Terrorism is a major social issue in the Philippines linked to the Moro conflict and the communist rebellion.^[1] The country ranks in 18th place on the Global Terrorism Index's 2023 list of countries most affected by terrorism.^[2]

Overview

Since the late 1960s, terrorism has become a major problem in the Philippines.^[3] These terrorist attacks are often carried out by several Jihadist and militants groups with different ideologies and motives.^[4] Such acts of terrorism include Bombings, Domestic terrorism, Kidnapping, Drug trafficking, Extortion, Mass murder, Assassination and other types of attack. Terrorist groups like Abu Sayyaf, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and Jemaah Islamiyah mostly operate in the Southern Philippines.^[5] The New People's Army maintains a wider range of operations across the country and launches attacks albeit on a lesser intensity than other rebel movements.

Following the September 11 attacks, the Philippines became a new front on the American-led War on Terror^[6] During George W. Bush’s presidency, the U.S sent foreign aid and American troops in Mindanao to assist in counterinsurgency operations as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in the Philippines. The Siege of Marawi ended in the deaths of several terrorist leaders and reduction of Islamic State presence in the Philippines.

Legal aspects

According to Philippine laws, terrorism is a crime under the Human Security Act of 2007 which describes such acts as causing "widespread and extraordinary fear and panic among the populace". The first group to be officially listed as a terrorist organization under the law was the Abu Sayyaf on September 10, 2015, by the Basilan provincial court.^[9] The law's weaknesses was cited by Senator Panfilo Lacson, who called the law a "dead letter law" for being "severely underutilized".^[10]

On 3 July 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law Republic Act 11479, better known as the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. This replaced the Human Security Act and revised and expanded the definition of terror offenses.^[11] Rights groups criticized the law, calling it "draconian", and filed a case on its constitutionality to the Supreme Court; the Court upheld the law on 26 April 2022^[12] but struck down provisions allowing the anti-terror council (ATC) to designate a person or a group as terrorists based on a request by another country^[13] and a vague definition of terrorist acts that was deemed too "overbroad and violative of freedom of expression."^[14]

Through the ATC, the Philippine government has designated individuals and organizations linked to the group as "terrorists".^[15] On 21 September 2022, an petition filed by the Philippine government in 2018 to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA) as terrorist organizations citing the Human Security Act was denied by the Manila Regional Trial Court, which ruled that the groups were not organized for terrorism and their resort to armed guerrilla warfare was only a means to achieve their purpose. It also cited the absence of a law that banned membership in communist groups.^[16]

Recent trends

Since January 2000 radical Islamist groups and Islamist separatist forces have carried out over 40 major bombings against civilian targets, mostly in the southern regions of the country around Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago.^[17] Numerous bombings have also been carried out in and around Metro Manila, several hundred kilometres from the conflict in the southern regions, due to its political importance. From 2000 to 2007 attacks killed nearly 400 civilians and injured well over 1500 more,^[18] more casualties than caused by bombings and other attacks in Indonesia, Morocco, Spain, Turkey, or Britain during the same period.^[17]

Public transport and other gathering places, such as street markets, have been targets, however large-scale abductions and shootings have also been carried out by these groups, predominantly by the Abu Sayyaf and the Rajah Solaiman Movement.^[18]

Under the Bongbong Marcos administration in June 2023, the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) designated four leaders of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA), a coalition of groups with links to the CPP-NPA,^[19] as terrorists; Windel Bolinget, Jennifer Awingan, Sarah Abellon-Alikes, and Steve Tauli were accused of being members of the CPP-NPA Ilocos Cordillera Regional White Area Committee.^[20] A month later, the ATC suspended Congressman for the 3rd district of Negros Occidental, Arnolfo Teves Jr.; his brother, Pryde Henry Teves; and eleven other associates as terrorists acting under what it called the "Teves Terrorist Group", in connection with the assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo in March. This was the first time the council designated an elected official as a terrorist.^[21]

List of terrorist incidents