RP, Indons beef up border security

DAVAO CITY — The Philippines and Indonesia have strengthened security in their territorial waters in the continued campaign against terrorism.

The two countries agreed to enhance the exchange of intelligence information on terrorism during the 25th Vice Chairmen’s Conference that ended the other day at the Waterfront Insular Davao Hotel here.

Maj. Gen. Gabriel Habacon, chief of the Armed Forces Southern Command, and Gen. Edy Moerdijanto headed the Philippine and Indonesian delegations, respectively.

The fight against terrorism has been focused on the territorial waters between Mindanao and eastern Indonesia, where members of the Jakarta-based terror group Jemaah Islamiyah freely cross to carry out their bombing missions.

The Philippine group submitted a detailed proposal on the exchange of intelligence information on terrorism, which the Indonesian authorities would further study.

The proposals will reportedly be acted upon during the Chairmen’s Conference slated sometime in October.

The Indonesian officials, for their part, presented a proposed list of additional goods that border-crossers should be prohibited from carrying.

Meanwhile, both countries agreed to increase coordinated patrols from one to at least four yearly, one of them during the Vice Chairmen’s Conference.

The Philippine delegation announced during the conference that it would dedicate a section of the Armed Forces website to matters concerning the Indonesian and Philippine Border Committee.

An official e-mail account will also be put up for easy exchange of information between the two countries.