MANILA, Philippines — Local Muslim militant groups have made pledges of allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, caliph of terrorist organization Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the past year.
Foreign visitors with suspected ties with ISIS were also spotted in the Philippines in recent months.
The latest sighting was a Filipino engineer who reportedly trained under ISIS in Tacloban City days before Pope Francis visited the typhoon-stricken area earlier this month.
Review supposed ISIS supporters who have visited or are based in the Philippines:
Despite the knowledge of ISIS followers in the country, officials say it is difficult to confirm whether the group has recruited Filipinos to become members.