The Philippines is one of the state opponents of the militant group,Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), more commonly referred to by the local media as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
ISIL has been linked to increased suicide bombings by Filipino nationals in 2018 and 2019, a method which has been rarely carried out in the Philippines and the few successfully carried out done by foreigners. They were suspected to be involved in the2018 Lamitan,2019 Jolo Cathedral andIndanan bombings.[13]
On July 23, Abu Sayyaf leaderIsnilon Hapilon pledged allegiance to ISIL through a video posted onYouTube.[14] This is an indication of ISIL presence in the Philippines.[15]
In April, the Wahhabi Maute group pledged allegiance toISIL along with theAnsar Khalifa Philippines terrorist organization, vowing to provide support for each other.[16] The Maute Group was a strong manifestation of the rise of family terrorism in the Philippines.[17]
On November 16, When the APEC Summit was to be held in Manila, a video of men in masks with ISIL black flag behind them is posted on Facebook, claiming "ISIL in Mindanao" will attack the summit.[18]
A video discovered on a cellphone seized byAFP during a raid on a safe house in Marawi shows militants includingHapilon and Maute brothers were planning attack onMarawi.[19] The attack was the 4th step for them to gain the approval of the ISIL leadership,"requires the conduct of widespread atrocities and uprisings all across Mindanao."[20]
Philippine forces killed an Islamic State militant, who had been implicated in past beheadings,including of 10 Filipino marines and two kidnapped Vietnamese, in a clash in the south.
December 17
Three members of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) were killed in an ambush in Basilan province, authorities said Tuesday.[29]
In March 2016, training manuals, bandanas with ISIL inscriptions and other documents for militants under the ISIL were recovered after the military captured a Maute group camp, indicating that the group may be trying to link up with ISIL.[30]
On June 21, 2016, ISIL released a video entitled "The Solid Structure" recognized Abu Sayyaf leader Hapilon as themujahid authorized to lead thejihadists in the Philippines, and designated him as theemir forSoutheast Asia. The video also urged aspiring members who can't go to the Middle East to fight for ISIL in the Philippines instead.[31]
In August 2017, another video released by ISIL asks would-be fighters to go to the Philippines, especially the Marawi City where militants wereunder siege of the government forces.[32]
Involvement of Filipino citizens in ISIL has been reported as early as 2014.[33] According to theDaily Mail citing undisclosed Kurdish sources that a Filipino national was among the ISIL members who appeared in a beheading video of American aid workerPeter Kassig and 18 Syrian soldiers uploaded inYouTube. The Philippine military said that the report could not be verified and said that there was no ISIL recruitment in the Philippines at that time. TheDepartment of Foreign Affairs during this time has been receiving unverified reports of Filipinos training to fight for ISIL in Syria.[34]
In June 2016, ISIL released a video where three of its members, a Filipino, an Indonesian and a Malaysian urged aspiring members who can't go to the Middle East to fight for ISIL in the Philippines instead. In January 2017, Rappler reports that the Filipino member was identified as Mohammad Reza Kiram, a 21-year old who was the first verified member in ISIL fighting in Syria.[35]
Aside from the Philippine government, ISIL and its affiliate groups in the Philippines has received armed opposition from other local groups in the country:
In a poll conducted between February 16 to May 8, 2017, thePew Research Center says that 70% among the Filipinos questioned view ISIL as a major threat to the Philippines ahead ofglobal climate change (65%) andcyberattacks (64%).[37]
Bongbong Marcos
Esmail Sheikh Abdulmalik (aka Abu Toraife) †
U.S. special operations forces (technical assistance)[9]
