Country Report on Terrorism 2024- Chapter 3 - Philippines

The Southern Philippines:  Terrorists and insurgent groups traveled through and around the southern Philippines and its Sulu Archipelago, including to and from Malaysia’s Sabah state. The hostage-taking and murder of American Elliot Eastman in Zamboanga underscored the ongoing threat.  Corruption among mayors in Sulu Archipelago cities allowed the ASG and other terrorists safe passage and facilitated the smuggling of illicit drugs and other materials. 

In the southern Philippines, a reduced but persistent terrorist insurgency remained active in the Sulu Archipelago and on Mindanao Island.  The AFP remained the entity leading the counterterrorism mission, which hampered its ability to address extraterritorial defense issues in the South China Sea.  The Special Action Forces of the Philippines National Police (PNP-SAF) worked toward assuming the internal counterterrorism remit from the AFP, though a handover date had not yet been confirmed.  The United States continued to train and mentor the PNP-SAF to better prepare them for leading domestic counterterrorism operations in the future. Terrorism in the southern Philippines continued to decline from its peak during the siege of Marawi in 2017, largely because of the assistance provided by the United States and other international partners.

ISIS-East Asia remained an active conglomeration of various aligned and inspired terrorist factions, such as Dawlah Islamiyah, the Maute Group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, and the ASG.  It was a small but active terrorist entity in the Sulu Archipelago, largely engaging in criminal activities for profit.  Terrorist attacks continued, mostly against military and law enforcement forces.  The kidnapping and assumed murder of American citizen Elliot Eastman was allegedly conducted by Mursid Ahod, Abdul Sahibad, and Fahad Sahibad, possibly with ASG assistance.  The three suspects were killed in an encounter with security forces.  Difficult terrain that allowed for concealment from security forces, political corruption, and the susceptibility of various communities to accept nonstate actors like terrorist groups enabled the southern Philippines to continue to be a safe haven.  The Philippines was an active participant in joint patrols and surveillance in the Sulu and Sulawesi Seas with its Trilateral Cooperative Arrangement (TCA) partners, Indonesia and Malaysia, though corruption and challenging island terrain hindered counterterrorism efforts.

The Philippines worked with the United States to strengthen maritime and border procedures at key maritime ports, improving detection and control of hazardous and dual-use cargo.