AUTOMATED

FINGERPRINT
IDENTIFICATION
SYSTEM
(AFIS)

RONALDO I FULO
Police Superintendent

Automated Fingerprint
Identification System (AFIS)
WHAT IS AUTOMATED IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM (AFIS)
It is the process of automatically matching one or many
unknownfingerprintsagainst

adatabase

of

known

and

unknown prints.
Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems are primarily
used by law enforcement agencies for criminal identification
initiatives, the most important of which include identifying a
person suspected of committing acrimeor linking a suspect
to other unsolved crimes.
A comprehensive review on the AFIS project was held in
Tokyo, Japan on July 29 to August 2, 2009.

Automated Fingerprint
Identification System (AFIS)
HISTORY OF THE AFIS PROJECT
The AFIS started on April 1998 under the Japanese
Governments General Grand Aid Program (GGAP).
JICA sent basic study teams 1 and 2 in September 2001 and
August 2002.
A consulting agreement was signed between the Philippine
National Police (PNP) and the Security Electronics and
Communications Association (SECTA) on July 21, 2003.
The PNP and MARUBENI Corporation signed an agreement on
October 10, 2003.
AFIS project- 975,000,000.00 (GGAP Grant Aid).
December 2003- started the installation of the AFIS and was
completed on July 2004.
August 2004 became fully operational.
PNP Crime Laboratory Group - maintains the AFIS Project.
May 24, 2005 -AFIS was formally turned-over by the Japanese
Ambassador to the PNP.

Automated Fingerprint
Identification System (AFIS)
FUNCTIONS OF THE AFIS PROJECT

Serves as the key to fast track the comparison of

fingerprints with the collected Latent Prints from crime
scenes.
Captures fingerprint images and textual information to
form a database of suspects and speedy resolution of
crimes.

UPDATES ON LATENT PRINT AND TENPRINTS AS OF MAY,

2012
Encoded in the AFIS Database;
11, 711 Latent Prints
640,274 Tenprint cards broken down as follows:

- 265,594 are criminal

- 374, 680 are non-criminal
As of this date, there are 91 Hit Cases on record, of

Automated Fingerprint
Identification System (AFIS)
PROJECT TO BUILD-UP THE OPERATION OF THE AFIS

Cost of project: 1.54 million $US dollars

Duration of the project:

14 July 2006 to 14 July 2009

14 July 2010 to 14 July 2013-Extension of the AFIS II

Project, the Records of Discussion was signed on
September 13, 2010 by Mr Norio Matsuda, Chief
Representative of the JICA Philippines and the then C,
PNP JESUS AME VERSOZA.

AFIS Monthly maintenance: Php 1,043,645.67

Automated Fingerprint
Identification System (AFIS)
DIFFERENCT ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED IN RELATION TO THE
AFIS PROJECT:
Audit on the Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA)
Projects
Conducted on June 3, 2011 hosted by the PNP, CL;
Conducted by the Board of Audit of Japan which aimed to
study the cooperation of the JICA and the Government of the
Philippines on the effective and efficient implementation of
various Official Development Assistance (ODA) Projects;
PNP, CL in coordination with JICA Experts and DIDM drafted an
LOI (In Country Training Program on Trainers Training on
Scientific Method of Processing Fingerprints) which aims to
develop and strengthen the capability of police investigators
on scientific method of processing fingerprints by enhancing
the training capability of fingerprint examiners thereby
contributing to the utilization of the AFIS. This is the
implemention of a 5-year In-Country Training Program (ICTP)
to provide basic training to police investigators on scientific
method of processing fingerprints from CY 2006 to March
2011. JICA also supported the PNP in implementing a
Technical Cooperation Project (TCP) on Automated Fingerprint

Automated Fingerprint
Identification System (AFIS)
DIFFERENCT ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED IN RELATION TO THE
AFIS PROJECT:
Training/Seminar on Fingerprint Collection
JICA in cooperation with PNP-CL and DIDM conducted
training/seminar on fingerprint collection on June 13-14, 2011
at the PNPTS, Camp Crame, Quezon City participated in by 86
Investigators from the National Capital Regional Police Office;
JICA donated the following Investigative items to DIDM which
were subsequently issued to the different districts of NCRPO
to wit:
a. 160 ink pad or police mate;
b. 76 card holder;
c. 1, 000 pcs correction paper;
d. 100 pcs manual cd-r; and
e. 100 pcs clear card holder.

Automated Fingerprint
Identification System (AFIS)
DIFFERENCT ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED IN RELATION TO THE
AFIS PROJECT:
Courtesy Call of Mr Hiroyuki Yakushi of JICA to TADIDM
Courtesy Call of the Deputy Director, Public Governance and
Financial
Management,
Division,
Governance
Group,
Industrial Development and Policy Department, JICA on
November 18, 2011 from 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm.

