US report: Phl terror groups weakening

MANILA, Philippines – The ability of terrorist and militant groups to launch attacks in the Philippines has greatly diminished due to stronger counterterrorism measures and operations being carried out by the government, the US State Department said in a report released this week.

“The ability of terrorist groups such as Abu Sayyaf Group, Jemaah Islamiyah, and the New People’s Army to conduct terrorist activities inside the Philippines continued to decline,” the US State Department said in its “Country Reports on Terrorism 2010.”

The report said the Philippines, with the help of the US, maintained constant pressure on terrorists even as security forces were also performing other tasks like humanitarian assistance and securing the 2010 polls.

“The election of President Benigno Simeon ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III did not result in major changes to counterterrorism policy, and his new administration has continued strong counterterrorism cooperation with the United States,” the report said.

“The Philippine government, with US support, has kept constant pressure on terrorist groups, even as their security services were stretched thin by other demands, such as carrying out humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and providing security for the national election in May,” the report said.

The report, which assessed trends in international terrorism last year, was released a few days after President Aquino called for amendments to the Human Security Act to boost the drive against lawless elements.

In a meeting with lawmakers last Tuesday, Aquino cited the need to add more teeth to the anti-terror law by lifting some safeguards against abuses, which have tied the hands of authorities in their efforts to neutralize terrorists.

The US State Department lauded Philippine law enforcers for their vigorous efforts in arresting terrorists and eliminating their safe havens in coordination with their US counterparts.

The report, however, noted that a bill amending the anti-money laundering law to criminalize terrorist financing remains pending in Congress.

“The Philippines’ FIU (financial intelligence units) must obtain a court order to freeze assets, including those of terrorists and terrorist organizations placed on the UN 1267 Sanctions Committee’s consolidated list and the lists of foreign governments,” the report said.

“This requirement was inconsistent with the international standard, which calls for the preventative freezing of terrorist assets ‘without delay’ from the time of designation,” it added.

The US also acknowledged the Philippines’ efforts to counter radicalization and violent extremism through development activities in areas where radical groups thrive.

One such government initiative is its launching of the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan or Pamana in communities affected by conflict.

The US report described Pamana as “President Aquino’s flagship program on peace-building, reconstruction, and development in more than 5,000 conflict-affected areas.”

Pamana involves the implementation of programs intended to discourage people from joining extremist and militant groups.

“Additionally, the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) developed and adopted a Civil Relations Doctrine that is the first of its kind,” the report stated. “The PNP (Philippine National Police) also sought to expand its Community Relations Group to address at-risk groups prone to radicalization,” it added.

The report noted that the military used radio programs, public service announcements and even comics to combat extremism and win hearts and minds.

The US State Department also cited the Philippines’ initiative in fostering regional and international cooperation. The US report noted that the Philippines ratified the 2007 ASEAN Convention on Counterterrorism. The country also hosted the third US-ASEAN Senior Official’s Dialogue on Transnational Crime last October.

Unfinished business

The US State Department, however, admitted that capturing the true picture of terrorism in the Philippines remains difficult.

“Kidnappings, grenade attacks, and other acts of violence often seem indiscriminate and most remain unsolved,” it said.

The report only covers terrorism incidents last year and does not include US views on the killing of seven Marines in Patikul, Sulu last July 28.

The slain Marines were members of the Marine Battalion Landing Team 11 that clashed with the group of Abu Sayyaf leaders Radullan Sahiron and Isnilon Hapilon. At least four of the seven slain Marines were beheaded, military officials said.

During the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council meeting last Tuesday, Aquino urged lawmakers to fast-track the passage of amendments to Republic Act 9372 or the Human Security Act of 2007.

One of the provisions Aquino wanted stricken off the law is the imposition of P500,000 fine on law enforcers for each day of wrongful detention of a terror suspect who is eventually acquitted by the courts.

“A law enforcement entity would be frightened to arrest anybody despite strong intelligence, but who would like to pay a fine of half a million daily?” Aquino said in a press briefing.

The Human Security Act was enacted into law in 2007 to strengthen the government’s drive against terrorists and lawless elements. However, concerns over possible abuses prodded lawmakers to incorporate strict safeguards aimed at upholding the human rights of suspects.

The US State department report said more than 11,500 terrorist attacks occurred in 72 countries last year, resulting in more than 13,200 deaths.

Concerns

Meanwhile, former Senate president Aquilino Pimentel Jr. cautioned the Aquino administration yesterday against relaxing some human right safeguards in the anti-terrorism law.

Pimentel, who was one of the authors of the bill, said the high penalty for wrongful arrest was to ensure that law enforcers would make sure that they have a strong case against suspected terrorists in detention.

Although he was not totally against any amendments to the law, Pimentel said the country’s law enforcement agencies are tasked to provide persuasive arguments on why the stiff penalty should be lowered.

“The amount is not written on stone. It is subject to reasonable amendments. The main reason it was made a little high is to dissuade irresponsible arrest of innocent people. If you get arrested without any ground, then, at the end of the day when you are free, the government will pay you,” Pimentel said at a weekly forum at the Senate.

“That (wrongful arrest) can also destroy lives, not only for the persons who are directly arrested but also their families,” he said. “Can you imagine the impact of that on a free society? So the message of that is that authorities must be careful before they implement a law to arrest people, put them behind bars and deny them the right to bail. They should have basis for arresting people,” he said. –Alexis Romero (The Philippine Star) with Christina Mendez and Pia Lee-Brago