(Eagle News) — The Philippines and Indonesia reaffirmed their commitment to fight terrorism in a phone conversation on Wednesday night, as Philippine government troops closed in on local terrorist groups wreaking havoc in Marawi.
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the call between President Rodrigo Duterte and his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo was “productive and fruitful.”
He said it was President Duterte who received the Indonesian counterpart’s phone call, which came at a time Philippine government troops were battling members of the Maute and Abu Sayyaf terrorist groups who overran parts of Marawi in a bid to carve out a province for the international terrorist group Islamic State.
The military said they were closing in on the local terrorists.
“Both countries reaffirmed the need to step up cooperation to address threats posed by terrorism and violent extremism,” Abella said in a Malacanang briefing on Thursday.
He said Widodo, in particular, “reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment” to support the Philippines in “countering terrorism and restoring peace and stability in the southern Philippines.”
President Duterte “welcomed” his counterpart’s “expression of commitment,” Abella said.
“(President Duterte) also emphasized the Philippine government’s full resolve to work closer together with Indonesia and like-minded states to address these issues,” Abella added.
He said in line with this, both countries noted the importance of the trilateral meeting among the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia on June 22 in Manila.
The meeting, Abella said, was aimed at “fostering cooperation and countering terrorism among regional neighboring states.”
