Aquino, Hollande to discuss terrorism

MANILA, Philippines – French President Francois Hollande will discuss international terrorism when he meets Philippine President Benigno Aquino III in the Philippines this week, a spokesman said Sunday, February 22.

The French leader’s state visit from Thursday to Friday, February 26 to 27, will focus on climate change, but the recent attacks in Paris have also brought security to the forefront, said Aquino spokesman Herminio Coloma.

“The two leaders will also exchange views on global and regional issues like terrorism such as what happened involving Charlie Hebdo in Paris that claimed the lives of 20 people,” he said in an interview.

A series of attacks by 3 Islamist gunmen between January 7 and 9, in and near Paris, began with shootings at the offices of the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper.

Coloma did not elaborate on how the two nations would take up the issue.

The largely Roman Catholic Philippines has been the longtime target of local Muslim extremist attacks, especially in the south where the Muslim minority is based.

The Abu Sayyaf, a loose band of a few hundred militants in the south founded with seed money from Al-Qaeda, has been blamed for some of the worst terror attacks in Philippine history.

Coloma said Hollande would use his visit to drum up support for action to curb global warming before the 21st UN Conference of the Parties on Climate Change in Paris in December.

The French leader will bring two Oscar-winning actors, Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Irons, to the Philippines as part of the campaign. – Rappler.com