(Photo courtesy of PNP) MANILA - Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. lauded the efforts and contributions of the Intelligence Group (IG) to maintaining peace and security in the country as the force's "brain, eyes and ears." "As the 'brain' of the organization, the group is responsible for analyzing and interpreting information to provide useful intelligence to our officers in the field and frontline units. They are the ones who identify potential threats and develop strategies to neutralize them. As the 'eyes and ears' of the organization, the group is responsible for the intelligence and counterintelligence efforts of the PNP. They gather information through various means and provide our officers with real-time intelligence about suspects and criminals' activities which enables the organization to stay ahead of the curve and proactively address potential threats to public safety and security," Azurin said during the IG's 44th founding anniversary on Wednesday. The PNP chief also said the IG is committed to this framework and works tirelessly for us to achieve these goals. "But more importantly, the theme espouses that the PNP's operations must be conducted in accordance with the rule of law and that the rights of all citizens are respected and protected," said Azurin. This year's theme highlights the importance of intelligence in promoting peace, security, and progress, particularly in the context of the PNP's M+K+K=K Peace and Security framework, which stands for "Malasakit + Kaayusan + Kapayapaan = Kaunlaran". "And through the Kasimbayanan program that fosters collaboration with religious institutions and local communities, the group is able to gain a deeper understanding of the issues facing these communities, develop effective strategies to address them, and enable them to better identify and respond to emerging security threats. Thus, building trust with the people they serve," the country's top cop noted. Azurin cited the notable accomplishments of IG in 2022 where it initiated the neutralization of 255 members of local terrorist groups (LTGs), including the mass surrender of 100 Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) members on July 30, 2022, in Barangay Bangkal, Patikul, Sulu. The IG's continuous efforts on the campaign against communist personalities resulted in the neutralization of 1,947 rebels through Case Operations and Intelligence Packet developed by Regional Intelligence Units (RIUs) and Operating Divisions (ODs) in full support to Executive Order No. 70 which created the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). Likewise, the IG's police operations resulted in the blacklisting and deportation of a German national identified as Jean Pierre Pacaut who is included in the no-fly list of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's terrorist screening center. Pacaut is allegedly connected with the Al-Qaeda and a foreign terrorist suicide bomber identified as Abu Khatir Al-Maghribi/Al-Maghribi, a German-Moroccan citizen, who was responsible for the country's first suicide bombing in Lamitan, Basilan on July 31, 2018. On anti-criminality efforts, the group arrested 1,090 most wanted persons, 20 of whom with monetary rewards amounting to more than PHP3 million, 198 other wanted persons, 191 criminal groups, 77 private armed groups (PAGs), 291 on illegal gambling and 83 on loose firearms. In the campaign against illegal drugs, the group provided Target Intelligence Packets (TIPs) which resulted in the arrest of 280 drug personalities and the seizure of more or less PHP27 million worth of illegal drugs in the conduct of anti-illegal drug operations. Established in 1979, the IG's mandate is to gather, analyze and disseminate intelligence information to support the PNP's law enforcement operations. Over the years, the group has continuously evolved to meet the changing security landscape and improve its capability to address emerging threats. (PNA) }