Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – 23-24 April 2025. The ASEANAPOL Secretariat, under the proactive leadership of its Executive Director, Police Colonel David Martinez Vinluan, actively participated in the ASEAN Workshop on Strengthening Transnational Investigative Cooperation under the HSU Process Mechanism, held from 23 to 24 April 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
This two-day workshop was a key initiative under the ASEAN Multi-Sectoral Work Plan Against Trafficking in Persons (TIP) 2023–2028, spearheaded by the SOMTC Philippines in its role as the Voluntary Lead Shepherd for TIP. The event was co-organized in partnership with the ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking Program (ASEAN-ACT) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Executive Director Vinluan was invited as one of the key panelists for Agenda Item 3: Discussion on Strengthening Regional Cooperation for Transnational Investigative Cooperation. In this session, he highlighted ASEANAPOL’s mechanisms in enhancing both formal and informal coordination among ASEAN Member Countries (AMCs) in addressing TIP cases.
He emphasized the critical role of the ASEANAPOL Secretariat, as the coordination and collaboration mechanism among the 10 ASEAN Police Organizations established in 1981, in fostering interoperability through the ASEANAPOL Database System (e-ADS), and in promoting rapid, secure information exchange via INTERPOL’s I-24/7 platform—used by all 10 AMCs for operational cooperation.
Executive Director Vinluan also underscored the importance of trust-based collaboration, inclusive coordination mechanisms, and the need to integrate policing institutions into regional policy and operational frameworks. He reaffirmed the ASEANAPOL Secretariat’s commitment to supporting SOMTC and its cross-sectoral initiatives by contributing law enforcement expertise to regional TORs, capacity-building activities, and victim-centered investigative responses.
Significantly, Executive Director Vinluan recommended that ASEANAPOL and its Secretariat be formally included in all ASEAN discussions and mechanisms related to transnational crime, noting that ASEANAPOL remains an untapped resource with immense potential to contribute to ASEAN’s collective security and law enforcement goals.
SOMTC Philippines was represented by Mr. Reynaldo C. Cusi, Assistant Director of the National Barangay Operations Office, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and focal representative of SOMTC Philippines. The Philippine National Police was represented by Police Colonel Isagani Fetizanan, Deputy Chief of the Women and Children Protection Center (WCPC), and Police Colonel Lucrecio Rodrigueza, Chief of the WCPC’s Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division. Their participation reinforced the law enforcement and community-based approaches in tackling human trafficking, particularly the importance of victim protection, investigation, and prosecution coordination.
Also present was Deputy Superintendent of Police George Nyipa, Head of MAPO/International Relations Division, D3 ATISOM, Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) of the Royal Malaysia Police, who provided valuable insights into Malaysia’s operational coordination on trafficking cases. Representing ASEAN-ACT, Atty. Darlene Pajarito, Justice System Director, shared her expertise in strengthening justice sector responses to TIP and enhancing legal frameworks across the region.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) was represented by Mr. Benedict Hofman, who shared strategic perspectives on enhancing transnational investigative cooperation through multilateral mechanisms and underscored the importance of institutional alignment in combating TIP across Southeast Asia.
The session collectively explored ways to strengthen the Heads of Specialist Anti-Trafficking Units (HSU) Process mechanism, facilitate seamless cross-border cooperation, and overcome operational challenges in dismantling transnational TIP networks.
The ASEANAPOL Secretariat remains committed to advancing regional cooperation and supporting Member Countries in delivering effective, coordinated, and sustainable responses to trafficking in persons, in alignment with ASEAN’s broader vision of a people-centered, people-oriented community.
"Together We Keep This Region Safe"