Philippines, Jordan unite in fight against terrorism

AMMAN — The Philippines and Jordan have vowed to unite in the fight against terrorism as they admitted that the threat posed by extremists may not be quelled anytime soon. 

President Rodrigo Duterte and Jordanian King Abdullah II stressed that terrorism is a "scourge" and an "evil" that is threatening their countries' security and causing suffering to people in their regions.  

"I think one of the main things that bind us together is the scourge of terrorism which is a challenge for our region and your region, for your country and my country....the international cooperation and coordination...is now becoming much more apparent because this is an issue that’s going to last with us not only for the next five to ten, 15 years," King ABdullah said during his bilateral meeting with Duterte. 

"It’s going to take us a while to overcome the...mentalities that these very horrible evil people perpetrated in your region and in mine," he added. 

Duterte, the first sitting Philippine president to visit Jordan, agreed that terrorism cannot be defeated easily but expressed hope that the next generation would be able to "live comfortably."

He said the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the extremist group that threatens Jordan's borders, has been establishing operational hubs in Mindanao, which is till grappling with a decades-old Muslim insurgency. 

"Terrorism is the scourge of mankind today and it will take us about a lot more years to stop it," the president said. 

Duterte thanked Abdullah for providing military equipment to the Philippines and promised to boost the Philippines' friendship with Jordan. 

Jordan has agreed to provide two used Cobra attack helicopters to the Philippines, a development that officials said would enhance the military's drive against terrorism and other security threats. 

The two helicopters are expected to be delivered in July next year after the nine-month training of Filipino pilots. Jordan also vowed to provide brand-new rifles, mortars, and rocket-propelled grenades.

In a business forum held hours after his working lunch with King Andullah, Duterte expressed readiness to provide Jordan troops if needed. 

"I'll leave you my guarantee that we will be friends and we will nurse and nurture it fully so that someday my people can really say that you paved the way for the good relationship. If you are short of your army, let me know," he said. 

"You need one battalion? Two, three, four, five? I'll send them to you. So no problem. I will commit my government in the right side of history. The right side of history is that you are fair and that you can understand the problems of humanity and that you realize that you need as much as I need you in order to (work) this place called Earth, beautiful and working for all of us," he added.