This, even as American journalists accompanying US Defense Sec. Jim Mattis to this freeport meet with his ASEAN counterparts quoted him as congratulating the Philippine government on its fight against militants in Marawi City. He said the Philippine military was “sending a very necessary message to the terrorists.”
There were no welcome streamers at entry points to this freeport, neither were there directional signs to guide participants to venues for the meetings.
The only explicit indication that this freeport was hosting an important ASEAN meeting was a huge white-painted plywood letters declaring “#ASEAN50” on the sprawling parade grounds of this former US Air Force base.
The Philippines, chair of ASEAN this year, is hosting the 11th ADMM and 4th ADMM-Plus that include eight of ASEAN’s dialogue partners, namely Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States.
Earlier, Defense Secretary Delfi n Lorenzana was quoted to have said that the Philippines would push several initiatives during the two-day meeting, including “a threeyear work program that will focus on streamlining, synergizing, and rationalizing ADMM efforts.”
ASEAN defense ministers held a breakfast meeting initiated by Malaysia before the formal opening yesterday of the ASEAN meeting. Xinhua news agency quoted Arsenio Andolong, chief of the Department of the National Defense’s Public Affairs Service, as saying that the meeting was to specifically discuss the threat of violent extremism in the region.
ADMM aims to promote mutual trust and confidence through greater understanding of defense and security challenges, as well as enhancement of transparency and openness among the 10 ASEAN member states: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN defense ministers to engage their dialogue partners from Asia and the Pacific.
