‘Down but not out’: Watchdog warns of persistent violent extremism threat in PH

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – An independent monitor warned Thursday, December 18, that violent extremism remains a serious threat in the Philippines despite military operations weakening ISIS-linked groups, amid investigations into the December 14 Bondi Beach mass shooting in Sydney by gunmen who had previously been in Southern Mindanao.

The Climate Conflict Action Asia (CCAA) said the ISIS-inspired Dawlah Islamiya is “down but not out,” citing rising youth recruitment, family defections, and increased clashes in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) following the May mid-term elections.

The alert followed the December 14 mass shooting at Bondi Beach, which killed more than a dozen civilians, including children, on the first day of the Jewish festival Hanukkah. Authorities in Australia and the Philippines have confirmed that the gunmen were in Davao City from November 1 to 28. 

The Philippines, however, has rejected claims the country serves as a training ground for extremists, saying no evidence links the suspects to local extremist groups or training.

On Wednesday, December 17, Davao-based MindaNews reported that the Bondi Beach attackers, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed, spent nearly a month in Davao City in November, staying mostly in their hotel room.

According to the MindaNews report, the two checked in at GV Hotel on Magallanes Street, Davao, on November 1 and remained there until November 28. MindaNews also quoted sources who said the two rarely interacted with staff or other guests, had no visitors, and left the hotel only for brief periods.

The CCAA stressed the need for a thorough investigation, noting the threat persists despite operations since the 2017 Marawi siege. 

“Other explanations for the incident must be considered and explored – emphasizing the need to further investigate the nature of their activities in the country during that period,” the CCAA said.

The monitor pointed out that authorities recently took out two extremist group leaders in the Bangsamoro region, indicating that while military operations have struck key figures, terrorist networks in the country remain active, demanding sustained vigilance from authorities.

One of them, Mohammad Usman Solaiman, an alleged bomb expert and leader of the Dawlah Islamiya-Hassan Group, was killed in a clash in a remote village in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur, on December 7. The military said he was linked to several bombings in Mindanao, multiple killings, and was considered a likely successor to the leadership of a local terrorist network.

Another was Najib Laguindab, alias Abu Jihad, who was killed during a military operation in Pagayawan, Lanao del Sur, in mid-November.

Authorities identified Laguindab as one of the leaders of the Dawlah Islamiya-Maute Group and linked him to the 2023 bombing during a Catholic Mass at Mindanao State University in Marawi City. The military said his death marked the second killing of a suspected Maute Group leader by government forces that month.

The CCAA said vigilance should not slip as signs of violent extremism reemerge in some parts of Mindanao, even in areas long seen as free of the threat, such as Basilan. 

The group said it has seen troubling signs of mobilization and polarization, including increased efforts to recruit young people, as well as cases of youths breaking away from their families and clans. 

The CCAA also said clashes between the military and extremist-linked groups in the Bangsamoro region rose sharply after the May elections.

The CCAA said the response should go beyond surveillance and security. It urged the government, along with peacebuilding and development groups, to focus more on reintegration, not just prevention. 

Former combatants and their families, it said, need sustained, community-based support, early intervention, and long-term reintegration based on a restorative justice approach, rather than a narrow focus on preventing and countering violent extremism alone.

The CCAA said analyses should be based on evidence even as it called for restraint while investigations are ongoing, warning that premature conclusions and unsupported speculation could fuel religious or identity-based tensions and distract from the deeper causes of violence and radicalization.

“Premature conclusions and speculations that lack evidence risk fueling religious- and identity-based conflict,” the CCAA said.

Meanwhile, the Asia-Pacific Human Rights Network (APHRN) condemned the Bondi Beach attack, expressing solidarity with Jewish Australians and cautioning against unfair portrayals of the Philippines in media reports. 

The statement, from APHRN convenors Melba Marginson and Carlos Ocampo, cited acts of bravery during the attack, including a Muslim man who saved Jewish civilians, and called for unity against racism, anti-semitism, and Islamophobia.

According to reports, 43-year-old fruit store owner Ahmed al-Ahmed leapt from behind one of the gunmen, wresting the rifle from his hands in a tense struggle and preventing further casualties. Wounded, al-Ahmed, a Muslim Australian of Syrian descent, has been hailed as a hero in Australia. – Rappler.com