Manila: Nearly a year after the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia agreed to unified action to combat piracy and other crimes in the areas covering their common maritime borders, the three nations finally implemented the agreement.
According to the Philippines, Department of National Defence, officials from the three countries formally launched on Monday coordinated air and sea patrols.
Secretary of National Defence Delfin Lorenzana together with his counterparts, Indonesian and Malaysian defence ministers Ryacudu and Hisshammudin said the trilateral maritime patrol is the response to the increasing incidence of armed robbery at sea, kidnapping and other transnational crimes along the shared areas of the three countries.
The three countries are all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) and in past discussions, it have been observed that there is an increasing number of incidents of seaborn criminal acts conducted by armed groups such as the Sulu and Basilan-based Abu Sayyaf.
The Abu Sayyaf had been blamed for the abduction of a number of people aboard vessels transiting the Sulu Sea area as well as hijacking and cross border piracy attacks.
Lorenzana stressed that the transnational security challenges faced by the three countries necessitated the establishment of a Trilateral Maritime Patrol.
Aside from boosting their respective capabilities to go after criminals, the trilateral cooperation is also expected to beef up the three countries collaboration to counter the movement of violent extremists and terrorists their borders.
“Given the vast areas to be patrolled, it is necessary for the three countries to join forces in ensuring that the waters remain safe and secure,” the three ministers noted.
With the launch of the trilateral maritime patrols, civilian vessels in distress, while transiting the so-called areas of common concern, could now count the three navies to come to their assistance.
A key component in the cooperation in maritime patrols is the establishment of military coordination centres between the military services of the three countries.
“Maritime patrols are only effective if it is underpinned by efficient information sharing to ensure a common operating picture in the maritime domain.,” the defence ministers said in a statement.
Military Coordination Centres (MCC) have been set up in Bongao, Tawi-tawi, Philippines and Tawau, Malaysia and on Monday, an MCC has been activated in Indonesia’s Tarakan.
The MCC takes off from the example shown by Singapore.
Singapore’s Information Fusion Centre monitors piracy in the Strait of Malacca and collates relevant information to avoid criminal incidents at sea.
