Country Reports on Terrorism 2007 - Philippines

The Philippines continued to face numerous threats from terrorism. Operating within the country were the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), Communist Party of the Philippines/New Peoples Army (CPP/NPA), and Jemaah Islamiya (JI), all of whom are designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) by the United States. In addition, the Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB) and the Pentagon Gang are on the U.S. Terrorist Exclusion List.

Philippines military and law enforcement conducted intensive civil-military and internal security operations to eliminate terrorist safe havens in the Sulu Archipelago and central Mindanao. This year they captured and arrested 38 ASG members and killed 127. The ASG's release in October of an Internet video soliciting funds is an indication of the group's financial constraints. Courts sentenced 14 members of the ASG to life imprisonment for their role in the May 2001 Dos Palmas kidnapping of 20 persons, including three Americans. President Arroyo signed landmark antiterrorism legislation to improve the Philippine government's ability to investigate and prosecute terrorism crimes.

The Government of the Philippines includes the following among its numerous successes against terrorists this year:

• On January 13, Philippine law enforcement authorities arrested Kule Mamagong in North Cotabato for his involvement in three bombings that left six dead and 36 injured.
• On March 11, Philippine military officials captured ASG member Abu Usman for his role in a January 2001 kidnapping in Lantawan, Basilan.
• On March 16, Philippine security forces on Basilan captured ASG member Merang Abate for his involvement in several kidnappings.
• In late March, the Philippine police arrested Pentagon Gang members, Alimona Cali and Beru Mendoza, for their role in a 1997 kidnapping of five civilians.
• On May 9, the Philippine police arrested Taya Kulat for his involvement in a bombing in Tacurong City.
• On May 11, Philippine security forces raided an ASG safe house on Simunul Island, Tawi Tawi, and arrested four children of fugitive JI bomber, Dulmatin, and deported them to Indonesia.
• In September, Philippine security officials arrested eight ASG members on Palawan Island and in Zamboanga.
• On November 12, Philippine security officials arrested Demaatol Guialal in Sultan Kudarat for his involvement in two bombings that left six dead and over 20 injured.
• On December 6, 14 ASG members were sentenced to life imprisonment for the May 2001 Dos Palmas kidnapping of 20 people, including three Americans.
• On December 10, Philippine authorities arrested ASG member Abdel Kamala in Zamboanga City for his role in the 2001 Dos Palmas kidnapping and June 2001 attack on Lamitan, Basilan.
• On January 6, the Philippine military killed five ASG terrorists and one suspected JI operative near the southern island of Tawi-Tawi.
• On January 7, the Philippine military killed ASG bomb expert, Binang Sali, in a firefight on Jolo.
• On January 16, Philippine military forces killed ASG spokesman Jainal Sali a.k.a. Abu Solaiman during an armed encounter on Jolo.
• On August 18, the Philippine military killed ASG members, Furuji and Umair Indama, who were involved in the 2001 beheading of U.S. citizen Guillermo Sobero, an October 2002 bombing that killed a U.S. serviceman, and the July 10 beheadings of 10 Philippine Marines on Basilan.
• In the aftermath of a November 13 bombing at Congress that left five dead and nine injured, Philippine law enforcement authorities killed ASG member, Abu Jandal, during a raid of a safe house in Manila.
• On December 15, Philippine security forces killed ASG member Mubin Sakandal in Tawi-Tawi.

USG and Philippine authorities also effectively used rewards programs to target terrorist groups. The U.S. Department of State paid $5 million in June through its Rewards for Justice Program to informants who provided information that led to the killings of ASG leaders Khadaffy Janjalani and Jainal Sali a.k.a Abu Solaiman. The U.S. Department of Defense, meanwhile, rewarded informants whose information led to the capture of: Khair Malvan Mundos (April), Mohammad Yusuf Karim, April), Redendo Dellosa (April), Mariano Lomarda April), Abubakar Delos Reyes (April), Binang Andang Sali (April), Jundam Jamalul ( April), Ismin Sahiron June), Alnaser Parad, June), and Itting and Omar Sailani (November). In total, the United States paid out $10,302,500 for information leading to the arrest or killing of 13 ASG members.

The passage of the Human Security Act (HSA) was a major step forward in the modernization of Philippine law enforcement tools for use against terrorists. It permits wiretapping of members of judicially designated terrorist organizations and financial investigations of individuals connected to terrorist organizations. Tight restrictions in the law, however, have prevented it from being used in actual cases.

Limited financial resources, inadequate salaries, corruption, low morale, limited cooperation between police and prosecutors, and other problems in law enforcement have hampered bringing terrorists to justice. In December, U.S prosecutors and FBI agents provided training to 34 representatives of the Philippine Anti-Terrorism Council. The training was directed at assisting the Philippines in HSA implementation, and focused on ways to use electronic surveillance authority and procedures to obtain judicial designation of organizations as terrorist under the HSA.

The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), operating under the Philippine Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001 (AMLA), as amended in 2003, investigated and prosecuted money laundering and took the lead in implementing the asset freeze measures called for by the UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee. The AMLA was used as the legislative basis for financial actions against AQ and the Taliban. Under the law, however, the AMLC could not take direct action against suspected terrorists or those supporting terrorism; instead it had to apply for a court order to inquire into bank accounts and direct the freezing of assets and transactions.

The American Embassy received excellent cooperation from Philippine law enforcement officials in obtaining access to terrorist detainees and witnesses for FBI interviews, and access to criminal, immigration, financial, and biographic records via the mechanisms established in the U.S.-Philippine Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty. The Philippine Security Engagement Board was the primary mechanism for planning and coordination of nontraditional security issues, including counterterrorism and maritime security. This watershed agreement served as the foundation for the "Kapit Bisig" (Arm-In-Arm) counterterrorism framework that focused on civil affairs, capability upgrades, and support for AFP operations.

The United States helped the Philippines establish interagency intelligence fusion centers to support maritime interdictions against transnational criminal/terrorist organizations and a "Coast Watch" system in Mindanao. The Maritime Drug Enforcement Center is located at the Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency Headquarters in Quezon City. Three satellite centers, called Maritime Information Coordination Centers, are located at the headquarters of the Philippine Naval Forces-Western Mindanao in Zamboanga del Sur (southwestern Mindanao), the Coast Guard Station in General Santos City (southcentral Mindanao), and at Poro Point, San Fernando, La Union (northwestern Luzon). The United States also provided equipment valued at $120,000 to establish a bomb data center on Mindanao.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs began issuing digitized, machine-readable passports in June. While the Philippines cooperated with USG requests for prosecuting persons who had tampered with or altered travel documents, the prosecutions carried low-level penalties. In addition, law enforcement officials were reluctant to investigate or charge vendors or users of false documents when the Philippine government was not the issuing authority.