Indonesia, Malaysia link arms with PH to dismantle terror hubs
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, center, flanked by Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, left, and Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Haji Aman, reads the joint statement following their Trilateral Security Meeting to fight terrorism and extremism. The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia plan to closely cooperate to halt the flow of militants, weapons, funds and extremist propaganda across their borders as they expressed alarm over recent attacks in their region. AP Photo/Bullit Marquez
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The Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia have agreed to step up cooperation to strengthen the fight against extremism and prevent terrorists from establishing operational hubs in the region.
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“We are making a collective effort against terrorism and extremism. Yesterday, foreign military, intelligence officials from the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia had a fruitful and productive discussion on a trilateral cooperation aimed at preventing extremists and terrorists from establishing operational bases in Southeast Asia,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said during the Mindanao Hour briefing in Davao City on Friday.
Abella said “the three countries have agreed to work together to jointly develop and implement counterterrorism measures and strategies.”
“Let us underline that their joint aim, the end game, is to prevent the establishment of operational bases in Southeast Asia,” he said.
On Thursday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano discussed with his Malaysian and Indonesian counterparts measures to address terrorism issues in Southeast Asia.
The trilateral meeting with top security officials came a day after President Rodrigo Duterte discussed with Indonesian President Joko Widodo over the phone their commitment to fight terrorism amid the rising threat of the Islamic militants in the region.
READ: Duterte,Widodo reaffirm commitment vs terror
Abella said the conversation between the two leaders were “fruitful and productive.”
“They both reaffirmed the need to step up operation to address threats posed by terrorism and violent extremism,” he said. JPV
