Philippine President orders military, police to contain IS threat
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on February 18 ordered the military and police to continuously contain the threat of the self-claimed Islamic State (IS) in the country.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (Source: EPA)
Hanoi (VNA) – PhilippinePresident Rodrigo Duterte on February 18 ordered the military and police tocontinuously contain the threat of the self-claimed Islamic State (IS) in thecountry.
Speaking to the alumni of thePhilippine Military Academy (PMA), Duterte underscored the need to secure thesouthern Philippine region of Mindanao from the Islamic militants who wish toestablish a caliphate here.
Duterte ordered government troops andpolice force to use all available assets and resources to defeat IS militants,saying that this is the only way to secure Mindanao.
According to him, the Sulu-based AbuSayyaf group focuses on kidnap-for-ransom activities, while the Basilan-basedAbu Sayyaf bandits remains focused on assimilating the IS violence.
The President reiterated his campaignpromise to enforce peace and order in the country, stressing that the countryat peace will foster economic development.
He also asked the military to supporthis war against illegal drugs that has been underway since he took office.-VNA
Philippine Secretary of Defence Delfin Lorenzana on February 9 said that the country is certain local militants have close relations with the Islamic State (IS).
Nearly 100 policemen have been dismissed since the start of the year because they were found to be drug users, in a clean-up of the ranks after President Rodrigo Duterte halted police anti-drug operations, according to a local senior official.
Five people were killed and 15 others wounded in a series of attacks by the New People’s Army (NPA) in southern Philippines on February 16, said the Philippine army on February 17.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev jointly declared the conclusion of FTA talks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), according to the statement.
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In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
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The forum featured two in-depth discussion sessions, engaging representatives from governments, think tanks, and businesses from both ASEAN and China, on how to forge closer ties for a common future.
The new FIFA Hub in Jakarta will not only support football development in Indonesia but also serve as a coordination centre for 21 football associations across Southeast and East Asia.
Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen reaffirmed Vietnam’s principled and consistent stance on the Palestine issue, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire across the entire Gaza Strip.
PM Anwar Ibrahim affirmed the determination of Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, to utilise all viable regional mechanisms of the bloc and work with partners to de-escalate violence and restore a peace process led by Myanmar.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (Source: EPA) 
