Philippines, explained.
Soldiers stand guard near coffins containing the bodies of victims of the explosion inside a Jolo catholic cathedral on 27 January (Photo: Nickee Butlangan via Getty)
Vital information is lost when the Philippines military is encouraged to kill rather than arrest the perpetrators.
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Don’t “crush” Abu Sayyaf perpetrators, debrief themDon’t “crush” Abu Sayyaf perpetrators, debrief them
The horrific bombing of the cathedral in Jolo last Sunday underscores the need for the Philippines government to understand more about the operations of pro-ISIS groups in Mindanao. The best way to get that information is to find, arrest, and debrief the perpetrators of violent extremist crimes.
Instead, the focus of the Philippines military, encouraged by US Special Forces, has been on killing, “crushing”, and bombing suspected hideouts via airstrikes – virtually ensuring that vital information is lost.
It is long past time to focus more on information-gathering and less on bombing the Abu Sayyaf Group to smithereens.
After the “liberation” of Marawi, the city that was taken over by a pro-ISIS coalition in May 2017 and held for five months, it was clear that several leaders had survived, and there was a good chance that the coalition’s components would disperse and regroup. They also were believed to have access to millions of dollars looted from Marawi homes and banks.
Throughout 2018 there were persistent reports of recruiting around Marawi in the Lanao del Sur province by Humam Abdul Najid, alias Owayda alias Abu Dar. Abu Dar, an ethnic Maranao, had been with the Maute brothers, leaders of the Marawi siege, until the very end. The Mautes were killed but Abu Dar has been fighting ever since.
Fighting also continued in and around Maguindanao province in central Mindanao by a pro-ISIS faction of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) led by Esmael Abdulmalik alias Abu Toraife, an ethnic Maguindanaon who never joined the Marawi siege but who has used fighters from other pro-ISIS components – reportedly including a few foreigners. He has kept up attacks to this day on fellow Maguindanaons in the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and government forces.
Then there is the rash of bomb attacks:
Instead of vowing to crush ASG, instead of setting huge bounties on the heads of key leaders to encourage their killing, and instead of relentless airstrikes that displace and alienate local populations, Philippine security forces should be making a concerted effort to capture pro-ISIS suspects alive so they can get information to connect the dots and answer some critical questions:
Despite martial law in Mindanao, there have been relatively few arrests. As of this month, according to data from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Manila, the number of people arrested from pro-ISIS groups was only 44 – and that was down from 67 in July 2018 because many had been released on technicalities. 15 of the 44 were women.
At the same time, the Philippines army has encouraged many fighters to surrender, and the media is full of reports of ten ASG surrendering here, two or three teenage Maute fighters there. But it is not clear who debriefs them, how the debriefings are shared or who has the experience or interest to ask about cross-group, cross-regional ties – let alone ISIS links. Those with outstanding criminal warrants are supposed to be turned over to the police, but the police say they have little information about who is being held in military custody.
It is long past time to focus more on information-gathering and less on bombing the ASG to smithereens – because it is ultimately better intelligence that will help prevent another Jolo.
Sidney Jones
About the author
Sidney Jones
Sidney Jones is senior adviser to the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) in Jakarta, an organisation she founded in 2013.
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