Philippines to form anti-terror "solidarity center" with religion groups

The Philippine government will form a "solidarity center" with religion groups to strengthen its drive against terrorism, outgoing Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Friday.

"They have access to the field so they can cooperate with the government," Ermita told reporters after presiding over a meeting of some 50 Christian and Muslim community leaders.

This was the "first-of-a-kind" forum intended to set up a framework of interfaith cooperation against terrorism in the country, which reached consensus to propose to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo the creation of a Philippine Christian-Muslim Solidarity Center that will harness the support of the two powerful religious sectors to the internal security and peace and order campaign.

However, the "solidarity group" would not interfere with the workings of military intelligence, said Ermita, who was newly appointed as executive secretary.

The solidarity group would address terrorism at its roots by advocating a "more liberal interpretation of Islam," said Defense undersecretary Edgardo Batenga, also the Assistant National Anti Terrorism Coordinator, in a statement.

"The terror threat and how to cope up with it will be a specialarea of attention in the consensus-building and consultative activities of the proposed center," said Batenga.

As envisioned, the center will be a national forum of government, non-government, sectoral, tribal, private-sector and interfaith groups that will provide advice on how to deal with community security and public safety.

The center will eventually form part of the country's strategicframework for internal security and peace and order, Batenga said.

In a related development, Ermita said he would recommend to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that the ad hoc Anti-Terrorism Task Force be retained and his successor, Presidential Legal Counsel Avelino Cruz, take over the chief of the task force.

Interestingly present at the forum were delegates from the Manila embassies of the United States, Australia, Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Libya, listed in as peace advocates.

Source: Xinhua