Despite the disruption of monsoon rains and typhoons, Indonesia and the Philippines pushed through with their bilateral dialogue this week, demonstrating the strength of their partnership and shared responsibility for regional legal and humanitarian challenges.

Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra met with Philippine Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla in Makati to discuss key issues ranging from stateless persons and inmate repatriation to transnational crime and Islamic economic cooperation.

“This meeting reflects not only the enduring friendship between Indonesia and the Philippines but also our shared responsibility in ensuring justice, compassion, and cooperation across borders,” said Minister Yusril, who serves in the cabinet of President Prabowo Subianto.

Here are four major takeaways from the dialogue:

1. Resolving statelessness: A human rights-based approach

In what could become a regional model for resolving statelessness, Minister Yusril announced that Indonesia has formed an Inter-Ministerial Task Force to regularize the legal status of persons of Philippine descent (PPDs) living in Indonesia. This includes providing official documents such as birth and marriage certificates, immigration permits, and ID cards—all at no cost and anchored in a human-rights-based framework.

Indonesia has introduced the formal designation Registered Philippine Nationals (RPNs) for Filipinos confirmed by Philippine authorities. In turn, Minister Yusril urged the Philippines to speed up the process for more than 5,000 persons of Indonesian descent (PIDs) in Mindanao and neighboring regions. He proposed the creation of a bilateral technical working group to verify identities, issue legal documentation, and ensure no one is left stateless.

2. Mary Jane Veloso and legal diplomacy: A repatriation model

The repatriation of Filipina Mary Jane Veloso in December 2024 was hailed by Minister Yusril as a “milestone in legal and humanitarian diplomacy.”

Veloso, initially sentenced to death in Indonesia for drug trafficking, was allowed to serve her sentence in the Philippines under a special bilateral arrangement that respected Indonesia’s judicial decisions while upholding humanitarian principles.

Yusril also referenced the Serge Atlaoui case—another example of cross-border legal cooperation—emphasizing Indonesia’s respect for the legal sovereignty of its partners. The Indonesian minister expressed willingness to engage in talks on transferring three Filipino inmates currently serving life sentences for drug offenses, potentially under a Transfer of Sentenced Persons (TSP) agreement. In return, Jakarta is seeking the repatriation of five Indonesian detainees held in the Philippines.

3. Joint fight against transnational crime

In light of growing cross-border threats, Minister Yusril called for expanded Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) between the two countries. He cited urgent areas of cooperation such as narcotics trafficking, human trafficking, and online gambling.

The Indonesian official welcomed Manila’s move to shut down Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) by the end of 2024—a move that complements Jakarta’s campaign against gambling-related social harm. Yusril proposed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the law enforcement agencies of both countries to institutionalize cooperation.

4. Islamic finance: A new avenue for collaboration

Recognizing the potential for inclusive economic development, Minister Yusril proposed joint initiatives in Islamic finance. He invited Philippine institutions to explore Indonesia’s experience in developing sharia-compliant banking systems and capital markets. He also offered knowledge-sharing opportunities, regulator-level dialogues, and technical exchanges.

A ‘substantive and forward-looking’ partnership

The dialogue concluded with a shared commitment to deepen cooperation through technical working groups, formal legal instruments, and mutual respect.

“Through sincere partnership and mutual respect, we can provide justice to individuals, security to our societies, and a model of regional collaboration rooted in compassion,” Minister Yusril said.

Secretary Remulla echoed this sentiment, telling THEPHILBIZNEWS: “We share a bond beyond diplomacy—we are brothers at sea. Our people, history, and values are deeply interlinked. We hope for a more fluid and collaborative approach to addressing regional concerns.”

As both nations face rising transnational challenges, the high-level meeting affirmed that concrete cooperation—not just good intentions—is key to delivering justice and preserving dignity across the region.

In a statement released Monday, Stratbase Institute President Dindo Manhit said the think tank fully supports the government’s intensified efforts to dismantle these networks, expose the conniving behavior of authorities who prioritize personal gain over national welfare, and hold all complicit individuals accountable.

The statement was released a day after the official revocation of the licenses of all remaining POGOs in the country.

“The Stratbase Institute strongly condemns the pervasive harm caused by Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), which have become a national menace undermining the very fabric of our society. Far from contributing to economic progress, POGOs have fostered illicit activities that threaten our sovereignty, disrupt social order, and tarnish the Philippines’ reputation as a trusted investment destination,” Manhit said.

Manhit explained that the POGO phenomenon, which initially emerged under the guise of economic stimulation, has instead revealed systemic vulnerability in the country.

These include governance failures to susceptibility to transnational crimes like human trafficking, money laundering, and even espionage activities.

“Particularly alarming are the links to Chinese espionage operations, which exploit POGO networks to gather intelligence, compromise sensitive infrastructure, and undermine national security. Such activities threaten the Philippines’ sovereignty and its strategic position in the Indo-Pacific region, making the elimination of POGOs a matter of urgent national interest,” he explained.

A recent study by the United States Institute of Peace revealed that Southeast Asia has become a significant hub for transnational criminal networks originating from China. 

USIP East Asia and Pacific Programs Director Dr. Jennifer Staats said their Institute has been looking at a range of issues at the nexus of transnational crime, violent conflict, and security in Southeast Asia since 2019.

“We were one of the first organizations to publish on the concerning regional implications of the growing presence of PRC-origin transnational organized crime networks on the Thailand-Myanmar border… By 2022, we were seeing that the threats stemming from these Chinese-origin transnational organized crime actors were no longer confined to Burma or to the region, but were going global,” Staats said.

One of the study’s authors, Dr. Alvin Camba, identified the four underlying root causes of the POGO phenomenon in the country.

These include incentives driving various actors to participate, weak data centralization, and enforcement and accountability, and the country’s narrow development strategy.

“The incentive behind POGO, in my view, when it started in 2016 was to create resources available for the previous administration… there needs to be a way to disincentivize political actors from even using POGOs as a source or a means of accumulating economic world in order to launch themselves into political power, and what those disincentives are,” Camba said.

He added another reason for the existence of POGO in the country is China’s strategic security interests in the Philippines. “The presence of POGOs on the adjacent areas of military bases or in the offices of foreign institutions complicates PRC’s efforts. It is unclear whether these are mere coincidences or something more. Moreover, the same infrastructure that supports POGOs could potentially be exploited for espionage or the creation of bots for disinformation campaigns,” Camba explained.