Violent Extremist Organization (VEO)
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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…
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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…
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Global Commons
Philippine Armed Forces, partner agencies drive Marawi’s post-siege rehabilitation
Maria T. Reyes The Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) has reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing reconstruction and rehabilitation projects in Marawi. The initiative began after the 2017 Battle of Marawi, when government forces defeated Islamic State group-affiliated militants who held the southern city under siege for months. The DND, in coordination with government agencies and local leaders, is playing…
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Global Commons
Former rebels assist disaster relief in southern Philippines
Maria T. Reyes Former rebels played a pivotal role in relief efforts after devastating landslides killed at least 85 people in the Davao region of the southern Philippines in February 2024. As part of the People’s Advocacy for Collaboration and Empowerment (PeaCE), a nonprofit organization established by ex-rebels to tackle socioeconomic issues, volunteers gathered clothing, rice, drinking water and other…
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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…
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Illicit Activity
Indonesian agency bolsters national defense, promotes resilience
Gusty Da Costa Indonesia’s National Resilience Institute, known as Lemhannas, is receiving praise for bolstering “national defense vigilance” through its efforts to advise leaders and educate the public on topics of vital interest. Established in 1965, Lemhannas reports directly to Indonesia’s president. It helped guide the government through the COVID-19 pandemic and advises President Joko Widodo on the separatist insurgency…
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Illicit Activity
Japan, U.N. help stabilize war-torn region in southern Philippines
Tom Abke Japan is helping the Philippines spur development, reduce poverty and promote lasting peace in the war-torn Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in the southern Philippines. Among other initiatives, Japan is sponsoring a program to reduce the number of small arms and light weapons. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) provides logistical support. The BARMM was…
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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…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Unusual Suspects
FORUM Staff A pandemic entering its third year has shifted the outlook of Indo-Pacific defense practitioners. Security threats don’t always take the shape of hostile troops, bombs or missiles. They are sometimes invisible, often naturally occurring and can be the result of bad actors taking advantage of a chaotic landscape. Whether threats come from hackers capitalizing on an internet-dependent population…
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Illicit Activity
Southeast Asian partners enhancing trilateral maritime patrols
Gusty Da Costa The launch about five years ago of maritime patrols in the Sulu and Celebes seas involving the armed forces of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines have corresponded with a sharp drop in piracy and terrorism, officials and analysts said. The three nations plan to enhance the patrols with improved surveillance, intelligence and communication to boost security and…
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