(Eagle News)– Top defense officials from the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to conduct joint air patrols to address criminal activities in maritime areas of common security concerns, according to an official of the Department of National Defense.
Defense undersecretary Raymund Quilop said that the chiefs of the defense officials of the three countries have agreed to “explore joint air patrols” in a meeting on October 1.
“The three ministers [Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Malaysian defense minister Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and Indonesian defense minister Ryamizard Ryacudu] agreed to explore joint air patrols even while their respective armed forces are finalizing the parameters for maritime patrol in the agreed upon transit corridor in what the three countries consider as maritime areas of common concern,” Quilop said in a statement.
“Primarily driven by the need to address the rising incidents of armed robbery at sea, kidnapping and piracy in the three countries’ areas of common concern, the trilateral meeting has evolved to be a platform for the defense ministers to address other emerging common concerns, to include violent extremism,” he added.
In August, the Duterte administration has issued back-to-back operations against Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) forces in Sulu who were responsible for the abduction of some 26 Malaysian and Indonesian nationals.
Nineteen of them were released or have escaped.
The bandit group is also holding captive four Filipinos and a Dutch national.
(Rex Felix Salvador I, Eagle News Service)
