French Jean-Paul Laborde, center,
U.N. Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate
(CTED), gestures beside Philippine Department of Justice, Justice
Undersecretary Atty. Francisco Baraan III, right, and Sue Takasu, U.N.
Senior Legal Officer, left, as they meet reporters at the Department of
Justice in Manila, Philippines on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014. Laborde said
there is no evidence that Islamic State militants have gained a foothold
in the Philippines but added the country can take more steps to help
fight a group that has vowed to expand its reach. AP/Aaron Favila
A U.N. counterterrorism official said Thursday there was
no evidence that Islamic State militants have gained a foothold in the
Philippines, where Muslim rebels are active, but added that the country
can take more steps to help fight a group that has vowed to expand its
reach.
Filipinos belonging to two small but violent Muslim insurgent groups
in the country's south, including the al-Qaida-inspired Abu Sayyaf, have
publicly vowed support to the Islamic State group, sparking concerns
among Philippine security officials. There have been reports of
Filipinos sneaking into Syria and Iraq to fight alongside the Islamic
State group, but the military and police say there's have found no proof
of that after an investigation.
"There is no evidence that they are in the Philippines," Jean-Paul
Laborde of the U.N. Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate told a news
conference in Manila.
He said that the Philippines and other countries should continue to
shield their territories from the terrorists, including by strengthening
laws and regulations to prevent local Muslim communities from being
targeted for recruitment and to deprive the militants of financial
resources.
"They will try to get as much as they can in terms of foreign
terrorist fighters, in terms of finance, in terms of everything, so it's
possible that, one day, they will come to your country," he said.
Laborde discussed counterterrorism steps with Philippine officials
and praised the government for establishing an anti-terrorism council to
oversee a battle against extremists.
