CEBU CITY—The Philippines on Tuesday called on other Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) economies to intensify cooperation in the fight against terrorism to foster security and resilience of businesses and communities.
Oscar F. Valenzuela, acting executive director of the Philippine Anti-Terrorism Council-Program Management Center, said the threats of terrorism persist in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as in other countries. “We live in a very complex world, one which is increasingly becoming more dangerous. Terrorism disrupts the normal and peaceful way of living of our people. It disrupts how we conduct our business, the way we travel,” he said during the opening of the Sixth Apec Counter-Terrorism Working Group (CTWG) Meeting held here.
He recognized that a threat like terrorism is difficult to combat, given its unconventional nature in the way terrorists act.
“Yet, we must not falter. We must be as determined as they are to protect our citizens and our peaceful way of life. We have the knowledge, we have the necessary tools, to engage them head-on,” said Valenzuela, the current chairman of the CTWG.
“We must continue to adjust our security procedures, innovate and stay one step ahead. We must learn to think out of the box against an enemy, which constantly changes as far as tactics are concerned,” he added.
Valenzuela underscored the need for the 21-member Apec to unite and help each other in the fight against terrorism, which is a key component in building sustainable and resilient communities, one of the key priorities of the regional economic forum.
“Our economies cannot do it alone. It is in organizations and fora like the Apec where we can collaborate and cooperate. We have the opportunity to make a difference in this battle to keep the peace,” he noted. The CTWG is holding its sixth meeting here on September 1 and 2 as part of the Apec Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) III.
The working group has activities in the four cross-cutting activity areas of the Apec Counter-Terrorism and Secure Trade Strategy: secure supply chains, secure travel, secure finance and secure infrastructure.
These are specifically aimed at addressing security concerns that can potentially hamper trade and business. Security of trade covers many aspects, from nonproliferation and export control measures, border control and security in the transport of goods and people among others.