REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia's Minister of Defense, Ryamizard Ryacudu, said here on Thursday that exchange of intelligence is the most important technical cooperation for fighting ISIS in the Philippines.
"Unless there is intelligence cooperation, it will be useless for us to work," he said, when asked over the issue.
Strengthening joint patrol in the sea, air, and on land is also essential for the three countries, namely Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia, he added.
Ryamizard noted that the trilateral cooperation needs to be implemented because ISIS, as a common enemy, is already present in southern Philippines.
"Through cooperation, the chance for success will be bigger. We have always talked by phone minimally once in two days with our Philippine and Malaysian counterparts," he remarked.
He noted that although Indonesia has expressed readiness to support, the Philippine government is yet to get an approval from its congress before it would accept it.
"We cannot enter unless we are allowed to, although President (Rodrigo Roa Duterte) allows it. However, we have to stand by," he revealed.
On Monday, in Tarakan, North Kalimantan province, Indonesian military commander General Gatot Nurmantyo met General Mohamed Affandi and General Eduardo M Ano AFP, respectively, from Malaysia and the Philippines to sign a Maritime Command Center (MCC).
The MCC will help all parties in implementing a number of strategic preventive measures, carry out coordinative patrol, provide immediate assistance to save human beings or ships during emergency, establish national focal points in the three countries to facilitate information and intelligence sharing, and set up a communication network to ease coordination during emergency.
MCC Indonesia is stationed in Tarakan, MCC Malaysia in Tawau, and MCC Philippines in Bongso.
The central command of MCC will be the maritime security post to monitor ships operating and patrolling in the seas.
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