By Wallace Minn Gan Chow, Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines
A Systemic Vulnerability Puts Lives at Risk
Somewhere in Metro Manila, a young Filipino is trapped inside a scam den, forced to deceive strangers online. Somewhere in Taipei, an elderly Taiwanese man is losing his life savings to a syndicate operating across borders. Traffickers continue to move victims through airports and seaports faster than law enforcement agencies can respond. The Philippines sits at the center of these operations and has become both a target and a casualty.
These stories are not isolated. They are part of a wider pattern of organized crime stretching across Southeast Asia. And within that network lies a serious gap: Taiwan is not part of Interpol.
This gap slows investigations, delays victim rescues, and gives criminals time to erase evidence, move assets, or vanish. Every hour lost is another life harmed.
The Philippines Faces Harsh Realities
Over the past decade, the Philippines has made significant efforts to modernize security and law enforcement, from cybercrime legislation to anti trafficking reforms and from AMLC improvements to deeper engagement with Interpol mechanisms. Yet the challenges remain serious. In the latest Global Organized Crime Index, the Philippines ranked 33rd in criminality and 114th in resilience, placing it among the highest in the region for exposure to organized crime yet among the lowest in the ability to counter it.
Today’s threats demand broader cooperation. Cyber enabled financial crimes, human trafficking for online fraud, and cross border scam operations continue to prey on Filipino families and threaten national and regional stability. Criminal operations link Manila, Taipei, Southeast Asia, and beyond.
However, Philippine authorities cannot fully coordinate with their Taiwanese counterparts through formal Interpol systems. Without Taiwan inside the network, law enforcement must rely on slower and indirect channels, which allows fast moving cybercriminals to evade capture and expand their operations.
Taiwan as a Natural Security Partner
An effective response requires timely intelligence exchange and coordinated action among all capable partners. Taiwan is one such partner. Taiwan’s law enforcement agencies have advanced cyber investigative tools, strong digital forensics capabilities, and extensive experience handling transnational fraud cases that intersect with Philippine operations.
Taiwan has a strong record in public safety and has consistently assisted international partners in combating drug trafficking, cyber fraud, human trafficking, and other cross-border crimes. These capabilities make Taiwan a valuable and dependable partner in regional law enforcement.
Allowing Taiwan meaningful access to Interpol would close a critical blind spot and enable real time intelligence sharing, joint investigations, faster alerts, and more unified responses to complex trafficking routes and criminal networks.
People Over Politics
This issue is not about politics. It is about people. It is about the Filipino mother whose son is trapped in a scam compound. It is about the individuals whose safety depends on quicker responses and closer collaboration among governments.
Regional security should not be constrained by political considerations. Crime prevention is a shared obligation. Supporting Taiwan’s participation in Interpol aligns with the Philippines strategic objectives, which include strengthening regional cooperation, improving collective resilience against cybercrime, ensuring rapid and effective coordination on trafficking and financial fraud, and enabling faster co investigations and evidence sharing.
A Shared Commitment to a Safer Region
A stable and secure region requires Taiwan’s meaningful involvement in Interpol. Anything less leaves room for syndicates to exploit weaknesses in Southeast Asia’s security landscape. I respectfully urge the Philippines to support Taiwan’s bid to participate as an observer in the Interpol General Assembly and to engage fully in Interpol activities. Working together, we can better protect the millions of Filipinos and Taiwanese who are targeted daily by organized crime.
Taiwan remains committed to strengthening cooperation with the Philippines in pursuit of a safer and more stable region. Crime does not respect borders. Our cooperation should be just as seamless.