President Rodrigo Duterte will have bilateral talks with the Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia this week.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will fly to Malaysia to hold bilateral meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak within the week.
This was confirmed by Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Charles Jose on Monday.
According to Jose, the meeting will be on November 9 and 10.
He said the visit of the President to Malaysia is part of his introductory visits to countries in the Southeast Asia.
“The President is expected to hold bilateral talks with the Prime Minister of Malaysia, His Excellency Dato Sri Mohammad Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak in Kuala Lumpur,” Jose said.
During the meeting, according to Jose, Duterte and Razak are expected to talk the economic and security cooperation between Malaysia and the Philippines. Also expected during the talks is the role of Malaysia in the peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Following recent developments, the DFA official said that the bilateral talks between the two presidents will not be affected even Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chairman Nur Misuari claimed that Malaysia participated in the Sidapan kidnapping in 2000.
To recall, Misuari said on November 3 that he has evidences that would point Malaysian leaders in the mass kidnapping in Sidapan, Malaysia.
“Our source is saying that since Malaysia is the one that is involved in this kidnapping for ransom, probably, one day, I will drag their leaders into that International Criminal Court,” Misuari said during the meeting with Duterte in Malaysia.
“I have all the evidences in my hands. My people are everywhere and besides, they cannot escape because they are hiring my own people,” Misuari added.
Jose clarified that Misuari’s statement is not on behalf of the government of the Philippines, but it was only his personal opinion.
“To begin, Nur Misuari does not speak for the government. What he said was his personal opinion. But in any case, we note what the Armed Forces of the Philippines said that they will look into this – what Nur Misuari said,” Jose said.