Conference on the Updates of the AFIS II Project

Held on October 28, 2011 at 9:00 am at the DIDM Conference

Room, Rooftop, NHQ Building and attended by JICA experts to
include CSUPT TAKAHIKO IIRI, Advisor to the C, PNP; Mr Ryuzo
Tsurushiro, 1st Secretary, Embassy of Japan; Mr Shinichi
Masuda, Senior Representative of JICA Philippines; CINSP
Masahiro Ohkawa and CINSP Shinji Kobayashi. attendees from
the PNP were: PCSUPT LORLIE ARROYO, D, CL; PSSUPT CHRIS
LAXA, DDO, CIDG; PSSUPT ROLANDO FELIX, C, LED, DO;
PSSUPT CAMILO PANCRATIUS P CASCOLAN, C, CMD, DIDM;
PSSUPT EMMANUEL L ARANAS, CDS, CL; PSUPT ROWENA P

Automated Fingerprint
Identification System (AFIS)
DIFFERENCT ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED IN RELATION TO THE
AFIS PROJECT:
The following are the highlights of the meeting:

CSUPT IIRI, discussed what is JICA, its contributions to the

PNP including other projects included in the PNP Anti-Crime
Enhancement Program like the Firearms Control Project and
AFIS II Project.
Further, he discussed the donation of the AFIS in 2003 and
became fully operational in 2004 which is worth more or less
500 millions and until today, the function is not maximized
because of the low output on the number of collected
tenprints of the arrested suspected criminals.
He further suggested that the scheme applied should be selfprocurement of fingerprint kits to guarantee constant budget
allocation to the fields as per requirement.

Automated Fingerprint
Identification System (AFIS)
DIFFERENCT ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED IN RELATION TO THE
AFIS PROJECT:
The DIDM in coordination with the JICA experts is drafting the
LOI re In-Country Training Program (ICTP) on trainers training
for scientific method of processing fingerprints to enhance the
capability of the Philippine National Police-Crime Laboratory
personnel as trainers of Fingerprint Examiners assigned in
NHQ/Regional/District Crime Laboratory Offices. The objective is
to develop a core of trainers and to train field investigators on
the proper taking of fingerprints and collection of latent prints.
In three (3) years, the Cl should have already trained 600 police
investigators on the proper procedure on the taking of
fingerprints of arrested suspects.

CINSP MASAHIRO OHKAWA, JICA expert discussed on the

collection of latent prints. The following are the proper
procedures to be observed:

Specify areas where to lift latenprints in the crime scene;

Lift latenprints properly; and
Select the possible suspects prints from the Prints lifted in

Automated Fingerprint
Identification System (AFIS)
TWO-DAY WORKSHOP
TAGAYTAY, CAVITE:

ON

THE

AFIS

PROJECT

IN

Attendees of this workshop is composed of personnel

from DIDM, CL and JICA.
The two-day workshop on the AFIS 2 Project was
conducted on February 1 and 2, 2012 in Tagaytay
Haven Hotel, Tagaytay City, Cavite. The objective of the
workshop is to facilitate the review of the project and
planning by both the JICA experts and the PNP
counterparts in preparation for the upcoming Program
Implementation Review (PIR) scheduled on March 9,
2012 (2:00-4:00 pm).
Further, it aims to evaluate the compliance on the
Project Design Matrix entitled: (Project on Enhancing
the Capacity for Collection and Application of
Fingerprints.

Automated Fingerprint
Identification System (AFIS)
FOLLOW-UP WORKSHOPS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION REVIEW (PIR)

The workshops were held at the JICA Office, Makati on

February 9, 16 and 22.
The objective of these workshops is to prepare the
requirements for the upcoming PIR of the AFIS Project
scheduled on March 9, 2012.

DONATION
FROM
JICA
DURING
THE
DIDM
21ST
ANNIVERSARY ON MARCH 5, 2012 FOR DISTRIBUTION TO
NCRPO:

350 pcs crime scene first responders kits;

150 pcs of fingerprint kits; and
700 pairs of white gloves;

Automated Fingerprint
Identification System (AFIS)
FIVE (5) DAY TRAINING ON SCIENTIFIC METHOD OF PROCESSING
FINGERPRINTS FOR POLICE INVESTIGATORS (SMPFPI) FROM
APRIL 23-27, 2012.

Forty Six (46) field investigators from the NCRPO were

trained on the efficient collection of latent prints from
small/simple property crime scenes and their expeditious
submission for processing at the AFIS maintained by the PNP
CL in order to attain a successful scientific investigation.
This was conducted by the PNP CL and sponsored by the JICA
from April 23-27, 2012 at the Amphitheater, 3rd floor, CLE
Building, PNPTS, Camp Crame, Quezon City. The participants
were given fingerprint kits to be used in the field.

REASONS FOR THE IMMEDIATE REPLACEMENT OF THE AFIS:

The production of the vital spare parts for the current AFIS
maintained by the Crime Laboratory ended in 2010;
The current AFIS will be operational until July 2013
(tentative);
JICA cannot donate new AFIS machine; and
The database on the latent prints and tenprints will be

Automated Fingerprint
Identification System (AFIS)
LIST OF THE THREE (3) SUPPLIERS WHO ALREADY CONDUCTED
PRODUCT PRESENTATION TO THE PNP INCLUDING THE CAPACITY,
WARRANTY AND INITIAL PRICE:

Nippon Electric Corporation (NEC)-supplier of the current AFIS

a. Database capacity- 3 million up
b. Warranty- 5 years
c. Initial Price- Php 402, 829, 816.58 million (VAT excluded)

. 3 M Cogent
a. Database Capacity- 3 million up
b. Warranty- 5 years
c. Initial Price- Php 301, 184, 900 million (VAT excluded)

. Horiba Scientific
a. Database Capacity- 3 million up
b. Warranty- 5 years
c. Initial Price- Php 138, 368, 754 million (VAT excluded)