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India-Philippines Strengthen Counter-Terrorism Ties at Manila Meet

The 2nd meeting of the India-Philippines Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism was held in Manila, co-chaired by Vinod Bahade and Marshall Louis M Alferez. Both sides condemned terrorism, including the 2025 Pahalgam and Red Fort attacks, and discussed regional and global terror threats. They agreed to enhance cooperation in information sharing, countering terror financing, and preventing radicalization. The next meeting will be held in India.

Key Points: India-Philippines Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism

  • Condemned Pahalgam and Red Fort terror attacks
  • Discussed cooperation in counter-terrorism, law enforcement, and capacity building
  • Emphasized information sharing and countering tech-enabled terrorism
  • Agreed to meet next in India
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2nd Meeting of India-Philippines Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism concludes in Manila

India-Philippines 2nd Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism concludes in Manila, condemning cross-border terrorism and enhancing cooperation.

"Both sides unequivocally and strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism. - Ministry of External Affairs statement"

Manila, May 14

The 2nd meeting of the India-Philippines Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism was held on 13-14 May 2026 in Manila, Philippines. The meeting was co-chaired by Vinod Bahade, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs of India and Marshall Louis M Alferez, Assistant Secretary of the Asian and Pacific Affairs in the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, as per a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs.

Both sides unequivocally and strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross- border terrorism. They further condemned the heinous terrorist attack on 22 April 2025 in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India and the terror incident on 10 November 2025 near the Red Fort, New Delhi. The Philippines side reiterated its solidarity and support with India in the fight against terrorism.

As per the MEA, both sides discussed emerging regional and global terrorism landscape and exchanged views on a wide range of areas of cooperation in counter terrorism, law enforcement, judicial cooperation and capacity building.

Recognizing the need for enhancing cooperation for effectively countering the current and emerging challenges to counter terrorism, the two sides underlined strengthening cooperation in timely information sharing and concerted actions to counter the use of new and emerging technology for terrorist purposes and terror financing. They further discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in countering radicalization and violent extremism conducive to terrorism.

Both sides emphasized the need for strengthening international cooperation to combat terrorism in a comprehensive and sustained manner and re-affirmed their commitment to strengthen cooperation in the multilateral fora, including the UN, FATF, APG and ARF, the statement added.

The Indian delegation also met the senior officials of the National Security Council and the Anti-Money Laundering Council of the Philippines.

Both sides agreed to hold the next meeting of the Joint Working Group in India on a mutually convenient date.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Interesting to see India expanding its counter-terrorism partnerships beyond the usual neighbors. The focus on emerging technology threats and money laundering is smart—terrorists always find new ways. Hope this translates into real action on the ground.
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Rohit P
Pahalgam and Red Fort attacks still fresh in our minds. Every Indian wants to see those behind it brought to book. Good that Philippines is with us—but we need more concrete outcomes, not just statements. Let's hope next meeting in India has solid deliverables.
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Michael C
Solid diplomatic progress. The fact that both sides emphasized cross-border terrorism and radicalization shows they understand the root causes. The FATF and APG cooperation angle is particularly important for tracking illegal funding. Well done, MEA.
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Kavya N
Honestly, I'm a bit skeptical. We've had so many joint working groups, but ground reality hasn't changed much. The Pahalgam attack was devastating. Unless this leads to actual intelligence sharing and preventive action, it's just another meeting with a photo op. 🤔
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Emma D
Good to see India and Philippines building these bridges. Both have faced serious security challenges. The focus on countering tech misuse is spot on—terrorists are increasingly using encrypted platforms. Hope this cooperation bears fruit.
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Nikhil C

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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