MANILA, May 29 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' police chief Arturo Lomibao left here on Monday for the United States to hold security talks with his counterpart, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Robert Mueller, a spokesman said.

    In a departure statement, Lomibao said the talks would cover issues of information exchange and police training against terrorism and other transnational crimes.

    Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police spokesman Samuel Pagdilao Jr. told reporters the country's counter-terrorism capability must be enhanced ahead of the passage of the anti-terrorism bill, which remains pending in Congress.

    "We still find the urgent need to keep pace with technology and cope with the growing sophistication of organized crime and transnational terrorism," Pagdilao said.

    Lomibao's visit to the U.S. was in response to FBI deputy director John Pistole's visit to Manila in March, according to Pagdilao.

    After Washington, Lomibao will visit the 53-member Philippine peacekeeping contingent in Kosovo. He will also go to Lyon, France for a meeting with Interpol officials, the spokesman added. Enditem