THE spate of abductions perpe-trated by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) against Indonesians has prompted Manila and Jakarta officials to revisit and implement an old but existing agreement that both countries can actually pursue criminals in each other’s territory, provided such is in the conduct of pursuit operations.
Outgoing Defense Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin said the 1975 Border Crossing Agreement with Indonesia was revisited during his recent talks with his Indonesian counterpart in Manila, wherein the principle of air and maritime patrols was agreed upon, along with Malaysia, within the three countries’ “maritime areas of
common concern.”
“The agreement was based on the 1975 Border Agreement, which, if you apply the principle of hot pursuit, their [Indonesian] forces can pursue a criminal or a terrorist, if the crime is committed within their area, who escaped toward our maritime area,”
Gazmin said during his farewell visit to the Defense Press Corps
on Wednesday.
“Once the operation reaches land, it will be [a] coordinated operation, but [no weapon shall be carried by the pursuers]. Coordinated in terms of probably exchange of information,” the defense chief added.
The 1975 agreement allows Indonesian security forces to enter the country’s maritime zones
under the concept of hot pursuit in the same way that Filipino forces are allowed to enter Indonesian maritime zones.
In such incidents, however, Philippine troops or Indonesian forces should be informed, so that a coordinated and joint operation could immediately be undertaken.
The agreement was reached as part of the efforts of both countries to address transnational crimes, which also happen and move through the high seas.
The ASG has snatched seven Indonesian sailors on June 22, reportedly within Indonesia’s waters, and allegedly took them to Sulu, the same province where the terrorist group also brought its 10 Indonesian captives that it abducted while they were sailing within the
waters of Tawi-Tawi in March.
However, Gazmin said the hot-pursuit agreement with Indonesia will not work because the latest kidnapping happened within the country’s waters.
“I don’t think so, because it happened within Philippine waters, so there is no hot pursuit; the principle of hot pursuit will not work,” he said.
Gazmin said Indonesian forces can still join in the operations, but without weapons and through exchange of information.
“We can ask for assistance in terms of exchange of information; we can ask for information about the identities of the victims, but for them to come and help in the rescue, it is not allowed,” Gazmin said.