Philippines, India strengthen collaboration on counterterrorism

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and India recently convened the 2nd Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism in Manila to pursue bilateral cooperation in tackling the scourge of terrorism in all its forms. 

Leading the Philippine delegation on May 14 was Assistant Secretary Marshall Louis Alferez of the Office of Asian and Pacific Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs, while the Indian delegation was led by Vinod Bahade, joint secretary of the Counter-Terrorism Division of the Ministry of External Affairs.

As strategic partners, the Philippines and India need to exchange views on current national and international threat assessments, and share best practices on addressing terror financing, misuse of cyberspace and emerging technologies by terror actors, and violent extremism. 

The two delegations discussed the possibility of undertaking concrete bilateral activities in information and intelligence sharing, tabletop exercises and capacity building. They also emphasized the importance of continued engagement in various regional and multilateral fora that deal with counterterrorism. 

Prior to the joint working group meeting, Bahade and his delegation held meetings with counterparts in the National Security Council (NSC) and the Anti Money Laundering Council (AMLC). 

The meeting was also attended by senior Philippine officials and representatives from the Anti-Terrorism Council, NSC, Department of Justice, Department of National Defense, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Information and Communications Technology, AMLC, National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, and the Philippine National Police. The Indian side included officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, National Security Council Secretariat, National Security Guard, National Investigation Agency and the Indian embassy in Manila.

The third Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism will be held in India in 2027. 

The Philippines and India declared the establishment of a Strategic Partnership on Aug. 5, 2025, with a view to, among others, actively develop cooperation in political, defense, and security areas, such as counterterrorism.