Philippine and South Korean army chiefs tackle cooperation in counter-terrorism

September 11, 2019

Philippine and South Korea army chiefs discussed cooperation and exchanges in counter-terrorism and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) in Thailand early this week.

Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala, Philippine Army spokesman, said Commanding General Macairog Alberto met with General Suh Wook during the 11th Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs (IPACC) conference in Bangkok on Monday.

"The two agreed that mutual cooperation and exchanges between the two armies must not only be on counter-terrorism but HADR as well," he said.

Zagala said during the bilateral meeting Alberto explained there are foreign terrorists in the Philippines.

"Terrorist groups cross political boundaries in order to reach their goal, giving rise to the need for strong and effective multilateral and multinational cooperation against this threat which is a concern for all the armies in the Indo-Pacific region," Zagala said.

"Alberto shared the vital role of strong first responders, government agencies and the civilian sector in disaster response," he added.

Zagala said Suh "expressed ROKA’s ( Republic of Korea Army) interest to learn from the PA’s experience on civilian and military cooperation during HADR."

"Suh also discussed the long history of the Philippine and South Korean relations that started when the Army sent its own soldiers in Korea to fight to on their side during the Korean War in the 1950s," he said.

“As the role of the Philippine Army changes from addressing traditional threats to unconventional ones like terrorism and natural disasters, we open the organization to to more mutual cooperation and exchanges with our foreign counterparts," Zagala said.

"This ensures that we are able to share knowledge with our neighbors as well as improve our capability to better address current threats and prepare for emerging ones," he added. Robina Asido/DMS