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The Islamic separatist group Abu Sayyaf (ASG) has been spreading terror in Mindanao since the early 90’s, but their activities have not been limited to the southern part of the Philippines. Manila has also had terrorist attacks from ASG, which is said to have links with Jemaah Islamiya, and ISIS.
The Philippine Army has waged a decades-long campaign to crush the ASG. The US has also been involved in assisting our counterterrorism efforts for several years. Locally, the local government units of cities in Mindanao are at the forefront in the campaign to eliminate the terrorist group. Their cities are often the site of grenade attacks, hostage taking, and other terrorist activities. It’s been a long and drawn out process though — Abu Sayyaf, despite its dwindling numbers, will not surrender.
Despite the constant pressure that the Philippine Army applies, ASG has managed to continue to recruit members. The former mayor of Ungkaya Pukan town in Basilan revealed to InterAksyonthat the terrorist group lures in members by offering them a salary of as much as Php 15,000 a month, and also fraction of ransom money they receive from the hostages they take.
In an impoverished region such as the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao where the group is based, people — even teenagers as young as 14 years old — are attracted by the offer, alongside high-powered automatic weapons.
That’s really not a surprise though. With the Php 15,000 salary that the group is offering, it ranks just below the education sector, with an average starting pay of Php 16,557 for fresh graduates, according to a report by imoney.ph:
With unemployment at 6.7 percent, the Philippines also has the highest unemployment rate in the Southeast Asian region.
On the other hand, the government is having a hard time recruiting members for its civilian arm. Via InterAksyon:
While it is easy for the Abu Sayyaf to recruit new members, the government is finding it hard to augment its civilian paramilitary forces, or the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU).
To counter the ASG campaign, (Westmincomm spokesperson Lt. Rowena) Muyela said the military is seeking the help of Muslim leaders such as imams.
source: pacifiqa.com
