President Joko Widodo says drugs pose a bigger danger than Islamist militancy and he has ordered an intensification of a drugs war that has included the execution of drug traffickers, the latest in July when three Nigerians and an Indonesian faced a firing squad.
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“We can make it clear that if the chase begins in Indonesia and continues in global waters, and inside Philippine waters, they can go ahead and blast them off”, said the firebrand leader, relating what he told President Joko Widodo at the recently concluded Asean and East Asia summits in Laos.
Speaking to members of the Filipino community, Duterte said there is so much piracy in waters of Sulu and Sulawesi Sea; hence the need to step up joint measures to address the issue.
The Philippine president also apologized to Jokowi on the high frequency of abductions of Indonesian citizens in his country’s waters.
Duterte, on his first foreign bilateral trip since winning power in May elections, said the two sides had committed to take “all necessary steps” to ensure maritime security.
As two of the largest archipelagos in the world, the two leaders recognized the value of maritime cooperation between the Philippines and Indonesia.
“In the high seas, the rule in the global waters is this: If you are a pirate, you can be arrested by any nation because piracy is a crime against humanity”, Duterte said. Duterte, known for his outspoken style and controversial comments, said piracy is a “crime against humanity” and encouraged Indonesian forces to “feed [pirates] to the sharks”. “After prosecuting the illegal recruiter who (is one of) the main principals here, and if it turns out in the trial in the Philippines that Mary Jane (was) a victim, then at that point we can ask for clemency soon”, he added. We will seek ways to intensify cooperation in the campaign against illegal drugs.
“My meeting with President Widodo was very productive and fruitful”.
“[A barter] would emphasize that the strict anti-narcotics policies in both Indonesia and the Philippines are only political tools [.] Indonesia should hold onto its legal principles. It’s only in Malaysia and Indonesia that can help us, nobody else”, Duterte said.
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President Duterte recalled that Indonesia helped the Philippines during oil crisis of 1972.
