Manila - The Philippines asked its neighbours, Indonesia and Malaysia, yesterday to put up a common front against terrorism following the bomb attack on Manila's envoy in Jakarta, which some officials linked to radical Islamic movements in South-East Asia.
Manila placed its diplomatic posts abroad on the highest state of alert amid fears Philippine interests were being singled out due to President Joseph Estrada's drive to crush Muslim guerrillas in the southern region of Mindanao.
The Defence Secretary, Mr Orlando Mercado, said he held talks with the Indonesian military attache yesterday to discuss counter-terrorist measures a day after the bomb killed two people and injured the ambassador, Mr Leonides Caday, and 20 others outside his Jakarta residence.