Phl, Malaysia, Indonesia eye joint border counter-terror patrols

MANILA, Philippines -  The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia are eyeing a joint task force against security threats and may open their borders to each other to chase terrorists and other armed groups, President Duterte said. 

Duterte said he would meet with Indonesia President Joko Widodo and Malaysia President Najib Razak to thresh out the details of the border cooperation deal. 

“We have agreed that we will talk… the three of us… We are just waiting for the right timing,” the President told journalists in Davao City Saturday night. 

“In all probability, it will be like a joint task force. And I will open my borders to the Malaysian authorities and Indonesian authorities, and… they’ll be given access.

“If we are chasing someone and there is no more time, we can hit him. Even if he’s a Filipino, we can tell them ‘hit him’ or Indonesian here, we can hit him,” he added. 

Duterte said the meeting may be held near the Philippine shore, in Sabah or in Jakarta. 

“They are doing it already. But to formalize an agreement, we have to meet face to face and agree on an agenda for the talks,” the President said. 

“But I said I can only, maybe, be there for about a day or two. At this time, I do not have the luxury of time because I have a serious problem here… I’ve been to Marawi several times. I intend to go there until it’s over,” he added. 

Last June, the three Southeast Asian countries kicked off joint maritime patrols to fight terrorism, piracy and other transnational crimes. They also agreed to share intelligence information and assets and establish a joint headquarters.

The joint patrols started a month after Islamic State-styled Maute terrorists laid siege to Marawi City, kidnapped dozens of civilians and torched several buildings. The successive attacks by the Maute group prompted Duterte to place the entire island of Mindanao under martial law. 

More than 600 terrorists, 40 civilians, and 130 government troopers have been killed since fighting erupted last May 23. 

Duterte warned that the Islamic State extremists may shore up their presence in Southeast Asia as they lose their grip over the territories they once held in the Middle East. 

“The ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) is being cornered into the coastal towns of Syria.They are being repelled from Syria. Once they lose mass base, they have nowhere to go and they will be killed,” Duterte said

“They will escape. And then because they have access in some countries, they will just appear just like what happened in Marawi,” he added. 

Duterte warned that the ISIS would be active in predominantly Muslim cities to recruit new followers.