Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia to hold counterterror meet

MANILA, Philippines - Foreign and defense ministers from the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia will meet next week to discuss cooperation on various issues, including threats of terrorism and possible spillover of the Islamic State (IS) conflict in the Middle East to the region, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said.

Cayetano said member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) would be able to effectively fight terrorism and extremism if they work as a team rather than individually.

Cayetano earlier said the Marawi City siege had affirmed President Duterte’s warning that IS extremists would target Southeast Asian countries after staging atrocities in the Middle East.

“Unfortunately, we are the first. We want to cooperate very well with Indonesia and Malaysia so they won’t suffer at the hands of extremists,” Cayetano said yesterday after attending an event of overseas Filipino workers at Hotel Jen in Pasay City.

“The President knew from the start of his term that as allies become successful in Syria and Iraq, the IS will be looking for a land base and Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are potential targets for them,” he said.