The top officials of the Philippine Army (PA) and the Indonesian Army or Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Darat (TNI-AD) have agreed to further bolster their cooperation and help each other in maintaining peace and overall security situation in the Indo-Pacific region.
Gen. Dudung Abdurachman, Indonesian Army Chief of Staff, discussed the deepening ties between the two forces during his recent courtesy call on Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., PA Commanding General, at the PA headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
Both generals talked about future bilateral trainings and other exchanges to enhance interoperability between their forces, Col. Xerxes Trinidad, PA spokesperson, said on Saturday, August 27.
The Philippines and Indonesia share not just borders but common regional security interests as well, highlighting the need for the two Southeast Asian countries to forge strong cooperation to respond to traditional and emerging problems.
Earlier this month, the PA’s primary combined arms unit, the 1st Brigade Combat Team, held a joint training activity focusing on anti-terrorism capabilities with the 13th Military Area Command of the Indonesian Army.
The PA and TNI-AD also held the 28th INDOPHIL Army Working Group Meeting in Makati City last month where bilateral engagements for the rest of the year and the succeeding year were discussed, as well as the results of prior activities like the joint training on counterinsurgency and counterterrorism in West Java on July 14.
The PA and Indonesian armies signed an amended Terms of Reference (TOR) in 2016 which has since been the anchor of their bilateral activities through joint exercises and other interactions.
“The amended TOR laid the guidelines and rules of procedure between the two land forces,” Trinidad explained.