ASEAN up in arms against terrorism

Even with the neutralization of international terrorist groups like the Al Qaeda, Jimaah Islamiah and the local Abu Sayyaf, people could not afford to be complacent, an Anti-Terrorism Council official said.


“The terrorists keep on coming back and we cannot lower our guard,” said Nabil Tan, executive director of the Anti-Terrorism Council-Program Management Center based in Malacañang.


Tan, also Undersecretary of the Office of the Executive Secretary in Malacañang, was in Cebu yesterday along with the representatives of the ten-member countries of the ASEAN-Japan Counter-Terrorism dialogue.


Tan said that Filipinos and people worldwide should always be vigilant in terms of guarding their countries’ borders to prevent terrorists from coming in.


“Because plans can be hatched in one country, be executed in another country, and funded by another country,” he said. “So it’s a global sort of undertaking by terrorists that’s why there is a need for this kind of dialogue to foster closer cooperation and collaboration and exchange of information, which is very important,” Tan added.


As for the Philippines, Tan said they will focus more on the prevention side by being strict in terms of firearms control and explosives as well as foster strong community participation.


The Malacañang official further said that the country has strengthened its law in terms of fighting terrorism when President Benigno Aquino III recently signed the amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering Act and the Counter-Terrorism Financing Act.


“So that you deny the terrorists a financing, which they need to execute their terrorism plan,” Tan added.


The two-day ASEAN-Japan Counter-Terrorism Dialogue, which was held at Marco Polo Plaza Hotel Cebu, started yesterday. It was the first time the Philippines hosted the event, which was established in 2006.


Tan said this year’s event is actually the start of the second-phase counter-terrorism dialogue, which they aimed to end on 2015.


He said each country will be given a chance to present their counter-terrorism initiatives in the second phase.


In the first phase, ten project proposals were approved and with funds from the government of Japan, some of these proposals have been completed while some are still being implemented.


Meanwhile, Undersecretary Rico Escalona Puno said, “Starting November 2004, the ASEAN Japan, in joint declaration for cooperation to combat international terrorism, was adopted by 11 heads of state.”


In 2006, the Asean Japan Counter Terrorism Dialogue was established. The dialogue has produced concrete actions and services, and has released projects with a total amount of more than 1 billion U.S dollars.


“With a clear vision to fight terrorism, this dialogue aims to properly maximize and utilize the benevolence of the government of Japan and jive in funding the remaining three dialogue for the year 2015,” Puno said.


The Ambassador in Charge of International Cooperation for Countering Terrorism and International Organized Crime and Ambassador in Charge of Cyber Policy, Tomatsu Shinotsuka said, “It is our great pleasure to see the development of this process. We will now fight terrorism which is a common threat to authority in the nation and also to the world as a whole.”


Shinotsuka enumerated substantive progress and achievements of the dialogue such as the progress of the ASEAN formation on countering terrorism and the implementation of useful projects under the framework of the dialogue.


Executive Secretary and Chairman of Anti-Terrorism Council Pacquito Ochoa, Jr said, “We are here to protect our cities and our citizens from something that threatens us all. We must remain vigilant.”


Ochoa said that the threat of terrorism is still there and it will only be thwarted for the continued vigilance.


“The key in defeating terrorism is generally cooperation and well-planned programs.” Ochoa said.


The dialogue was attended by the representatives of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan.-The Philippines Star (July 26, 2012)