Palace says government is talking with U.S. regarding Islamic State

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MANILA — Malacañang said on Friday that the Philippine government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), is coordinating with the United States (US) regarding the jihadist group Islamic State (IS).

In a press briefing at the Palace, Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda told reporters that the DFA is “meeting” the US State Department.

“I may just quote si Assistant Secretary Charles Jose, that’s why the DFA is meeting the US State Department to find out what the US needs and what the Philippines can provide,” he said.

“Talagang nagmi-meeting sila precisely to identify ano ba ang pwede nating gawin (They are having the meeting precisely to identify what we can do about it).”

Lacierda called the beheadings carried out by IS militants as “totally unacceptable”.

“And so, we agree with the principle laid out by the US government, and a number of countries have joined in this effort against the ISIS or the ISIL,” he added.

The IS is also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).