ICC Note: The Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte believes that fight against terrorism should be one of the main discussions among the ASEAN community during the Manila summit on November 13. The recent terrorist attacks such as the one in NYC that left 8 people dead shows us that the fight against terrorism is not over, despite the recent defeats suffered by the Islamic State in Iraq, Syria, and the Philippines. The fight against terrorism in Philippines was the biggest security crisis in years for the Roman Catholic-majority triggering concerns that island of Mindanao could become a magnet for Islamic State fighters.
11/02/2017 Philippines (Channel News Asia) – Two weeks ahead of a regional summit, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday urged greater cooperation to battle Islamist militancy, following military victories in Iraq, Syria and the southern Philippine city of Marawi.
Philippine Foreign Minister Alan Peter Cayetano said Duterte would discuss the fight against terrorism, a key priority, with ASEAN leaders and regional partners, including U.S. President Donald Trump, gathering at a summit in Manila on Nov. 13.
“The defeat suffered by the Islamic State in Iraq, Syria, and the Philippines does not mean the fight is over,” Cayetano said in a statement a day after an Islamic State-inspired attack in New York killed eight people and injured 11.
“The terrorist attacks in New York and other places abroad during the past several weeks tell us the threat remains real.”
In Marawi, soldiers killed two pro-Islamic State gunmen and arrested an Indonesian militant a week after the army declared victory over the Maute group, which occupied large parts of the lakeside city for five months.
It was the biggest security crisis in years for the Roman Catholic-majority Philippines, triggering concerns the island of Mindanao could become a magnet for Islamic State fighters driven out of Iraq and Syria.
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