At least 8 foreign terrorists are “hiding” in the Philippines, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Gilbert Gapay said on Tuesday, September 8.

“Right now, we have identified 8 foreign terrorists hiding in our country and integrated in the local terrorist groups faction, particularly the Abu Sayyaf,” Gapay said in during the military’s budget briefing at the House of Representatives.

Gapay added that they are also monitoring at least 29 other suspected foreign terrorists in the Philippines.

The military chief was responding to Deputy Speaker and Basilan Representative Mujiv Hataman, who asked for a brief on the military’s anti- terrorism campaign.

Why does this matter?

Although the foreign terrorists exact terror links have yet to be ascertained, the AFP said in July 2019 that factions within the ASG and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) – a splinter group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) – have pledged allegiance to ISIS.

Then-Western Mindanao Command chief Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana said at the time that the foreign suspects were grooming local terrorists to become bombers, or even suicide bombers, and training them in “other terroristic actions.”

Another 42 people were “watchlisted” and were “being monitored” for possible terror links, the military official said last year.

Crushed in the Middle East, ISIS has shifted its focus to Southeast Asia and called on its followers there to carve out a “caliphate” in the region.

Foreign terrorists were involved in attacks in the Philippines, including the Marawi siege, and bombings in Jolo, Sulu.

To prevent more foreign terrorists from entering the country, Gapay said the country must ramp up its maritime security and immigration screening, as these individuals enter the country through its porous borders and use fake identities to escape detection by immigration authorities. – Rappler.com