Philippines asks court to outlaw Abu Sayyaf

The Philippine government has asked a court to outlaw the Abu Sayyaf as a terrorist group and blacklist more than 200 of its Islamic fighters blamed for two decades of bombings, kidnappings and beheadings, officials said Monday. The Justice Department recently lodged its petition against the al-Qaida-linked group with a trial court in southern Basilan [...]

ASEM conference on counter-terrorism conference papers

On 10 and 11 June 2010, the 8th ASEM Conference on Counter-Terrorism was held in Brussels, Belgium. It was hosted by the Belgian Federal Public Service of Foreign Affairs, with the support of the European Union, as part of the preparations for the ASEM 8 Summit on 4 and 5 October 2010. Jean-Paul Laborde, Director [...]

Abu Sayyaf founding member pleads guilty after plea arrangement

The US Justice Department announced on Wednesday that Madhatta Haipe, a citizen of the Philippines and founding member of Al-Harakat Al-Islamiyyah, also known as the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), pleaded guilty in federal court in the District of Columbia to four counts of hostage taking in connection with the 1995 abduction of 16 people, including [...]

Speech: Terrorist Use of the Internet

Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, deputy coordinator for counter-terrorism at the U.S. State Department, leaded off the discussion in a security conference in the Philippines on “Terrorist Use of the Internet”. In her speech, she told delegates that the Internet presents a paradox for law enforcement. “The challenge for open societies, therefore, is to maintain the free flow [...]

Philippines will not meet deadline to crush rebels

The Philippine military announced Sunday that it could not meet a deadline this month to eradicate the Maoist rebellion, but said the number of rebels is at a historic low. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had ordered troops to crush the Maoist rebellion by the end of her term on June 30, but the military said [...]

UN experts conclude major study into use of secret detention in the fight against terrorism

Despite the fact that international law clearly prohibits secret detention, the practice is widespread and “reinvigorated” by the so-called global war on terror, several independent United Nations experts stated, outlining a series of steps aimed at curbing this human rights violation. In a 222-page study which will be presented to the United Nations Human Rights [...]

Philippines: Freedom of Information Act Approved by Senate

On December 14, 2009, the Senate of the Philippines approved a Freedom of Information Act designed to allow access to key public documents, including those related to projects where corruption has been an issue. The Act, found in Senate Bill No. 3308, requires government agencies to allow public review and copying of all official information; [...]

Manila to press terror charges against alleged Abu Sayyaf founder

The Philippines government will prosecute an alleged founder of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) on terror charges, following his arrest and extradition from Indonesia based on Federal Bureau of Investigation inputs, an investigator told Gulf News.

62 people arrested in Philippines using sweeping martial-law powers

Philippine troops used sweeping martial-law powers Sunday to arrest at least 62 people and dig up an arms cache in the troubled south, as they continued a push to restore order to the region after the massacre of 57 political activists and journalists last month.President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo imposed martial law late Friday in parts [...]

Philippines Declares State of Emergency in Mindanao, habeas corpus suspended

The government of the Philippines has declared a state of emergency in parts of the south after a massacre of at least 46 people, including 12 journalists. Press freedom groups have condemned the attack as the worst in history and express skepticism that those responsible will be brought to justice. As more bodies were uncovered [...]