Counter-terrorism experts conference: President Arroyo sees united stand in counter-terrorism will be reached

President Gloria Arroyo expected that a united stand to fight threats of terrorism would be achieved at the three-day Counter-Terrorism Experts Conference, which opened yesterday at the Shangri-la Mactan Island Resort in Lapu-Lapu City.

The international event gathered over 300 delegates from 60 countries, including representatives from various Philippine Embassies abroad.

President Arroyo, in her speech delivered by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita at the event's opening rites yesterday, said the counter-terrorism conference is a fulfillment of her commitment made during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Busan, South Korea.

In that Summit, held on November 18, 2005 with US President George W. Bush's meeting with Asean leaders, President Arroyo announced that the Philippines will organize a Counter-Terrorism Experts Conference.

Mrs. Arroyo then conveyed her belief that better coordination and cooperation are vital in addressing and identifying dilemmas and difficulties in the fight against terrorism.

Ermita yesterday expounded the President's stand that cooperation of everybody is the key to a successful counter-terrorism campaign, as he cited the "government's success" in its fight against the Abu Sayyaf Group in Mindanao.

The government, according to Ermita, neutralized a number of Muslim terrorists last year and early this year, most of who "were already convicted in court."

Such success was proof that the administration of Mrs. Arroyo made good of its promise to prioritize the drive against international terrorist, Ermita said.

Counter-terrorism ambassador-at-large Benjamin Defensor, for his part, said the threats of terrorism are still continuing the reason why Mrs. Arroyo pushed for an international gathering of experts to come up with effective ways of containing these problems.

The United Nations--through conventions, resolutions and works of its Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate and Office on Drugs and Crime-has provided us with the basic framework in counter-terrorism, said Defensor.

Defensor however said, "Yet, despite their efforts, there are dissonant voices in the halls of the UN as each nation bares its own guiding light in matters of security and engagement."

Terrorism has been a growing global problem wrecking havoc to human lives and sabotaging economic and political conditions that prompted several countries worldwide to band together in fighting it, said Defensor.

Defensor also hoped that participants in the three-day conference would be able to fulfill the primary objective of the event, which was to identify key dilemmas and difficulties in fighting terrorism on global, regional and national perspectives.

It is also expected that areas of convergence in counter-terrorism will be set through the exploration of strategies and practical responses to address peculiar causes and conditions of the issue, he said.

Defensor further said the conference will establish the Cebu Concord, which will contain the position of counter-terrorism experts over the problem together with the "middle way" of dealing with such threat by those directly affected of it. - Jose P. Sollano