AFTER weeks of ignoring reports of recruitment by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the southern part of the country, the Philippines has heightened its security in the area.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have deployed more troops in Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi to monitor the alleged recruitment of the extremist group.
AFP chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang insisted that aside from the monitoring, the soldiers would be gathering intelligence related to prior reports. The AFP’s aim, according to Catapang, is to “stabilize the situation in Zamboanga City.”
“We want people to feel secured especially after one year (since) the Zamboanga incident,” the AFP commander said.
Catapang, however, clarified that there is still no confirmation on the issue, noting that some groups may just be clinging onto the hype of ISIS.
“At the moment, we have not received and verified the existence of ISIS here in the Philippines. Some groups are using ISIS as propaganda to recruit membership in their terror group, particularly the Abu Sayyaf,” he said.
In a separate interview, Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon, a former Vice Chief of Staff of the AFP, encouraged the government to give attention to the rumors, especially after former President Fidel Ramos and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte have confirmed that the group has been actively recruiting.
Photos showing men in Mindanao holding ISIS’ flag recently circulated around the Internet. The photos imply that the men are pledging their allegiance to the extremist group.
Photos of men in a mosque in Mindanao holding the ISIS’ flag recently circulated around the Internet. The photo is said to be a ceremony certifying the allegiance of the men to the extremist group.
“We cannot ignore these reports. We have to remember the history of the Abu Sayyaf… And they were together with Osama Bin Laden with Al Qaeda fighting the Russians. When the Afghan War was finished in 1989, those Filipinos who joined the war against Afghanistan imbued with the fundamentalism of the Al Qaeda came back to this country,” Biazon recalled.
Though soldiers are currently deployed in the specific parts of Mindanao, a task force focusing specifically on terrorist threats would be helpful. ISIS is becoming more ruthless now that the United States is undergoing airstrikes.
Even without confirmation, the unsolicited claims of an ISIS presence in the Philippines pose negative implications to the country and its economy. Tourists and foreign investors would not want to trust a country that has been influenced by nefarious forces.
The issue, although still being brushed off and treated by the government as plain rumors, should be taken seriously. ISIS may be expanding its forces in the country quietly while the authorities are distracted with other matters. (AJPress)