Counterterrorism
-
Illicit Activity
Philippine military, civilian efforts credited for extremist group’s demise
Maria T. Reyes Joint government and nongovernment initiatives, including “relentless military operations,” have pushed a violent extremist group to the brink of extinction, Philippine officials say. The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) long operated in the nation’s southern regions of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago. Initially aligned with al-Qaida and later with the Islamic State group, ASG is blamed for incidents…
Read More -
Partnerships
Japan-Philippines partnership deepens with police equipment grant
Maria T. Reyes Japan enhanced its strategic partnership with the Philippines in late November 2024 with an equipment grant to the Philippine National Police (PNP) for countering drug and human trafficking in the Indo-Pacific. The grant “cements our shared commitment and deeper understanding about our role as peacekeepers and agents of truth and justice,” according to PNP Forensic Group Director…
Read More -
Illicit Activity
Philippines bolstering efforts to combat terrorism financing
Maria T. Reyes The Philippines is stepping up efforts to combat the financing of terrorist organizations in the country and tackle money laundering, particularly when used to finance illicit weapons proliferation. Manila is working with international organizations and partners such as Australia and the United States to strengthen domestic agencies, and enhance training and collaboration. The Philippine government is seeking…
Read More -
Illicit Activity
Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines renew commitment to cooperation
Gusty Da Costa Joint sea and air patrols conducted by Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines under the 2017 Trilateral Cooperative Arrangement (TCA) continue to demonstrate success and remain critical to Indo-Pacific maritime security, according to officials and analysts. The three countries agreed in June to build on their cooperative efforts going forward. Regular patrols, coordination and intelligence sharing established by…
Read More -
Features
Former insurgents relinquish weapons
Benar News Former separatist insurgents in the southern Philippines relinquished thousands of firearms as part of a peace deal with the nation’s central government, their leader announced in late September 2022. Murad Ebrahim, also known as Ahod Balawag Ebrahim, made the announcement during the opening of parliamentary sessions in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Mindanao as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.…
Read More -
Features
Maritime Domain Awareness
FORUM Staff | Photos By United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Securing maritime borders requires more than merely having the technology to detect anomalies; it must also include a workforce trained to analyze the data. People with skills to know what they’re seeing and how to explain and report it are a key component to deterrence. And the United…
Read More -
Illicit Activity
Philippine Air Force enhancing counterinsurgency, anti-terrorism capabilities with attack helicopters
Maria T. Reyes As part of its ongoing defense modernization, the Philippines is scheduled to receive two additional Turkish-made T129 ATAK helicopters in early 2023. The U.S. $269 million contract, which included the delivery of four T129s in 2022, is intended to strengthen the nation’s internal security measures against insurgencies and terrorism, as well as contribute to its external defense…
Read More -
Asymmetric Threats
Prospects and Possibilities
Dr. Ng Eng Hen/Singapore Ministry of Defence The last time I was speaking at the Putrajaya Forum was four years ago. It would not be an exaggeration to state that since we met four years ago, the world has changed, precipitated by not one, but two epochal events — COVID and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. These singular challenges…
Read More -
Departments
Indo-Pacific Terror Threat
BENARNEWS Photos by AFP/GETTY IMAGES Terrorist threats in Southeast and South Asian countries declined in 2021, a Singapore think tank said in its annual threat assessment published in January 2022, noting that COVID-19 movement restrictions had “flattened the curve of terrorism.” There were fewer terror-related incidents in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines as governments battled the pandemic, according to…
Read More -
Features
Advancing Special Operations
Maj. Gen. Francisco Ariel A Felicidario III, Commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Special Operations Command (AFP SOCOM), sat down with FORUM for an interview April 1, 2022, the fourth anniversary of AFP SOCOM, during the 37th iteration of Balikatan, a joint exercise of the Philippines and the United States. The celebration capped the AFP’s announcement that SOCOM…
Read More