TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that the hostage-taking in the southern Philippines has turned into a business. That's why the situation must be addressed together by the governments of both nations.

"I think this is no longer an issue of ideology, but has turned into a business. In the southern Philippines the [hostage-takers] are making a business out of this crime," Kalla spoke in a public lecture for Lemhanas' program participants at the Vice President's Palace Tuesday, August 30, 2016.

According to Kalla, the kidnap-for-ransom operation cannot be solved by actually paying the ransom but by firm actions. This issue must be addressed together, especially since Indonesians have been taken hostage for three times, and there are still nine Indonesians being held by the Abu Sayyaf militant group.

Security partnership between the two countries is also needed to secure coal supplies to the Philippines, which is carried by merchant ships escorted by armed personnel. If the hostage-taking continues to occur, ships from Indonesia would have a hard time carrying coals to the Philippines.

According to Kalla, one of the security problems in the Philippines is the many number of armed civilians. Based on his conversation with a Filipino commander, there are an estimated one million weapons owned by civilians.

"How can we have a truce if there are a million weapons among civilians?" Kalla said.

Kalla said that when the conflict started in Aceh, there were some 2,000 firearms. Once the 2,000 are gone, the conflict is resolved and peace was achieved. "A million weapons would be difficult. This hostage-taking is a business, not a matter of ideology," said Kalla.

AMIRULLAH