Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia vow enhanced security cooperation

MANILA, Philippines – Defense leaders from the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia agreed to beef up security cooperation in the waters off Sulu archipelago, the common maritime border area of the three countries.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin met with his counterparts from Malaysia and Indonesia on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) in Vientiane, Laos to discuss ways to address rising crimes, piracy, kidnapping and smuggling in the area.

In a statement, the defense department said the leaders agreed to ensure timely sharing of relevant information and direct their respective intelligence units to be more open in sharing databases of criminals.

Indonesia, through its defense minister Ryamizard Ryacudu, proposed to have joint posts of coordination within the countries’ respective borders. 

The Philippines regularly conducts coordinated patrols with Indonesia while the Philippines has anti-smuggling agreement with Malaysia.

“They also agreed to use existing platforms in undertaking joint patrols,” the statement read.

The idea of coordinated patrol is in accordance with the Joint Declaration on Immediate Measures in the Maritime Areas of Common Concern that was signed by the three countries’ foreign ministers and chiefs of defense last May 5.