By Carlos H. Conde  |  If the US military can have its way in countries that are less friendly to Washington – Pakistan, for instance – how much more in the Philippines where Americans are given far greater access, whose people bestow on them a tremendous amount of trust that they probably will not find elsewhere?

The Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project through journalist Vincent Sawabi listened to different voices in Sulu – the young and old, the politicized and otherwise, the believer and the cynical – on the impact of the recent kidnapping to their province and to their lives. Listen to know if peace will remain elusive to their island, once known for its bountiful natural riches and culture.

In the guise of fighting terrorists and extremists, Australia wants to get a foothold in the southern Philippines through the Status of Forces Agreement. The presence of the Abu Sayyaf, or any bandit group for that matter, is a convenient reason for the Australian government to engage in military intervention, in partnership with the United States, in areas around Mindanao.

The ABS-CBN team and their fixer deserve credit for keeping focus on a story and going where the story is to see for themselves and not simply reporting from Manila and helping perpetuate stereotypes through ignorance. The day Sulu or any other place becomes a no-go zone for journalists will be a black day indeed. That said, while ordinary people and critical issues and challenges deserve the oxygen of publicity always, we should also ask whether the same applies to a renowned group of kidnappers.

Asia Report N° TK 14 May 2008
The Philippines: COUNTER-INSURGENCY VS. COUNTER-TERRORISM IN MINDANAO
Executive Summary and recommendations
U.S.-backed security operations in the southern Philippines are making progress but are also confusing counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency with dangerous implications for conflict in the region. The “Mindanao Model” — using classic counter-insurgency techniques to achieve counter-terror goals [...]

Read the ICG’s report here.

The International Crisis Group says the U.S. and the Philippines “need to refocus energies on peace processes in Mindanao or they risk new hostilities between government forces and insurgents.” In a report today, it warns that security operations in Mindanao “are confusing counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism and risk pushing the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) – their target — into the arms of the broader insurgencies.”