other seminars
aside from what I just mentioned, would have the very important role in making the community understandthe justice system, as well as the limitations and constraints faced by the judiciary in its desire of making
the wheels of justice grind more speedily.
In the same way as in the other pillars, the corrections pillar has been undertaking informationeducation programs to encourage the community to get involved in the effective rehabilitation of both adultand juvenile offenders. Public information programs on the plight of offenders, however, still need to be— 168 —

given greater attention. Resources for improving jail and prison facilities and services are very muchwanting. So we place our hope on the mobilized sectors of the community to provide the much-needed
manpower in terms of volunteers, funds, technical expertise, and the like, to make rehabilitation work to thegreatest advantage of our brothers and sisters in correctional institutions.
As for the community, there are Anti-Crime Non-Government Organizations that already serve as amajor force in raising public awareness of crime prevention, in educating the public to practice the principles
of crime prevention, in distributing crime prevention materials, and in organizing the community to
implement crime prevention programs.
We can say a lot more on our current initiatives but time will not permit us to do so. Suffice it to
say that this seminar has aptly focused on community involvement to underscore the need for a more active,
involved, participatory, and committed community in the field of crime prevention and treatment ofoffenders.
For this reason, the consolidated action plan of the working groups will serve as inputs to further
strengthen, enrich, enhance and invigorate current practices.
With plans should follow results. I am sure that JICA and UNAFEI will be interested on the outcomeof this undertaking in the months to come. We just like to inform you that we have the mechanisms toensure that the proposals in this forum will be receiving the necessary attention.
In the National Police Commission, we have a crime prevention and criminal justice technicalinteragency and multisectoral body that monitors, on a quarterly basis, the accomplishments of the fivepillars of the justice system. We have also the peace and order councils on all levels of government thatcoordinates government and nongovernment actions in fighting crime and in maintaining peace and security.
Experience tells us that enticing citizens to get more involved in crime prevention and criminal justiceprocesses is no easy task. And so what is, should we say, the formula for this?
I believe the formula lies in:One, nurturing a culture of performance in the different pillars. Performance speaks for itself. Thereis therefore need for strong focus on performance in the police, the prosecution, the courts, corrections andcommunity.
Two, stressing individual accountability. Accountability must be well understood and this must be
fostered at all levels of the organization.
Three, understanding the clientele we serve so that we are able to provide a better product and service,
so to speak.
Four, adapting to technology. And I do not only mean the hardware, but being more open to newskills and processes, and systems and procedures.
And five, strengthening positive values while reinforcing them with new values, ethics and norms,
such as those of the japanese, that can be incorporated into our practices, products and services.
The war against crime requires nothing less than active and solid partnerships. Partnerships among
nations. Partnerships between government and nongovernment organizations. Partnerships among thevarious institutions and sectors of society. It is this kind of partnership that is the moving force for JICA,
UNAFEI and the Philippine Government to come together for this forum.

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Our sincere gratitude goes again to JICA for their generosity in hosting this joint seminar. We can
not thank you enough. Indeed, your kind assistance will go a long way in further strengthening our relations
with the Government of Japan, through UNAFEI, especially in the field of crime prevention and treatment
of offenders.
To UNAFEI, represented by its entire delegation – please stand and be recognized - Director Mikinao
Kitada, Deputy Director Keiichi Aizawa, Police Superintendent Masakatsu Okabe, Prof. Yuichiro Tachi,
Prof. Toru Miura, Prof. Kenji Teramura, Prof. Mikiko Kakihara, Mr. Sean Eratt, and Mr. Takuma Kai. They
have travelled to be with us to share their expertise and for this we are most grateful. We hope that UNAFEI
will continue to provide our criminal justice officials in the Philippines with relevant training courses in
UNAFEI as these have, I understand, immensely contributed to cultivating greater professionalism among
our government officials and middle managers, and in enhancing their preparedness to positions of higher
responsibility.
To our paper presenters and reactors, we thank you for giving us the perspectives of your respective
pillars and sectors on the topic of this seminar, without which this seminar would not have been complete.
To our participants from the five pillars of the Philippine criminal justice system, thank you for yourtime and attention.
To all those who labored and toiled to make this joint seminar possible – all the officers and membersof the working committees, the secretarial staff, the security staff and all others who have, in one way or
the other, helped in bringing this undertaking to its successful conclusion.
With that, we declare the Philippines-Japan Joint Seminar on crime prevention and treatment ofoffenders closed.
To our friends from JICA and UNAFEI, arigato gozai mashita. we will not say sayonara but tillmeet again.
Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat at mabuhay!!!

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