Is ‘The Islamic Emirate of the Philippines’ coming soon?

THE swift reconquest of Afghanistan by the Taliban culminating with their entry into Kabul, the country’s capital and seat of power last August 15, 2021, created an “avalanche of celebrations” and “overwhelming jubilation” in the ranks of the world global terrorist and Islamic extremist movements with one particular post now calling for the establishment of an ‘Islamic Emirate of the Philippines,’ according to a well-respected and globally-recognized Filipino anti-terrorism and international security expert.

During the ‘Meet the Press/Report to the Nation’ media forum of the National Press Club (NPC) last August 20, 2021, Prof. Rommel Banlaoi, said his “monitoring” of these various groups showed the return to power of the Taliban, after battling an international military force primarily headed by the United States for nearly twenty years, “inspired” these group to pursue their own agenda of creating their own governments based on the strict interpretation of the Koran and the ‘Sharia’ (Islamic law).

Banlaoi, chair of the ‘Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism’ and also the author of more than 70 articles on peace and terrorism, has been following developments in the local and international terrorism scene for more than 20 years now.

He noted that even within the ranks of the local Muslim fighters he had talked to and who had served in Afghanistan as “Mujahedin” during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan that started in 1979, they were also “happy” to see the return of the Taliban to power. “Sila po ay natutuwa dahil sa wakas ay nagtagumpay ang mga ‘freedom fighters’ na Taliban na makontrol ulit ang Afghanistan.”

Banlaoi said that about 1,000 Filipino Muslims went to Afghanistan as “Mujahedin” of which, about 200 are still around but stressed they are “now in retirement” in Mindanao and Metro Manila.

The Taliban now said that Afghanistan would henceforth be called, ‘The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.’

Banlaoi said that as a long-time “observer” of the events in Afghanistan, he had already foreseen the triumph of the Taliban despite the overwhelming presence of US military might after then US Pres. Donald Trump struck a deal with the Taliban in February 2020.

That deal, Banloi noted, “pledged” the US military to leave the country while also giving the Taliban the opportunity to undertake a “diplomatic campaign” in other countries.

Eventually, the date of US evacuation, under Pres. Joe Biden, was set for the end of August 2021, just about 2 weeks before the 20^th anniversary of the ‘9/11’ terrorist attack that brought down the World Trade Center in New York.

That incident resulted to the US military occupation of Afghanistan the following month, October 7, 2001,  to remove the Taliban from power for refusing to hand-over Al Qaeda and its leader, Osama Bin Laden. The US said it was Bin Laden who masterminded the attack and the Taliban are complicit for giving shelter to Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.

But early this month, having encountered no resistance from the Afghan Armed Forces organized and armed by the United States and with Afghan president, Ashraf Gani, among the first to flee even before Kabul fell, the Taliban simply rolled into the capital and took power again for themselves.

Banlaoi said he had already communicated his concern to his contacts in the national security establishment—the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police, among others– upon seeing the post calling for the creation of an ‘Islamic Emirate of the Philippines,’ saying this is an “emerging” national security threat.

However, he refused to elaborate further, saying it is “not yet clear” to him which group among the local and foreign terrorist groups made the post. However, he noted it emanated from the Philippines.

He said what “worries” him is not the old generation of Muslim Filipino Mujahedin but, the present breed who might also be inspired to follow the Taliban.

Timely passage of the ATL, lessons from BARMM

Banlaoi in the same forum lauded the passage of the ‘Anti-Terrorism Law’ (RA 11479), believing it has sufficient provisions to deal with the “evolving, persistent and emerging threat” to national security posed by the developments in Afghanistan.

In particular, Banlaoi noted that under the ATL, even the posting of any article encouraging support for any terrorist organization can now be investigated by the authorities. This is contained under Section 10 of RA 11479.

Banlaoi also said he approved of the “preventive custody” of terrorist suspects enshrined under the law in order for the authorities to thoroughly investigate any potential threat to national security.

Despite the worries generated by the Taliban triumph in Afghanistan, Banlaoi said the Taliban can also learn a lesson or two in governance from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who are now running the affairs in ‘BARMM’ (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao).

Like the MILF, Banlaoi noted that one of the challenges now confronting the Taliban is to uphold its promise not to tolerate Muslim extremism and to also confront terrorism head on.

He noted that the MILF and even its predecessor, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) are now fighting alongside government troops in the effort to defeat the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and the Maute Group, which had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq. The ongoing joint MILF and Philippine military campaign against Muslim extremists in the country is part of the MILF’s obligations in order to maintain peace and order in Mindanao.

For the Taliban, the challenge is how to confront the Al-Qaeda and the other Islamic extremist groups who have been its allies in their armed struggle against the Americans, Banlaoi noted further