Duterte to talk with Jokowi on security matters

Amid the prolonged crisis in Marawi City, President Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to talk with Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Wednesday.

Duterte made the disclosure during a media interview in Cagayan de Oro City on Tuesday evening.

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella confirmed the scheduled conversation during the Mindanao Hour in Malacañang on Wednesday.

“I’m sure they’ll be talking security matters, but we don’t have the details of the plans for that conversation,” he said.

Duterte, meanwhile, revealed his talk with Jokowi when he recalled that the Indonesian defense minister said that there were 1,200 ISIS fighters in the Philippines, a figure the military had already denied.

“Do not ever believe na ang lahat ng nasa ano diyan ISIS. ISIS is everywhere. I think that the original peg by the Indonesian government, lahat-lahat na siguro ‘yan, mga 1,200 operatives of… I’ll be talking to Widodo tomorrow,” he said.

“He will ask questions and I have so many questions for him. Kasi ang karamihan yata diyan na foreigners is mga Indonesians,” he added.

Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana previously announced that at least two Indonesians were among the eight foreigners killed in Marawi City as government troops continue to pursue thee pro-ISIS Maute group. — RSJ, GMA News