Country Report on Terrorism 2023 - Chapter 1 - Philippines

Overview:  The Government of the Philippines (GPH) continued to dedicate significant resources to countering threats from terrorist groups that operate primarily, but not exclusively, in the country’s southern regions.  The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and civilian law enforcement units remained engaged in CT operations.  The AFP, law enforcement, judicial authorities, and corrections officials participated in numerous U.S. capacity building programs, using received training and donated logistics to detect, degrade, prevent, and respond to terrorist incidents.

Under the Kapit Bisig agreement, the U.S. military continues to partner with the AFP in an advice and assist capacity in Mindanao focused on potential threats from ISIS-East Asia (ISIS-EA) and affiliated groups.  ISIS affiliates, in addition to ISIS-EA, that remained active in 2023 included elements of the following groups:  the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), Ansar al-Khalifa Philippines, rogue elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and the Maute Group (aka Dawlah Islamiya).  The MILF accepted a peace plan that created the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao in 2019 and formally renounced terrorism.

The Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army carried out the most terrorist attacks in the Philippines during this reporting period.  The New People’s Army (NPA) continued to recruit, fundraise, and stage attacks on security forces and civilians alike.  In November the GPH and the political wing of the NPA agreed to begin peace talks.

The Philippines remained a destination for FTFs from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Middle East, and Europe.

In 2023 the GPH continued plans to recast the AFP from an agency primarily responsible for combating terrorism to one focusing on territorial defense and external security.  The GPH plans to have the Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) take over as the lead CT agency from the AFP in the coming years.  SAF has been the recipient of numerous training programs and logistical donations for several years, including during 2023.

SAF primarily works with the U.S. military in the Mindanao region.  As a result of the upcoming transition, the Bureau of Counterterrorism has conducted several assessments and built increased capacity through training and material support in the Mindanao region’s civilian rule of law units, including police, justice, and corrections.  The number of arrests and surrenders of individuals facing terrorism charges increased in 2023, owing to continued pressure by Philippine authorities.

2023 Terrorist Incidents:  Terrorist attacks using explosive devices and firearms continued to target civilians, critical infrastructure, and security forces.  According to the Global Terrorism Trends and Analysis Center (or GTTAC), in 2023 there were 95 terrorist attacks in the Philippines resulting in 299 victims.  This was 39 percent fewer terrorist attacks than occurred in 2022, with a slight increase in lethality.  The Philippines remained in the world’s top 20 countries with the most reported terrorist incidents. The number of IED bombing incidents continued to decrease, even as attempts continued to increase.  More bombs were successfully recovered by government security forces, before detonation, partly because of an improved relationship between the PNP and citizens. Significant examples of these included the following:

• On December 3, four civilians were killed and more than 50 injured when Islamic State subgroup Daulah Islamiyah-Maute Group detonated an explosive device during Mindanao State University’s Sunday Catholic Mass service in Marawi.
• On December25, NPA terrorists ambushed the AFP Fourth Infantry Division, prompting gunfights across four communities in the City of Malaybalay that resulted in nine NPA fatalities.
• On June15, two regional ISIS leaders were killed in a shootout with PNP in Marawi.
• On April 17 a suspected-terrorist bomb exploded inside a passenger bus in Isulan, injuring seven.

 Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security:  With international assistance and interagency cooperation, the GPH made significant progress in identifying, investigating, and prosecuting terrorist actions in 2023.  The Antiterrorism Act (ATA), developed with assistance from the United States, was signed into law in 2020.  The GPH maintains that that the ATA is necessary to address the security and protection of its citizens from potential terrorist acts, though some NGOs and the UN have raised concerns about the legislation being abused by authorities to falsely label human rights activists as terrorists.  In addition to numerous police, justice, aviation security, and border programs, Philippine authorities resumed a corrections pilot program post-COVID in a Manila jail that holds the highest number of terrorist detainees.  The goal is better management of high-profile detainees while maintaining human rights and best practices.

Countering the Financing of Terrorism:  The Philippines is a member of the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering, and its Financial Intelligence Unit, the Anti-Money Laundering Council, is a member of the Egmont Group.  The Philippines remained on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) gray list in 2023.

In 2023, FATF reported that the Philippines took steps to promote understanding of targeted financial sanctions obligations among financial institutions and designated nonfinancial businesses and professions, to increase the use of financial intelligence and investigative skills of law-enforcement agencies tasked with money-laundering investigations, and to prioritize asset tracking and confiscation at the point of conviction in criminal cases.  Philippine units working to counter terrorist financing (CTF) increased their capabilities in proportion to the number of cases.  Thirty CTF cases involving 13 defendants were filed for prosecution, and an additional 22 complaints for terrorist financing were currently with the Philippine Department of Justice, at year’s end, awaiting decisions on whether to move forward with prosecution.

 Countering Violent Extremism:  The GPH has a National Action Plan on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism and has developed and implemented training for security forces and civil servants in countering violent extremism (CVE).  Local governments, NGOs, and the private sector partner on CVE programs.  The AFP and the PNP work with local stakeholders to encourage surrenders from the NPA, the ASG, BIFF, and the Maute Group, as well as to reintegrate former terrorist fighters and their family members into the community.  Zamboanga is a member of the Strong Cities Network.

 International and Regional Cooperation:  The Philippines continued to support CT efforts in several regional and multilateral organizations, including the UN, ASEAN, and APEC.  The Philippines is a member of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and is active in the Counter-ISIS Finance and Communications Working Groups.