The Philippines is the only country in the world that is combating terrorism on three diverse fronts - communism, secessionism, and Islam - all at the same time. Terrorists belonging to these threat fronts have different aspirations and possess assorted ideological persuasions, but espousing similar violent methods to perform their greatest cause.
The communist groups want to change the collective and political structure of the Philippines from capitalism to communism through protracted armed revolution. On the other hand, the secessionist groups want to secede from the Manila government and organize an independent state in Mindanao. The third front -the Islamic groups - is a composition of local and trans-national terrorists dedicated to originate a Pan-Islamic state in Southeast Asia.
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The terrorist groups belonging to the communist front are the Communist Party of the Philippines/New Peoples Army (Cpp/Npa)and its urban hit squads, the Sparrow Units (Su)and the primary Alex Boncayao Brigade (Abb)- now known as the National Partisan Squad (Nps). Added to these communist terror groups are the Rebolusyonaryong Hukbong Bayan of the Marxist-Leninist Party of the Philippines and the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade of the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Mangagawa ng Pilipinas. The Cpp/Npa and Abb are listed in the Us government's Foreign Terrorist assosication (Fto) list.
The Su and Abb gained notoriety through assassinations of forces and police personnel together with civilians whom they tagged as reactionaries and fascists. One of their infamous killings was the assassination of Colonel Nick Rowe of the Joint Us forces Advisory Group (Jusmag) in December 1989 while the American was on his way to Jusmag Hqs in Quezon City.
The secessionist groups are composed of the Moro National Liberation Front-Misuari Breakaway Group (Mnlf-Mbg) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (Milf). These groups do not see eye to eye, as each one has its own stakes in their struggle against the Manila government. During the height of the skirmishes with the Philippine armed forces in the 1970s, these groups gained sustain from the considerable assosication of Islamic Countries notably Libya.
The hard core members of the Mnlf-Mbg and Milf engage in killings politicians and Christians, arsons, kidnappings and bombing of collective places.
On the other hand, the Islamist front is composed of the local Abu Sayyaf Group (Asg), Indonesian-based Jemaah Islamiyah (Ji) terror group and the Al Qaeda (Aq) network. These three terror groups who work hand in hand are in the Fto list as well.
The spate of bombings and kidnapping activities perpetrated by Asg in the past years deteriorates the peace and order situation in Mindanao and Metro Manila. So far, the worst terror assault conducted by Asg was the firebombing of a passenger ferry off Manila Bay last February 2003 that killed more than 100 people. The so-called "Valentine's Day" attacks on 2005 in general Santos City, Davao City, and Makati City may not be as deadly as the Super Ferry attack; however, the way they were carried out by Asg denotes a grim signature of Al-Qaida style operations seen in Madrid bombings on March 11, 2004 and the London bombings on July 7, 2005.
The Ji and Aq are actively sowing terror in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia - which this author called as the "Triangle of Terror" because of their geographic location. In this regard, the Philippine government needs the cooperation of its neighboring countries in the south to comprise the farranging activities of the Aq network and Ji members in the country.
Ji has a direct association with the Milf and Asg through operational, financial, and training linkages. A captured Indonesian Ji member named Rohmat @ Zaki revealed that Ji funneled P100,000 to Asg leaders who in turn channeled the money to Milf leader Abu Basit to fund bombing activities in Mindanao intended to be carried out by Ji, Asg, and Milf members sometime March 2005.
The destabilization plan did not materialize according to plans, but the revelation by this Ji leader strongly revealed the close association of Ji terror group with the Asg and Milf. The operational ties in the middle of Ji and Asg elevate the war on terror in the Philippines to the next level. Philippine government officials believed that Ji activities in the country has the full blessings of the Aq operational command.
The Philippine government also needs to get the cooperation of the United States and the Australian government who have economic and security interests in the Asian-Pacific region. To the Americans, this is a forward-containment of terrorists in third world country to avert a repeat of other task Bojinka; to the Australians, this will prevent the spillover of terrorism from the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia to Oceania.
The influx of foreign terrorists in Mindanao and their association with the local terror groups is a serious threat to national security that needs immediate and clear-cut government response.
It is important to note that the Philippine government has been battling terrorism for about four decades now, yet it has not gained full operate of the security situation in the country. Considering the experiences gained in the long years of fighting terrorism, the police and forces forces should have decimated the mentioned terrorist organizations and could have successfully established peace and order in the country. However, the current internal security condition in the whole archipelago dictates otherwise.
The Cpp/Npa quarterly units along with hit squads in the rural and urban areas are still forces to reckon with in Luzon and Visayas, and Mindanao - the three main islands in the Philippines. The Milf, Mnlf-Mbg and Asg are actively challenging the police and forces forces in Mindanao. The operational ties of the Ji terror group and the Aq network with their local Muslim counterparts are getting stronger as days go by, and alongside with the Asg, they are able to perform terror activities in Metro Manila.
The probability of neutralizing or minimizing terrorism in the Philippines is great depending on the political will of the incumbent management to make it happen. A lukewarm approach will only bolster the communists, secessionists and Islamists to improve their political and religious cause.
The Philippine government cannot stop terrorism solely by an independent police or forces action. It needs the accompaniment of an sufficient and sufficient anti-terror agenda management backed up by political will, legislative solutions and judicial actions, which are the best components to winning the war on terror.
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