Manila Bulletin
Philippines
National
Gov't agencies worry Afghans stay may trigger revival of Taliban, Al-Qaeda-like activities in PH
Philippines
National
Gov't agencies worry Afghans stay may trigger revival of Taliban, Al-Qaeda-like activities in PH
Gov't agencies worry Afghans stay may trigger revival of Taliban, Al-Qaeda-like activities in PH
Published Jun 16, 2023 12:44 pm
Several government agencies on Friday, June 16 raised concerns that members of the Taliban and other “splinter groups” would revive their propaganda once the Philippines gives in to the United States’ request for the government to temporarily house Afghan nationals in the country.
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Deputy Director Jose Justo Yap said it is “highly probable” there are “sleepers” among the Afghan refugees and they may have “sympathizers” in Mindanao.
“I think the apprehension that we noted is they may have symphatizers from the Southern Philippines, from our Muslim brothers, so that is a possibility,” Yap said in response to a question asked by Sen. Imelda “Imee” Marcos.
National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) Director General Lt. Gen. Ricardo De Leon, agreed with the NBI.
“Certainly madam chair it can also be used as a propaganda and some of our apprehensions is about the ‘sleepers’ they could always be activated and it will have an impact as far as revival of some activities in the South,” De Leon said.
Marcos, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, initiated a Senate inquiry into the US government’s formal request to the Philippines to allow their Afghans formally employed by their government, and their qualified dependents, to temporarily stay in the Philippines to process their Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applications.
The request, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, was formally raised by US President Joe Biden to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. last May, during the latter’s visit to America. All costs, according to Manalo, would be shouldered by the US.
But Manggay G. Guro, National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) Chief of Staff, said that they are not particularly concerned about the infiltration or the “sleepers” among the incoming Afghanistan nationals “but more of being a target of an attack.”
“As we all know just recently, this Wednesday, an incident happened in Marawi (City) again, concerning the same group that caused the Marawi siege,” Guro said, referring to the Islamic State (IS)-affiliated group that launched an armed conflict against government troops in 2017 that lasted five months.
“Apparently they are regrouping and growing in numbers because of this continuing problems in Marawi that up until now, most of these affected by the Marawi siege, they have not yet returned to their homeland or to their homes,” he added.
“So these are the concerns of the NCMF because if their mobility would not be limited and even if their mobility would be limited, these people from the South or these sympathizers of these ISIS-inspired group can easily travel to Luzon,” Guro also stressed.
Marcos agreed with the observation, saying she too, is consuded why the United States itself no longer wants to accommodate the Afghan nationals.
“Yes, I think doesn’t the fact that the US no longer wants to house these foreigners in safe havens within the territory of the United States, raise concerns for us? They’re claiming that they are very low risk security, that highly-vetted groups will be the only ones coming and the SIVs are assured. And yet they don’t want them? Doesn’t this raise concerns on the background and character of these individuals?” Marcos pointed out.
“Ayaw nga ng employer na kunin yung dating empleyado, bakit tayo ang kukuha? Tayo hindi nangangamba, sila ayaw? Bakit ganun (The employer doesn't want to hire the former employee, why should we hire them? We are not afraid, they do not want? Why is that)?” she said.
Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary Michael Wesley Po also signified the agency’s “vehement objection” to the proposal “in its entirety” mainly due to legal grounds and security issues.
“On the legal ground..DepEd feels that this will delve into an issue of sovereignty. As we all know in sovereignty the exercise of rights and functions of a State must be excused from any intervention from other states or interference. And in this case, this would be determined who have the right and can enter the country, and who can stay in the Philippines whether temporarily or permanently,” Po explained to the panel.
“In the proposal, it seems that the vetting process will be done by the US, therefore, this is an interference into our exclusive determination as to who can enter our country,” Po stressed.
“Why would the US expect us to bend our rules if they are not willing to be flexible in theirs? And that is really the concern of the DepEd under the Vice President (Sara Duterte)
Po also said that aside from this, the DepEd is also concerned over the policy’s impact into the national security of the country: “It is really the security concern. As you know the schools have been witnessed to armed conflicts locally and local terrorist groups is really a concern of the department,” the education undersecretary said.
Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, for his part, said the agency is also concerned but they will depend on the legal opinion that would be issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“There are ways that it can be made legally permissible but we have to anticipate the what ifs, and then we have to bring it on the other side and make certain that they are ready and willing to execute their undertakings that we have to determine,” Teodoro told the panel.