The defense chiefs of Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines agreed to explore joint air patrols “driven by the need to address the rising incidents of armed robbery at sea, kidnapping and piracy in the three countries areas of common concern”, an official said Monday,

Assistant Defense Secretary Raymond Jose Quilop said the meeting between the three countries was held last Saturday in Hawaii, venue of the ASEAN-US Defense Dialogue.

Quilop said Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Malaysian Defense Minister Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia, General (R) Ryamizard Ryacudu attended the meeting.

“The three ministers agreed to explore joint air patrols even while their respective armed forces are finalizing the parameters for maritime patrol in the agreed upon transit corridor in what the three countries consider as maritime areas of common concern,” Quilop said.

“Primarily driven by the need to address the rising incidents of armed robbery at sea, kidnapping and piracy in the three countries areas of common concern, the trilateral meeting has evolved to be a platform for the defense ministers to address other emerging common concerns to include violent extremism,” he added.

Quilop also noted that “the phenomenon of returning fighters from the conflict in the Middle East could eventually create security challenges for the three countries, something which the ministers recognized and hence their decision to further get their act together.”

“With the political support of their respective political leaders, Presidents Rodrigo Duterte and Jokowi Widodo and Prime Minister Najib Razak, the three ministers are confident that the apparent intent of ISIL-affiliated groups in their respective countries to establish a caliphate in Southeast Asia, similar to what the ISIL intends to put up in the Middle East, would not become a possibility,” he said.

Quilop said during the ASEAN-US Defense Dialogue on September 30, Lorenzana elaborated on the Philippines experience with inter-agency work in dealing with maritime security concerns through the National Coast Watch System.

“Interagency may well be the way forward in regard to the trilateral cooperation among the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, an initiative that has recently taken off given the commitment of the three countries defense ministers.,” he said.

“Meeting in Hawaii, the defense ministers of ASEAN and the US exchanged views on common security challenges specifically natural and man made disasters, maritime security and violent extremism and terrorism,” he added. Robina Asido