Manila, May 14: India and the Philippines have reinforced bilateral cooperation on counter-terrorism during the second Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting held in Manila, amid evolving regional and global security challenges.
The two-day engagement focused on expanding collaboration across key areas including counter-terror operations, law enforcement coordination, judicial cooperation, and capacity building. Both sides strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border threats, and reiterated their commitment to a zero-tolerance approach.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the Philippines expressed solidarity with India following recent terror incidents, underlining shared concerns over rising security risks.
The meeting was co-chaired by Vinod Bahade and Marshall Louis M Alferez, reflecting high-level institutional engagement between the two countries.
A key focus area was enhancing real-time intelligence sharing and coordinated responses to emerging threats, including the misuse of new and emerging technologies for terrorism and terror financing. Discussions also covered strategies to counter radicalisation and violent extremism.
Both nations emphasised the importance of strengthening cooperation at multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, Financial Action Task Force, Asia/Pacific Group (APG), and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), signalling a coordinated global approach to counter-terrorism.
During the visit, the Indian delegation engaged with key Philippine institutions, including the National Security Council and Anti-Money Laundering Council, to deepen operational and policy-level coordination.
The two sides agreed to hold the next JWG meeting in India, underscoring continuity in bilateral security engagement.
Overall, the dialogue highlights a growing convergence between India and the Philippines on security priorities, with a focus on intelligence-led operations, regulatory alignment, and multilateral cooperation to address increasingly complex terror threats.
