Not for the first time, President Rodrigo Duterte has spoken about his keenness to get very aggressive with pirates in the region.
Speaking at an ASEAN-related event yesterday the Philippine president urged the country’s neighbours to take “drastic action” to fight the piracy scourge in Southeast Asia.
“The Malacca used to be historically a supply route and a shipping lane that was very good for everybody. Of late, terrorism has entered the picture and we see a lot of hijackings and killing of people, and capturing hostages for ransom,” Duterte said, referring to the Islamic militant group Abu Sayyaf. He added that he planned to speak with his counterparts in Indonesia and Malaysia on the issue.
“I hope to talk with the leaders of these countries and we’re willing to put our resources together with theirs to find a solution,” said Duterte, currently chair of the ASEAN this year.
“If I get to talk to the leaders, there is one thing that I can just offer, blast them out of the seas to keep our shipping lanes open and safe,” he added.
