Philippines, France to cooperate vs terrorism

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino and French President Francois Hollande agreed yesterday to boost cooperation to fight terrorism amid new threats posed by unorganized groups and the “lone wolf,” manifested in the Charlie Hebdo attack in January that claimed the lives of 20 people in Paris.

“A common problem between France and the Philippines is the presence of terrorists that are not organized or not falling into previously organized groups that somehow somebody has an intelligence on. The worry in our case is we call them lone wolf, somebody who comes in, who is not in the database of anybody, who has been radicalized sometimes by the Internet and doing these nefarious deeds,” Aquino said in a joint press conference with Hollande on the sidelines of the launching of the Manila Call to Action on Climate Change.

“Therefore, exchanges of intelligence, exchanges of best practices have been discussed between France and ourselves to fortify our respective countries with regards to terrorism,” the President said.

Aquino said terrorism “is a problem for all of mankind, and if we do not act together, then we are not fortifying ourselves to the nth degree possible and this is something that we should avoid.”

In his toast during the state dinner for Hollande, whose visit was the first for a French leader since diplomatic relations were established between the Philippines and France, Aquino said that as leaders of their respective peoples, “you and I are bound by fraternité; ours is a brotherhood pledged to protecting the principles that serve as the firm foundation of our nations: the belief in the democratic way of life, the pursuit of justice and the preservation of one’s rights, and the promotion of the rule of law.

“Thus, I could not help but be appalled when I heard of the tragedy that struck the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris. Such savagery should have no place in this world, and my countrymen and I are in full support of the people of France, as you uphold human dignity and work to protect the blessings of democracy,” Aquino said.

“Whether in denying haven to those who seek to undermine freedom and justice through extremist means, in fighting for peace and order, or in building a world that is more resilient and more inclusive, your efforts truly reflect your deep commitment to the principles that we share. I assure you: I am one with you in treading this path towards a better, more sustainable future for both our peoples and the wider community of nations,” the President said.

Hollande said during the joint press conference that he took up the topic with Aquino and thanked him for the expression of solidarity as soon as the Charlie Hebdo attack took place.

“We have decided to intensify our cooperation in the fight against terrorism because terrorism can strike everywhere. We can exchange information. We can monitor certain individuals. We can act in such a way as to eradicate the causes of terrorism ad among these causes there is also climate change, poverty, displacement of people, wars,” Hollande said.

While the two leaders stressed the need to combat terrorism, they noted climate change should not be a lesser priority, as this problem had been causing much devastation and affecting the lives of billions of people.

Amid all the tragic developments happening in the world because of terrorism and natural disasters, Hollande said there must be hope and “there is hope here in Manila, the hope of people rising given the challenges.”

“We want this appeal to be launched here,” Hollande said in French, referring to the Manila Call to Action on Climate Change.

During the launching held at the scenic Palace grounds beside the iconic balete tree, Hollande stressed “we need the Philippines” to lead efforts to mobilize members of the international community to combat climate change rather than delay action amid other major concerns like terrorism, economic difficulties and poverty.

Hollande said France would provide assistance to the Philippines to address climate change and speed up the rehabilitation of areas hit by Super Typhoon Yolanda, specifically Guiuan, Eastern Samar that he would visit today along with the rest of his delegation.

According to Hollande, the international community would never be able to “find agreement” on how to combat climate change if countries would continue to prioritize other issues even as natural disasters were becoming much more destructive.