President Duterte, Widodo agree to address piracy, lawlessness in Southeast Asian region waters

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 9): President Duterte, Widodo agree to address piracy, lawlessness in Southeast Asian region waters

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo agreed on Friday to expand cooperation in maritime security with the goal of fighting piracy and lawlessness in the Southeast Asian region vast waters.

”We expressed grave concern over the security of our waters. We agreed to step up joint measures to address the issue of piracy and lawlessness in the waters in our region,” Duterte said in a joint statement after their bilateral meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia.

In a meeting earlier with the Filipino community in Jakarta, President Duterte stressed the need to combat piracy in the high seas between the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.

He said the international rules in the high seas provide that a pirate can be arrested by any nation “because piracy is a crime against humanity.”

In particular, President Duterte mentioned the Philippines’ problem with Abu Sayyaf, a terrorist group engaged in bombing, kidnap-for-ransom and beheading of their hostages if ransom is not given.

”The Abu Sayyaf, they are now officially telling everybody that they are with ISIS and that makes it doubly really terrible. We’d have to do something about this,” the President said.

”In the Philippines, it’s not allowed too, that’s why I said that, maybe there are sharks around and just feed them to the sharks. It would make them fat. Good for sashimi also,” he added.

As two of the largest archipelagos in the world, the two leaders recognized the value of maritime cooperation between the Philippines and Indonesia.

”My meeting with President Widodo was very productive and fruitful. We discussed ways of strengthening existing bilateral cooperation and identified new areas of partnership, including maritime security and in law enforcement,” Duterte said.

”We agreed to encourage the earliest and effective implementation of cooperative frameworks to address security issues in maritime areas of common concern. We expressed commitment to take all necessary measures to ensure security in the Sulu Sea and maritime areas of common concern,” he added.

Duterte asked the Filipino community in Indonesia to pray for him “not because you love me but because you need me.”

”I will suppress drugs and in the fullness of God’s time.. you can walk about in the Philippines free of the fears of being mobbed,” the President said.

”Human rights, I will continue the campaign against the criminals. I don’t have any pity with them,” he said.

Both leaders viewed with grave concern the threat of terrorism and violent extremism

”We agreed to work together to prevent, arrest and prosecute all those who seek to sow fear and terror in our societies,” Duterte said.

”We share the deep concern over the trade in illicit and illegal drugs and its impact on our societies. We will seek ways to intensify cooperation in the campaign against illegal drugs. We will do our part in contributing to the aim of a drug-free ASEAN Community,” he added.

President Duterte said the Philippines considers its relations with Indonesia as among the most important.

”And today, we have taken steps to ensure that those ties remain vibrant and will gain greater depth and new dimensions,” he said.

”Indonesia is not only a friend but a brother. Indonesia is assured of the Philippines’ commitment to grow these relations in the years to come,” he added.

President Duterte recalled that Indonesia helped the Philippines during oil crisis 1972.

”I was still a student at that time when I read the assurance of the Indonesian government: that not to worry if no oil would get to us by way of the Middle East. And they said that, 'You Filipinos will be supported by the Indonesians. You will have your oil and gasoline',” he said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=921914