MANILA: The Philippine military said on Monday it had received reports of the death of Radullan Sahiron, the remaining top leader of the militant Abu Sayyaf Group. Formed in 1991, ASG was initially heavily influenced by Al-Qaeda and has been notorious since the early 2000s for assassinations, extortion, and kidnappings. The group was a significant source of violent conflict
MANILA: A center aimed at helping former militants reintegrate into the community is being built in the southern Philippines as part of government efforts to sustain peace in one of Southeast Asia’s most conflict-torn regions, officials said on Monday. Bangsamoro, a region covering predominantly Muslim areas of Mindanao, has undergone a peace process for nearly a decade since
JOLO, Sulu: When Philippine security forces won a major fight with militants affiliated with Daesh in 2017, a new surge in attacks led to concerns that the group, which originated in the Middle East, was expanding its operations in the Southeast Asian country. Five years later, the military says its operations have decreased the threat, but it is not entirely gone. The main
MANILA: Experts on Tuesday questioned the Philippines government’s decision to probe the role of 154 police officers in President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial war on drugs after an initial review suggested they could be criminally liable over their conduct in 52 deadly crackdowns. The move is seen as a rare admission by the state of abuse that took place under Duterte’s