The Foreigners Fighting in Marawi

The crisis in Marawi City is nearing its second month, yet the fighting rages on. One of the main impasse the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) faced is how adept their opponents were compared to them with urban warfare. What the military found more surprising was that the Islamic State militants employed effective weapons […]

Why did ISIS choose the Philippines?

Despite being a country plagued by insurgencies – both ethnic and sectarian – for several decades, the crisis in Marawi City still shocked the nation. The threat was no longer a domestic, homegrown terrorist group wreaking havoc but rather an infamous international force that has done damage to different nations all over the world. How […]

A Lack of Intelligence

Just 24 hours prior, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) downplayed a travel advisory released by the United States Embassy regarding terrorist activity in the traditionally peaceful Central Visayas region. The following day, the military found themselves in an armed encounter with members of the Islamic State-affiliated Abu Sayyaf Group in the island of […]

The Enemy is Here

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is in custody of two foreign individuals suspected of being members of the global terrorist network, Islamic State (IS). Weeks earlier, reports emerged that the group were eyeing to establish their new stronghold in the Philippines and that an influx of IS fighters fleeing the Middle East were making their way […]

An Enemy in our Backyard

Not long ago, the Abu Sayaff were deemed too weak to even be considered a “terrorist group” and were instead dismissed as a decrepit bunch of bandits operating in the lawless corners of Mindanao. This week, a top official from a foreign country made the grave threat that these very “bandits” could establish the next stronghold […]

All Eyes on APEC

The Philippines plays host to this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Conference(APEC) Summit and naturally the eyes of the international media will be focusing heavily on how events unfold. It is expected after all – the heads-of-state from 21 different states will be in Manila and the roll lists US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Matters pertaining […]