Milnet MainIntell

MILNET: Philippines


Philippines  (map)

Recent Events | Terrorism

The Philippines, a long time participant in U.S. Foreign Policy, has emerged as a World trouble spot, much as each of the English colonies did as they too gained their Independence.  Not remarkably, the Philippine's modern problems began right after the conclusion of World War II when in 1946 they received their independence.

What is remarkable about the nation is that it is composed of some 1000 islands and many diverse cultures that, for the most part live well together and where inter island migrations rarely produce violence. 90 percent of the islands' occupants are Christian Filipinos, but countered by large Muslim cultures on Mindanao and northern Luzon.

The Philippines became a U.S. protectorate when it was ceded to the U.S. after the Spanish American War in 1898.  As a protectorate, the U.S. kept an economic and small military presence on the island.  After Pearl Harbor, the U.S. military force projection could not maintain as long a reach as needed into the Pacific.

Having been seized by the Japanese during World War II, the island's people had essentially fled into the hills or suffered the fate of most of the peoples taken by the Japanese during the war -- death or cruel subservience.  The government officials knuckled under to Japanese invasion and attempted to help shield the common Philippine citizen from the Japanese.  A U.S. Major left behind as U.S. troops were finally thrown off the island, pinned on stars and led a guerilla effort that frustrated the Japanese and kept valuable resources tied up throughout the remainder of the war.  The Filipinos, being an Asian race with a long history of conflict, were survivors, however and when McArthur returned to win back the Island from the Japanese, they came out fighting.

The Philippine Islands were a U.S. protectorate for only a short time  following the war, with some thinking it would become a U.S. territory like Guam.  In 1945 the country won its independence despite a weary people and U.S. concerns about security and trade.  Predictably, the country quickly became home to both separatists and a particularly virulent socialist wing.  The largest problem stemmed from resentment for those in the government during the war who were thought of as collaborators with Japanese.  One of these was an economic minister responsible for rice production, who became the first elected President of the independent Philippines on July 1946.

Huk guerilla fighters, having learned their stealthy trade to perfection during the war, vowed to take out the collaborators, especially in central Luzon a pleasant island based on an agrarian life. Several administrations tried to cultivate the Huks over the years, but to no avail.  Finally, with some 11,000 to 15,000 armed Huks impatient with the status quo, their rebellion spreading from Central Luzon to southern Tagalog, through northern Luzon, the Visayan Islands, and finally  in Mindanao.  This so called popular revolution withered in 1951, as Huk atrocities soon angered the general population and the Huks eventually dissolved into bandits, murdering and stealing becoming their way of life.  By 1954, with the aid of U.S. advisors, the Huk's were finally marginalized to be ineffective, and the Huk rebellion squeaked to an end.

However, the contention over a territory called Sabah on the island of Borneo with Malaysia and Indonesia led to danger on the northeastern border. Anti Malayasian sentiment helped elect Ferdinand Marcos to office as President.  After his re-election Marcos' popularity began to waiver and eventually in order to retain his position of power, he declared martial law.  One of his chief rivals was Benigno Aquino, who was arrested and detained under the auspices of the Martial Law.  Serving decades in Marcos' jails, he eventually was allowed to leave the Philippines to seek medical treatment in the U.S.  Leading an opposition party from exile, Aquino continued to be a very popular figure and eventually decided he needed to return.  He was assassinated by government troops as he was being escorted off the plane, marking the last days of Marco's regime.  This eventually led to elections in which Aquino's wife Corazon was elected as President, and the Marcos induced dictatorship was ended.

Today the Philippines continues to be a hot bed of anti-American dissent fostered by the communist party as well as several groups intent upon turning the country upside down.  Anti American sentiment has been stirred up by the communist separatists and several unfortunate U.S. military men's activities and today the U.S. presence is all but gone from the islands.  Communist and terrorist activity have plagued the country in the last two decades as well as volcano that continues to bury the former site of Clark AFB in feet of soot and ash.

The Philippines economy, slowed in 1998 as a result of the Asian financial crisis, however recorved niecly in 1999.  The current high tech dropoff had major effects in the Philippines, but it is whethering the tough conditions better than its neighbors.    The labor force concentrates on agriculture 39.8%, government and social services 19.4%, services 17.7%, manufacturing 9.8%, construction 5.8%, and other at 7.5%.  Its agricultral products are rice, coconuts, corn, sugarcane, bananas, pineapples, mangoes; pork, eggs, beef; and fish almost entirely for domestic consumption.  Exports include electronic equipment, machinery and transport equipment, garments, coconut products.  Like most third world nations, as well as pretty common for island nations, Philippine's imports include raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, consumer goods, and fuels.

The Philippine military, rmy, Navy (includes Coast Guard and Marine Corps), Air Force draws from a pool of some 20 million males age 15-49, and nearly 900,000 reaching military age of 21 annually.

Late in 2001, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, on the heels of U.S. attacks in Afghanistan, began a quiet lobbying campaign to get U.S. troops to help her rid the islands of the separatists and communists as well as some pretty lethal Islamic extremists.  Early in 2002, U.S. President George W. Bush agreed and special forces teams moved in to begin training the Philippine Army in counter terrorist techniques.  Their immediate goal beyond training was the pursuit of Abu Sayaff terrorists holding missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham and nurse Ediborah Yap who by April of 2002, had been held hostage for 11 months.

Other national problems include dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; claim to Malaysia's Sabah State has not been fully revoked

Recent Events in Philippines

On April 28, 2002, a Abu Sayaff representative claimed that the terrorists holding two missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham and nurse Ediborah Yap, would be willing to enter into "last deal" negotiations.  However, the Army appears to be taking the hard line, claiming the only negotiation they will consider is unconditional surrennder and release of the hostages.  President Arroyo may choose to intervene however.

The Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia have agreed to share information on terrorists as part of a new Anti-Terrorist Trilateral Agreement. The agreement was signed on May 8, 2002 in Putrajaya, the new Malaysian capital.

The following are other events:

Terrorist Groups Active in Philippines

The following terrorist groups are active in the Philippines and provide a majority of the tension:

© Copyright 2002, MILNET

milnet@milnet.com