Entry of ISIS group to RP imminent — UN

From the Daily Tribune (Dec 12): Entry of ISIS group to RP imminent — UN

The country is vulnerable to being the next area of operations of the Muslim extremist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a United Nations (UN) terror expert said yesterday.

UN counter-terrorism committee (CTC) executive director John Paul Laborde said the threat of entry into the country of members of the dreaded extremist group from the Middle East remains, so the government should still intensify preventive measures.

“There’s no evidence that they (ISIS) are already in the Philippines. But they will try as much as they can so it’s possible one day they will come,” he warned at a press conference at the Department of Justice (DoJ) yesterday during a courtesy call with the government’s Anti-Terrorism Task Force.

Laborde acknowledged that ISIS already plans to “extend to the East Asia region.” “This is why we are in this region – to help in preventive measures,” he explained.

 

The UN executive recommends improved legislation, military disciplinary approach and prevention of flight to Iraq and Syria.

The UN official stressed that while the Philippines has “made a lot of progress” in the anti-terrorism issue, the ISIS has posed “new challenges” which now require “improvements to be made.”

UN-CTC senior legal officer Sue Takasu agreed that the country has responded well to the global campaign against terrorism.

“There have been a lot of developments, especially in legislation side,” she said, citing the Human Security Act of 2007 (Republic Act 9372) and the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001.

Takasu also lauded the government for creating an anti-terrorism council and special task force to investigate terrorism cases.

Laborde and Takasu arrived in the country last Wednesday to conduct an assessment of the government’s anti-terrorism program. They said they would come up with a set of recommendations at the conclusion of their visit.

   http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/entry-of-isis-group-to-rp-imminent-un