PHL-Australia to enter into Enhanced Defense Cooperation Program

The government of Australia will transition its support under Operation AUGURY-Philippines, its partnership activity with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), to an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Program beginning December 1.

Australian Minister for Defense Linda Reynolds and Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana made the announcement during the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand on November 16.

According to a joint statement by the Philippines and Australia issued over the weekend, the transition is seen to strengthen the shared long-term commitment between the two countries on countering regional terrorist threats and to build on their existing bilateral defense relationship.

Reynolds and Lorenzana believe that after the Marawi siege in October 2017, Australia's support under the Operation AUGURY-Philippines has equipped over 10,000 members of the AFP with the proper counter-terrorism training.

This training cooperation has included vital land-based activities on urban combat and joint coordination skills, air training focused on enhancing air coordination in the urban environment, and maritime training activities.

Transitioning to an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Program will allow the Australian Defense Force to keep delivering its capacity-building support of counter-terrorism to the Philippines, according to Reynolds and Lorenzana.

The program will also ensure funding and flexibility to meet the needs of the bilateral defense relationship between the two countries, and reinforce their shared commitment to guard security and stability in the region, they added. —Erwin Colcol/KG, GMA News