Terrorism is a majorsocial issue in thePhilippines linked to theMoro conflict and thecommunist rebellion.^[1] The country ranks in 18th place on theGlobal Terrorism Index's 2023 list of countries most affected by terrorism.^[2]

Since the late 1960s, terrorism has become a major problem in the Philippines.^[3] These terrorist attacks are often carried out by severalJihadist and militants groups with different ideologies and motives.^[4] Such acts of terrorism includebombings,domestic terrorism,kidnapping,drug trafficking,extortion,mass murder,assassination and other types of attack. Terrorist groups likeAbu Sayyaf, theBangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters andJemaah Islamiyah mostly operate in the Southern Philippines.^[5] TheNew 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 theSeptember 11 attacks, the Philippines became a new front on the American-ledWar on Terror^[6] DuringGeorge W. Bush’s presidency, the U.S sent foreign aid and American troops in Mindanao to assist in counterinsurgency operations as part ofOperation Enduring Freedom in the Philippines. TheSiege of Marawi ended in the deaths of several terrorist leaders and reduction ofIslamic State presence in the Philippines.

According to Philippine laws, terrorism is a crime under theHuman 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 theAbu Sayyaf on September 10, 2015, by theBasilan provincial court.^[11] The law's weaknesses was cited by SenatorPanfilo Lacson, who called the law a "dead letter law" for being "severely underutilized".^[12]

On 3 July 2020, PresidentRodrigo Duterte signed into law Republic Act 11479, better known as theAnti-Terrorism Act of 2020. This replaced the Human Security Act and revised and expanded the definition of terror offenses.^[13] Rights groups criticized the law, calling it "draconian", and filed a case on its constitutionality to theSupreme Court; the Court upheld the law on 26 April 2022^[14] 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^[15] and a vague definition of terrorist acts that was deemed too "overbroad and violative of freedom of expression."^[16]

Through the ATC, the Philippine government has designated individuals and organizations linked to the group as "terrorists".^[17] On 21 September 2022, a petition filed by the Philippine government in 2018 to declare theCommunist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, theNew 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.^[18]

Since January 2000radical Islamist groups and Islamist separatist forces have carried out over 40 major bombings against civilian targets, mostly in the southern regions of the country aroundMindanao and theSulu archipelago.^[19] Numerous bombings have also been carried out in and aroundMetro 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,^[20] more casualties than caused by bombings and other attacks inIndonesia, Morocco, Spain, Turkey, orBritain during the same period.^[19]

Public transport and other gathering places, such asstreet markets, have been targets, however large-scale abductions and shootings have also been carried out by these groups, predominantly by theAbu Sayyaf and the Rajah Solaiman Movement.^[20]

Under theBongbong 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,^[21] 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.^[22] A month later, the ATC suspended Congressman for the3rd district ofNegros 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 theassassination of Negros Oriental GovernorRoel Degamo in March. This was the first time the council designated an elected official as a terrorist.^[23]

• List of terrorist incidents in the Philippines
• Terrorism in Davao City
• Insurgency in the Philippines
• Moro conflict
• War on terror
• Philippines–United States relations

• Terrorism in the Philippines
• Terrorism in Asia by country
• Moro conflict
• Terrorism by country
• Human rights abuses in the Philippines

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