Asean leaders to adopt convention on counter terror

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is expected to adopt a legally binding convention on counterterrorism covering cross-border cooperation, training, intelligence sharing, curbing terror financing, and even rehabilitation of convicted terrorists.

ASEAN leaders are expected to officially endorse the plan when they arrive this weekend. ASEAN foreign and economic ministers started arriving in Cebu yesterday ahead of their leaders. The 10-member ASEAN will also hold talks with the leaders and ministers of dialogue partners Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

President Arroyo earlier called on her fellow leaders to close ranks and make the region a safer and more open community as it grapples with terrorism and poverty.

Also high on the agenda is the creation of the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015.

Terrorism is a key concern at the summit. Security officials insist there are no specific threats from al-Qaeda-linked militants in the country, although Australia said Monday it had received information suggesting terrorists were "in the final stages of planning attacks" on a range of targets in the Philippines.

"Great stakes are involved in the continuing integration of the entire East Asia, which is driven by strong centripetal forces to close ranks for a safer and more secure community, more open and equitable trade, cooperation in all fronts of energy development, and the prosperity of its diverse peoples," Mrs. Arroyo said over the state owned NBN-4.

"We stand at the threshold of great challenges and opportunities, and timely decisions will enable ASEAN and East Asia to seize the moment and the momentum to achieve broader human security, peace and prosperity at the grassroots of every village and community," she said.

She said the ASEAN and East Asia summits "will be another golden opportunity to carve out new directions of development across borders, fighting poverty and building coalitions of technology."

The summit also is expected to endorse an energy security arrangement whose goal is to reduce the region’s dependence on oil imports.

In the summit, ASEAN might also discuss some changes such as relaxing its policy on non-intervention in one another’s domestic affairs and imposing tougher sanctions on erring members.

ASEAN’s combined Gross Domestic Product reportedly grew by 5.5 percent last year. The region’s trade and economic relations with its bigger neighbors like Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea are also improving, officials said. Other ASEAN members aside from the Philippines are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

"We face a great future in East Asia as a ‘caring and sharing community’," the President said, referring to the ASEAN theme.

She said the Philippines, as ASEAN chair, is determined to exercise its leadership towards the full integration of the region.

Police forces in Metro Manila and Cebu are on full alert as part of a security clampdown.

Chief Superintendent Romeo Ricardo, director of the Philippine National Police Intelligence Group, said police and army troops have launched operations against militants throughout the country to prevent them from carrying out attacks.

Security forces killed five Abu Sayyaf members and an Indonesian militant in Tawi-Tawi last Saturday. Police also recently arrested a suspect in the deadly Valentine’s Day bombing in 2005.

Troops killed another senior Abu Sayyaf member, Binang Sali yesterday.

AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon said Sali’s death "translates to one bomber less that could carry out an attack on any target" during the summit. - with AP, AFP