Group calls P-Noy Obama of Southeast Asia

MANILA, Philippines - A website that analyzes global terrorism has likened President Aquino to US President Barack Obama, saying both leaders have downplayed the threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

ISIS Study Group, a website supposedly maintained by retired US military men, said Aquino has been insistent on accomplishing his signature policy of “peace in the Bangsamoro” but has proven to be “weak and indecisive” like Obama.

“In many ways, he’s (Aquino) the Southeast Asia equivalent of our own President Obama, who shares Aquino’s naive view of the world – which isn’t a good thing,” the group said.

“Aquino, like Obama, is downplaying the threat despite the growing evidence that IS (Islamic State) represents a global problem for every civilized nation in the world. This is due to his insistence on accomplishing his signature policy of peace in the Bangsamoro,” it added.

The group also said Aquino is so invested in seeing the completion of his signature policy that he refuses to address emerging threats to avoid appearing “wrong” or “naive.”

“However, we suspect that Aquino’s legacy will be marred by the one thing that he has invested most heavily in – peace in the Bangsamoro,” the ISIS Study Group said.

Sought for comment, defense department spokesman Peter Galvez said the government is doing its best to combat terrorism while pursuing the peace process.

“Security forces are always reviewing and assessing all security scenarios in the country. We always take the necessary steps to prevent any untoward incident from happening,” Galvez told The STAR in a phone interview yesterday.

Galvez maintained that the government has been transparent in terms of security matters.

“Our national leaders are always briefed on security issues. Security has never been compromised,” he added.

ISIS Study Group also cited reports quoting a military official as saying that the Asian-looking ISIS member who took part in the recent beheading of 18 Syrian pilots may have been an Indonesian and not a Filipino.

“Although we had originally questioned our sources about that possibility when we were in contact with our Iraq-based sources, they assured us that the individual in question was ‘Filipino.’ (We are still working on acquiring his identity),” the group said.

“The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) came out to make the claims that our new ‘star’ from the beheading video was Indonesian and that they had his identity – but weren’t at liberty to divulge it,” it added.

The military has yet to issue a categorical statement on whether the Asian-looking terrorist is Filipino. AFP chief Gen. Gregorio Catapang Jr. has also clarified that the military never declared officially that the militant is Indonesian.

But the ISIS Study Group said the government cannot rule out the possibility that he is Filipino because it does not know who has traveled to the Middle East as migrant workers and those who went to fight jihad.

“That problem is compounded by the fact that they don’t want to disrupt the average Filipino’s ability to make money to send to their families back in the home country,” it said.

The ISIS Study Group recommended that Aquino do more to enhance the country’s security relationship with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Central Committee, Malaysia and Indonesia. It also cited the need to take out terrorist networks to disrupt the momentum built by groups in Southern Philippines.

“Indeed, overcoming the familial ties certain elements within the MILF have with known terrorists associated with Black Flag ideology will be extremely difficult, but that’s really the best way Aquino can start repairing his already tarnished legacy,” the group said.

ISIS Study Group also said the Philippines “has all the potential in the world” but has “a political leadership that is reactionary as opposed to forward-thinking like that of Malaysia and Indonesia.”

“Sadly, the GPH (government of the Philippines) and US government have been nowhere near as proactive as their Indonesian, Malaysian or Australian counterparts,” it said.