Philippines welcomes Australia's offer to send surveillance planes

The Philippines expressed on Friday its welcome to Australia's offer to send its intelligence-gathering planes to help the country crush the militants allied with the Islamic State (IS) in the southern Philippine city of Marawi.

Ernesto Abella, President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman, told a news conference in Davao City that the Philippines welcomes Australia's offer, adding that the Philippine government "would gladly welcome any form of foreign assistance allowed under our constitution to help suppress the rebellion in Marawi."

Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne said in a statement that Australia will send two of its advanced intelligence-gathering AP-3C Orion planes to help the Philippine military crush the remaining Islamist militants allied with the IS in the besieged southern Philippine city of Marawi.

Brig. Gen. Gilbert Gapay, the deputy commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command, lauded the deployment of Australian surveillance aircraft, stressing the importance of intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance capability in the military operations.

So far the month-long conflict in Marawi has killed at least 375 people, including 26 civilians and 69 soldiers and policemen. Most of the city's 200,000 residents have fled after clashes between troops and militants broke out on May 23, crowding in evacuation centers in nearby Iligan City, Philippine authorities said.

Abella said the military offensive has so far been successful in preventing the establishment of an IS caliphate in Marawi.

"The main goal of preventing has already been, I believe, hugely successful, and we have now entered into agreement with the neighboring countries so that this will not recur," he said.

Abella said the militants have resorted to "increasing willful intention of arson activities in various areas of the city."

The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia closed ranks on Thursday to collectively crush the IS-linked militants and prevent the terror groups to establish a base in the southern Philippines and the rest of the Southeast Asian region.

"We are making a collective effort on the Philippines' trilateral agreement with Indonesia and Malaysia against terrorism and extremism," said Abella, stressing the cooperation is aimed at preventing the IS-linked terrorists from establishing operational bases in Southeast Asia.

He said the three Southeast Asian countries have agreed to work together "to jointly develop and implement counter-terrorism measures and strategies."

Gen. Eduardo Ano, the chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said at least 40 foreign terrorists have entered the Philippines to help local militants establish an IS caliphate in the southern Philippines.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)