From The Manila Times -
THE Department of Tourism (DoT) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) met on Friday to discuss the proposed tourist courts project.
"All of us were very happy about the news of your appointment knowing how close your heart is to LGUs, and that is exactly the approach that we have tried here at the Department of Tourism since I also came from the LGU," Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said.
During a sectoral meeting in Malacañang, Secretary Frasco suggested that the DILG, the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Department of Justice (DoJ) work alongside the DoT to address tourist-related crimes.
The PNP will use the scheme to prioritize and/or expedite cases involving tourists that will be referred to dedicated tourist courts.
Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla suggested that heavily populated places serve as experimental sites for tourist courts and also addressed several important issues about how to effectively implement the initiative, such as the type of offenders, among others.
"We will help you," Remulla said.
The DILG has long been a partner of the DoT in promoting good governance.
Another important topic covered during the meeting was the strengthening and further integration of the National Tourism-Oriented Police for Community Order and Protection or Topcop Program, a long-standing collaborative partnership between the two agencies to increase police visibility in strategic tourist destinations across the country.
For more, check out The Manila Times.