AFP sees better ranking in Global Terrorism Index
Armed Forces chief General Gregorio Catapang. RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines hopes to improve its ranking on the Global Terrorism Index, a study by Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).
A study released by IEP early this week said that the Philippines ranked 9th out of 162 countries with terrorism activities in 2013.
Last year, the Philippines ranked 10th in terrorism activities.
“If that is true we have to catch up and remove that image,” AFP chief General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. told reporters on Friday.
“Hopefully [we will improve] because we are addressing terrorism. Dito na naka-focus sa Western Mindanao. I’m very much confident we’ll be able to address [this],” Catapang said.
Catapang said the military moved thousands of troops from Northern Luzon to Western Mindanao last September, believing that there were less New People’s Army rebels in Luzon.
But the reported number of communist rebels has hardly changed in the last four years since the implementation of its anti-insurgency campaign Internal Peace and Security Plan Bayanihan. Reports said there are still about 4,000 NPA fighters.
The IEP report said that 30 percent of the 292 deaths attributed to terrorism in 2013 have been staged by the NPA.
“We will equally address them but I have to give more emphasis to Western Mindanao,” Catapang said.
Catapang said the problem of insurgency won’t be solved by pure military solution. He acknowledged that root causes of the insurgency, such as development problems, should also be addressed.
The military is currently conducting all-out law enforcement operations against the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu and Basilan. There are also persistent reports of Islamic State recruitment in Mindanao although the military has denied and dismissed it as mere propaganda.
There are about 400 members of Abu Sayyaf in Mindanao based on military estimates. They are linked to beheadings, bombings, kidnappings and extortion in southern Philippines.
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