MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has urged his fellow ASEAN leaders during the summit in South Korea to strengthen their cooperation especially in exchange for information and intelligence amidst regional problems.

Some of these include problems related to illegal drugs, human trafficking, cybercrime and other forms of crime including terrorism.

He also pointed out that a wakeup call has made the Philippines experience in the Marawi siege and confirms that terrorism is borderless, in his first session of the 2019 ASEAN-ROK Commemorative intervention.

It needs to take collective action to combat the threat of terrorism by rooting out its roots such as lack of development, inequality and injustice, according to the president.

The President also mentioned in the intervention the problem of waste in the oceans, which is increasingly worsening the need for cooperation in the face of its threat to marine resources and food security. (Cate Pallarco/IAMIGO/CNS)