Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio said on Sunday that the Philippines must strengthen law enforcement and intelligence-sharing with its Southeast Asian neighbors to combat illegal drug trafficking.

“We recognize the concerns surrounding the Philippines’ role in regional drug trafficking and express my deep regret that our country has become associated with this problem,” she said in a statement.

“We also acknowledge the challenges our own country faces in addressing the illegal drug trade,” she added.

Ms. Duterte cited the governments of Laos and Thailand for their efforts to combat drug trafficking and strengthen regional security, saying their actions had helped protect Filipino families and make communities safer. Both countries lie adjacent to the Golden Triangle, where the borders of Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand meet and which has long been identified as a major source and transit area for illicit narcotics in Asia.

She said the Philippines, as a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) — a regional grouping it helped establish at its founding in 1967 — has a responsibility to intensify its efforts against the cross-border drug trade. ASEAN, a 10-member grouping of Southeast Asian states, has long treated transnational narcotics trafficking as a shared security concern among its members.

“We commit ourselves to strengthening our law enforcement efforts, improving regional intelligence-sharing, and deepening cooperation with our ASEAN partners to combat transnational drug trafficking,” she said.

The Vice-President’s remarks come as drug trafficking remains a longstanding security challenge across Southeast Asia, where national governments have repeatedly pledged closer coordination through joint law enforcement operations and the exchange of intelligence across borders. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking, BusinessWorld