Palace: End game of PHL, Indonesia, Malaysia cooperation to block extremist bases in SE Asia

The Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia are determined to head off extremists’ plans to establish operational bases in Southeast Asia, amid a report that at least 40 foreign terrorists have entered the country.

At the Mindanao Hour briefing in Davao City on Friday, presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said that it was the three countries’ collective effort against terrorism and extremism.

“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.

Officials from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia met in Manila on Thursday to forge a trilateral cooperation against extremism.

Eastern Mindanao Command deputy commander and Mindanao martial law spokesperson Brig. Gen. Gilbert Gapay added that the trilateral agreement would help the military monitor the porous borders in the south through maritime patrols. 

“Of course, the exchange of information, the tracking of foreign terrorists should also be helpful,” he said.

“Now as far as those already in country, based on the latest intelligence report, and as… based on the pronouncement of the Chief of Staff, there are some 40 foreign terrorists in [the] country now,” he added.

Gapay added that the foreigners were already identified, and most of them are Malaysians, Indonesians. There were Arabs and Pakistanis, too.

The trilateral agreement was launched after some lawmakers from the United States expressed fear that the region would turn into a terrorist hub after the ISIS-inspired Maute group attacked Marawi City a month ago and triggered President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law in Mindanao.

Abella already dismissed the American lawmakers' opinions and stressed that the Armed Forces of the Philippines have already foiled Maute's grander plan to establish a caliphate in the Philippines. — RSJ, GMA News