Easter gift from the Abu Sayyaf

Vancouver, Canada – A number of Canadians who have been planning to travel to the Philippines are putting their vacation plans on hold. This is due to the Canadian government’s travel advisory urging its citizens to refrain from going to certain parts of the Philippines because of the “serious threat of terror attacks and kidnapping.” The advisory came in the wake of the clash between members of the AFP and the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf in the province of Bohol.

Other governments like France, the United Kingdom and New Zealand have also issued similar advisories, with the United States and Australia issuing travel warnings even before the terrorist group’s “excursion” to Inabanga, a municipality in Bohol. It was obvious the Americans and the Australians received credible intelligence information beforehand. The fight between government troops and the Abu Sayyaf resulted in the death of six terrorists including the notorious Muamar Askali, a sub-commander who also served as spokesperson for the terrorist group.

Askali – a hardliner who was mostly involved in kidnap-for-ransom activities and the beheading of foreign hostages – was high on the most wanted list not only of the AFP but the Malaysian forces as well. Apparently, about 60 ASG members under the command of Askali had been planning to give the government an Easter “gift” by staging attacks today on several tourist spots located in Cebu and the Visayas. Riding in three motorboats, the extremist group had slipped into Bohol, but their plans to abduct foreigners were foiled when civilians reported about their presence to the military, intelligence reports said.    

The clash in Bohol – a popular tourist destination – has revived the fears of people that the terrorist group could spread their activities to areas outside Mindanao and possibly even Metro Manila. We all remember the 2001 kidnappings in Dos Palmas resort in Palawan – supposedly a safe tourist spot – where 20 people including American missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham were taken.

Over the years, the activities of the ASG had become more and more grisly, with foreign hostages beheaded when ransom demands are not met. In April last year, Canadian John Ridsdel was beheaded. This was followed by the beheading of Robert Hall – another Canadian – in June shortly before President Rodrigo Duterte formally assumed office, with the group saying the beheading of the Canadian was their response to Duterte’s statement that he will do everything he can to get Hall alive.  

The Communist Party of the Philippines made the ridiculous claim that the Bohol clash was the handiwork of the Americans, pointing to the travel warning issued by the US government several days earlier. Actually, it seemed more like the Abu Sayyaf's Easter gift for President Duterte in response to his call for an all-out war against the terrorist group.

Hatred for the ASG is articulated by Malaysian Mohd Ridzuan Ismail who said he wanted the group “wiped out” so no one else will experience the trauma he suffered as a captive in the jungles of Jolo – just waiting for the time when he would be beheaded like fellow Malaysian captive Robert Then who was beheaded in November. Ridzuan, who was released last month, had begged the Malaysian government to negotiate for their release, saying they are starved, beaten up and constantly threatened with death.

Contrary to the CCP’s assertions, the operation against Askali’s group was not an “overkill.”  Askali, also known as Abu Rami, was a vicious man who had been profiting from the ransom paid by hostages. He was trained in bomb making by Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, the Malaysian bomb maker killed during the Mamasapano encounter in January 2015. 

Actually, anti-terrorism experts and security analysts have been warning that the Philippines could become a new “vilayet” (official province) or regional sanctuary of ISIS (Islamic State of Syria and Iraq), a global jihadist terror group. According to intelligence information, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi – the self proclaimed “caliph of ISIS,” is looking for a new territory because of their weakening hold in key cities like Ramadi, Raqqa and Mosul in Afghanistan where the “mother of all bombs” dropped by the US two days ago killed 36 militants and destroyed a network of tunnels and caves used by the terrorist group. 

Apparently, the caliph of ISIS is looking towards East Asia and he considers Mindanao – more specifically Basilan – a good “incubator” since it is the birthplace of the Abu Sayyaf group whose top commanders including Isnilon Hapilon pledged allegiance to ISIS and al Baghdadi in 2014. The recruitment and propaganda video released by the ISIS last year was also shot at an ISIS-supervised training facility in Mindanao. This has resulted in several Mindanao-based terror sub-groups as well as the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters or BIFF pledging their allegiance to the Islamic State. 

At the recent homeland security conference in Singapore, experts warned that ISIS veterans could regroup and turn Southern Philippines into their sanctuary. Earlier, ISIS declared the formation of an East Asia Division with the Philippines as its base. Singaporean counter-terrorism analyst Rohan Gunaratna had also warned that the terrorist threat in Asia could grow with the establishment of an ISIS nucleus in Mindanao.

No doubt the Philippines should remain in the same wavelength as other nations in the war against terrorism that has reached alarming proportions. More than ever, we should continue to strengthen our cooperation and intelligence sharing activities with allies like Canada, Australia and the United States in fighting these barbarians. The fight against illegal drugs is an international problem just like terrorism is. We must fight this evil scourge with the same intensity.

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