Terrorism to persist in Mindanao even after peace deal–US report

From the Business Mirror (Jun 21): Terrorism to persist in Mindanao even after peace deal–US report

TERRORISM will continue in Mindanao despite the signing of a peace agreement by the Philippine government with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a report from the United States State Department revealed.

The “Country Reports on Terrorism 2014” released on Saturday by the Bureau of Counterterrorism of the US State Department said terrorism will persist in the island group due to the presence of other armed groups, thus belying the government’s usual line that the deal with the Moro group will bring permanent peace in the South.

The US noted in its report that the agreement with the MILF gave birth to “peace spoilers” such as the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), rogue MILF members and other groups which have been carrying terrorist attacks and other criminal acts in Mindanao.

“The Philippine government submitted to Congress [a] draft legislation known as the Bangsamoro basic law in 2014 to establish a new autonomous government entity in the Southern Philippines, as stipulated by the CAB [Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro],” the US said in its counterterrorism report.

“However, with several splinter groups —including rogue elements of the MILF, the BIFF and others—claiming they will not be bound by the law and are unwilling to forsake violence, a number of small-scale terrorist attacks occurred,” the report added.

Although the report noted a decline in the number of terrorist attacks in Mindanao during the previous year as a result of the signing of the CAB, groups opposed to the agreement have emerged.
“As a result, some of the groups who traditionally were committed to Moro secessionism now either back the peace deal or have splintered into less coherent groups like the BIFF,” the report said.

It added that after the signing of the CAB in March last year, “violent clashes with the BIFF continued in central Mindanao, indicating that violent spoilers to a lasting peace remain.”

The report noted not only the presence of the BIFF, but even the existence of terrorist groups such as the Abu Sayyaf Group and the Jema’ah Islamiyah and even the New People’s Army in Mindanao that have added to the terrorism cases in the South.

“Although Philippine counterterrorism efforts sustained pressure on terrorist organizations, members of these groups were suspected to have carried out attacks against the government, public  and private facilities, primarily in the central and western areas of Mindanao,” it said.

“Others were linked to extortion operations in other parts of the country. In addition, terrorist and rebel groups in the southern Philippines retained the capability and intent to conduct bomb-making training, small-scale shootings and ambushes,” it added.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/terrorism-to-persist-in-mindanao-even-after-peace-deal-us-report/