MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang has confirmed that President Rodrigo Duterte and Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo will have a phone conversation on Wednesday, June 21. 

Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said on Wednesday that the two leaders will likely talk about security issues.

“I’m sure they will be talking security matters but we don’t have the details of the plans for that conversation,” Abella said in a Palace press briefing.

Abella could not say if Duterte or Jokowi initiated the phone call.

The Palace confirmation comes a day after Duterte told reporters in Cagayan de Oro that he would be discussing terrorism with Jokowi.

“I’ll be talking to Widodo tomorrow. So he will ask [inaudible]. He will ask questions and I have so many questions for him. Kasi ang karamihan yata diyan na foreigners is mga Indonesians (Because a majority of the foreigners there are Indonesians),” said Duterte.

The Philippine president appeared to be referring to the Indonesian terrorists in the Philippines who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State or ISIS. 

The military has admitted to the presence of Indonesians among the foreign fighters with the Maute Group in clashes with government forces in Marawi City.

Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu, in early June, estimated that there are some 40 Indonesian ISIS fighters in the Philippines, out of the supposed 1,200 total number of ISIS fighters in the country.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana had said that of the 12 foreign fighters killed in the Marawi clashes, at least two are Indonesians.

Most foreign fighters come to the Philippines through the Sulu area, which is close to Malaysia and Indonesia, and where local terrorists are also based.

In response, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia have agreed to launch joint maritime and air patrols of the area, to curb the movement of foreign fighters across borders. – Rappler.com