Abu Sayyaf, common enemy of PH, Malaysia – Aquino

From the Manila Bulletin (Mar 2): Abu Sayyaf, common enemy of PH, Malaysia – Aquino

The Abu Sayyaf Group, blamed for kidnappings of foreigners and other attacks, has become a common enemy of the Philippines and Malaysia, according to President Benigno S. Aquino III.

To combat the Abu Sayyaf banditry and other criminal activities in the shared seas, the President said both countries agreed to establish a security hotline for “closer cooperation” on security and intelligence matters.

“The Abu Sayyaf, amongst other groups, is a problem common to both of us. And it behooves us to have greater coordination to first prevent and forestall, and in fact, hopefully deter any such activities,” the President said in a media interview last Friday before flying to Manila.

“Addressing the criminality and the banditry is, I think, a common concern,” Aquino added.

Last Friday, Aquino met Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak at his Putrajaya office where they tackled the need for timely exchange of intelligence during security incidents.

Under a security hotline, the President said the two countries can exchange information about security incidents that “can be acted upon in a more timely manner.”

He said an organization will likely be set up to determine the individuals responsible for the efficient communication between the two security forces. “When our forces cooperate with theirs, how do we respect each other’s boundaries also at the same time, not how do we make it very difficult for criminal-minded elements such as this,” he added.

Aquino said Najib raised the 2013 abduction of a Taiwanese couple in a Malaysian island resort by suspected Abu Sayyaf group during their meeting.

The Taiwanese man was killed by the gunmen during the attack on the resort last November. His wife was held captive in southern Philippines but eventually rescued by authorities.

Aquino, for his part, recalled the kidnapping of 20 foreign tourists in Sipadan, Malaysia by the Abu Sayyaf group back in 2000.

The latest agreement on defense cooperation came a year after hundreds of Filipino gunmen went to Sabah to assert a historical territorial claim. Dozens of people were killed during the firefight between the armed supporters of Sulu Sultanate and Malaysian forces. Around 27 Filipinos are now facing trial for the Lahad Datu incident.

Meantime, the Malaysian Prime Minister brought up the Sabah issue with President Aquino during their meeting last Friday here.

In particular, Najib reminded Aquino about the proposed establishment of a Philippine consulate in Kota Kinabalu, capital of Sabah.

Aquino said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is re-examining the request for such consulate, adding that Kota Kinabalu is not part of the property being claimed by the Sultanate of Sulu.

The Philippine leader, however, did not push for the country’s claim to Sabah in his talks with Najib due to ongoing government study.

“We told our Malaysian counterparts that we’re not after conflict with anybody. But we want to be able to tell our people the real score, and in that sense, come up to a consensus based on that which is right,” he said.

President Aquino earlier said the Sabah issue is not part of the agenda in his meeting with Najib.

http://www.mb.com.ph/abu-sayyaf-common-enemy-of-ph-malaysia-aquino/