DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 5, 2014) – The Philippines and Indonesia on Wednesday signed a bilateral accord that would further strengthen mutual commitment of the two countries for a peaceful resolution of border issues and security, among others.
The Philippine military’s Eastern Mindanao Command headed by Lt. Gen.Ricardo Rainier Cruz III hosted the 32nd Republic of the Philippines-Republic of Indonesia Border Committee – Chairmen’s Conference held at the Grand Regal Hotel in Davao City.
Army Capt. Alberto Caber, a spokesman for the Eastern Mindanao Command, said Cruz, who is chairman of the Philippine Border Committee, and members of the Unified Staff and local government officials welcomed the group of Maj. Gen. Bachtiar, chairman of the Indonesia Border Committee and currently head of the Military Area Command VII.
Caber said both countries signed a bilateral agreement that would grant navigational lane and allow Filipino fishing vessels to pass through Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone in going to high seas to conserve time and expenditure; and to set guidelines with regard to the type and size of vessels and the mandatory safety equipment on board the vessels in crossing the border.
The accord also extended the area of coordinated patrol operation up to Sulu Islands and modifies the concept of operation of coordinated patrol and to harmonize Philippine and Indonesia border crossing stations’ standing operating procedures and to assign custom personnel at those border crossing stations and restricts transportation of contraband, including liquor, across the borders.
“This confidence building measure improves our security relations as evidenced by our willingness to exchange information in order to protect our mutual interest. May I pray for everyone to work together as one team so that we could come up with mutually beneficial solutions to both our concern,” Cruz was quoted as saying.
Cruz said the accord will doubly serve both countries, which are signatories of the United Nations on the Convention of the Law of the Seas which later created the Regional Fisheries Management Organization and thereafter created the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission aimed at developing resolutions, conservation and management measures relating to fishing operations in the Pacific Ocean.
The conference was also attended by regional directors and officials from the Philippines’ Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of Social Welfare and Development, National Statistics Office, Maritime Industry, Mindanao Development Authority, Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Quarantine and Department of Foreign Affairs. (Mindanao Examiner)
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