March 7,
2008: The communist NPA is not backing down from the more aggressive army and
police efforts to crush them. In the past two weeks, there have been over fifty
casualties in clashes with the NPA. Often, it is the NPA attacking police or
army bases, usually in remote areas. The NPA has also attacked another mining
operation, showing it is not willing to give up its lucrative extortion racket.
The government is forming a special security force for mines, while the army
and police are sending more patrols into rural areas where the NPA fighting
forces live.
Abu Sayyaf
is trying to get out of the jungle, and transform itself into an urban
terrorist operation, using bombs instead of bullets. To that end, foreign
terrorists, skilled in the construction and use of bombs, have been found
entering the country. There have also been more bomb-related terrorist
incidents. Yesterday, someone threw a bomb into a bar on Jolo, wounding six
people. Abu Sayyaf bomb makers still have a way to go, for their bombs are
often weak, or don't go off at all. Despite that, it's clear that Abu Sayyaf
can't survive in the bush. While the urban areas were once seen as more
dangerous for Islamic terrorists, this is no longer the case. Over 10,000
police and troops have been scouring the back country of southern islands like Jolo
and Basilan, for over a year. Abu Sayyaf has to get out of these places, or get
caught or killed. The police are detecting more terrorist activity in towns and
cities, and are catching more Filipino, and foreign, Islamic terrorists. Three
Arabs were arrested recently when they were caught planning to bomb embassies
in the capital.
February
23, 2008: The army has formed a special "anti-coup"
battalion, to ensure that no one overthrows the government during next week's
anti-corruption demonstrations in the capital. Corruption has long been a
problem in the Philippines. But while everyone complains about it, no one seems
to be able to do much about it. Anti-corruption efforts encounter widespread indifference,
and a lot of resistance, to shutting down scams and extortion by government
officials. A few senior officials or military officers are nailed each year,
but that does not diminish the daily encounters most Filipinos have with
corruption.
