India and Philippines discuss current and emerging challenges to counter terrorism
Manila, May 14
India and Philippines held the second meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism in Manila, discussing emerging regional and global terrorism landscape.
During the two-day meeting held in Manila which ended on Thursday, the two sides spoke about various wide range of areas of cooperation in counter terrorism, law enforcement, judicial cooperation and capacity building.
"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," read a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The meeting was co-chaired by Vinod Bahade, Joint Secretary (Counter Terrorism) in MEA and Marshall Louis M Alferez, Assistant Secretary of the Asian and Pacific Affairs in the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs.
"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," the MEA statement added.
The two sides stressed the need for strengthening international cooperation to combat terrorism in a comprehensive and sustained manner and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen cooperation in the multilateral fora, including the United Nations, Financial Action Task Force (FATF), APG and ARF.
During the visit, the Indian delegation also met senior officials of the National Security Council and the Anti-Money Laundering Council of the Philippines.
The officials of the two nations agreed to hold the next meeting of the Joint Working Group in India on a mutually convenient date.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Great to see India taking proactive steps in counter-terrorism partnerships. The Pahalgam attack was a brutal reminder of cross-border terrorism, and it's encouraging that the Philippines stood in solidarity with us. Information sharing on terror financing is the need of the hour. We need more such joint working groups globally.
While I support this cooperation, I hope the government also focuses on internal security measures and community engagement. Countering radicalization starts at home, and we need to address root causes along with international partnerships. Good move diplomatically though. 🇮🇳🇵🇭
India and Philippines both understand the pain of terrorism. From Pahalgam to Marawi, we share common threats. This JWG is a timely step, and I hope it leads to concrete action, not just statements. Need more focus on stopping terror financing and the misuse of crypto by these groups.
Impressive to see India's growing role in the Indo-Pacific security architecture. Joint working groups like this demonstrate mature bilateral engagement, and the focus on technology and financing is exactly what's needed. The Philippines is a key partner in the region, and this should help stabilize the neighborhood against non-state actors.
It's reassuring to see India taking the lead in counter-terrorism diplomacy. The mention of both Pahalgam and Red Fort attacks shows these are not forgotten. Hope this JWG brings practical results, especially in tracking money trails and preventing online radicalization. Our soldiers and citizens deserve that safety.
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