Aquino to discuss security issues with Asean leaders

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino is expected to push for greater cooperation among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as regional heads discuss security issues following the death of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden during their summit in Jakarta, Indonesia starting on Friday.

Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs Victoria Bataclan, in a press briefing in Malacañang, said yesterday that high oil prices due to the political unrest in North Africa and the Middle East are also expected to be raised. Bataclan said combating terrorism, transnational crimes such as drug trafficking, human trafficking and piracy would certainly be discussed at the ASEAN summit in Jakarta. “The ASEAN leaders will certainly, as they usually do, exchange views on international and regional (security) issues,” Bataclan said.

The ASEAN Declaration on Joint Action to Counter Terrorism has been adopted in 2001 to strengthen cooperation at bilateral, regional and international levels to fight terrorism in a comprehensive manner.

The terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) based in Indonesia and the Abu Sayyaf in Western Mindanao are believed to have links with bin Laden’s al-Qaeda.

The JI is responsible for the bombings in Bali that killed more than 200 people in 2002, while the Abu Sayyaf is responsible for the country’s worst terrorist attacks, including a ferry bombing that killed more than 100 people in 2004. 

The Abu Sayyaf is also wanted for the kidnapping of foreign tourists in 2001, where two Americans died while in captivity.

Bataclan said there are also several existing ASEAN agreements related to petroleum sharing and energy cooperation promoting efficiency.

“So discussions on how these agreements in ASEAN are being implemented or not so well implemented will certainly be accentuated,” Bataclan said.

She said the President was scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with the prime ministers of Laos and Cambodia as well as the ASEAN secretary-general.

She disclosed that arrangements were still being made for Aquino to meet Vietnamese and other ASEAN leaders during the summit. “ASEAN summits are always great opportunities for bilateral (discussions) on the sidelines of the summit meetings,” Bataclan said.