PASAY CITY – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre (ISC) convene the regional meeting to assess the evolution of piracy and sea robbery in Asia on 18 - 19 December 2019.

Participating delegates come from maritime law enforcement and regulatory agencies of China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

As the chairperson of the ReCAAP ISC Governing Council, PCG Commandant Admiral Joel S Garcia shares his vision of greater cooperation among Asia countries to keep sea lanes safe and secure at all times.

“Keeping our sea lanes safe and secure will maintain free and open passage of commercial vessels and will make regional economies thrive and develop without the threat of piracy and armed robbery against ships at sea,” Admiral Garcia said.

The evolving situation in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and Eastern Sabah, with 19 actual and 11 attempted crew abduction incidents from March 2016 to November 2019, shall be tackled, as well as the nature of piracy and sea robbery, specifically at the Sulu Sea where most kidnap for ransom incidents led by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) occurred.

“Since 2016, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia have been exerting efforts to address maritime crimes, with active assistance from Australia, Japan, and the United States to enhance capabilities. However, if we want to sustainably address these maritime safety and security issues, we need to study the dynamics of these prevailing criminal activities. I believe this meeting is a great avenue for such undertaking,” Executive Director Masafumi Kuroki of ReCAAP ISC said.

Delivering the message of Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, Director General Alex Paul Monteagudo of the National Intelligence Coordinating Council (NICA) shared the honorable Senator’s wish for the success of the meeting towards bringing lasting peace in Asian maritime territories.

Finally, an assessment of the progress of the Philippine national government to counter piracy and sea robbery will be conducted to chart the way forward towards peace in the Southern Philippines.

The ReCAAP is the first regional government-to-government agreement to promote and enhance cooperation against piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia.

To fulfill its vision as the information hub for combating piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia, ReCAAP ISC enhances regional cooperation through information sharing, capacity building, and cooperative arrangements.