Indonesians allowed to stay in Philippines

Indonesians allowed to stay in Philippines

MANILA (AFP): The Philippines is willing to allow up to 20,000 Indonesians who illegally entered the southern island of Mindanao to stay there, Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon said yesterday.

The status of the illegals, who Jakarta says number no more than 12,000, was among several issues discussed by a bilateral commission which met here last week, Siazon told reporters.

He said Manila will conduct a survey to determine their actual number.

"Those who choose to stay, will be allowed to stay, because some of them have been here for three generations. We will find a way to accommodate them," Siazon said.

The goodwill gesture was being extended "because we are friendly countries. We are co-founders of ASEAN. This should be the standard for relations among ASEAN brothers," he added. ASEAN groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Siazon said Manila also raised with the Indonesian panel, led by Foreign Minister Ali Alatas, the frequent arrests of Filipino fishermen by the Indonesian Navy in their common, ill-defined maritime borders.

The two sides said they agreed to hold talks on the setting of marine boundaries early next year.