#AnimatED: Terror threat closer to home

The recent terrorist attack in the heart of crowded Jakarta, claimed by the jihadist Islamic State, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), sends a chilling message to us: ISIS and its supporters have come closer to home.

Eight were killed and more than 20 people were injured.

While President Aquino assured the country that there is no “specific” terror threat suggesting similar bomb blasts here, he urged citizens to be vigilant.

The question in many people’s minds is: how influential and capable is the ISIS in Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines?

Rappler has reported the presence of ISIS affiliates in Mindanao who, experts warned, shouldn’t be downplayed by Philippine authorities.

Various analysts have pointed out that with ISIS losing ground in the Middle East, its foreign fighters – there are thousands of them from many countries, including Indonesia and the Philippines – may return to their origins to set up units.

At least 600 Southeast Asian fighters are in Iraq, according to a December 2015 study by the Soufan Group, a consultancy.  Majority are from Indonesia, with Malaysia a far second. The number of fighters from the Philippines was placed at 100 (as of 2014) but this has not been verified. One thing definite is: Filipinos have been spotted in ISIS videos.

Even with ISIS propaganda said to be losing its edge and suffering a beating in its finances, this should not keep our guard down.

Sure, presidential candidates keep security in their campaign agenda but they should be able to propose specific responses to counter terrorism, including ISIS and its followers. This would entail getting out of parochial mindsets to find solutions.

Emphasis should be given to cooperating with Asean and other countries, in multilateral and bilateral arrangements, for intelligence sharing and beefing up capabilities of police forces and the military.

The ISIS is not that easy to defeat. Fighting it is fighting the idea of a return to a “medieval religious nature” by a group that believes it is a “key agent of the coming apocalypse,” as The Atlantic thoughtfully  explained.

It would benefit us all for presidential candidates to come up with carefully considered policies to combat terrorism and the ISIS – and for us, citizens, to keep tight watch. – Rappler.com