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Deescalating China-US Tensions in the South China Sea
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the whole world, China and the United State are currently involved in a worsening security tension in the South China Sea. China-US relation has reached its lowest moment since the normalization of their bilateral ties in 1979. Peaceful management of conflicts in the South China Sea rests on the decisive affirmative actions taken not only by claimants and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) but also by the joint actions of China and the US. This is the time for China to show its strong willed leadership in promoting peace, security and stability in the South China Sea by unilaterally pursuing practical measures that can deescalate tensions and prevent the risk of accidents and misunderstandings with the US.
Threats of Violent Extremism and Terrorism in the Philippines Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, terrorist threats worldwide continue unabated. In fact, international terrorist groups are taking advantage of the pandemic to propagandize, recruit and mount violent attacks. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), for example, is currently experiencing a rapid resuscitation as the pandemic is providing the group the needed oxygen to recover. The Philippines is one of the countries most affected by the twin threats of terrorism and COVID-19 pandemic.
Latest Posts
Analysis of the Current Situation in the South China Sea and Evolution under the Biden administration
by Wu Shicun 16 December 2020 The situation in the South China Sea can be described as a lull before the storm. The United States has slowed down its military operations there given the controversy in the presidential elections, the transitional period afterwards, and the unpredictability of U.S. foreign policy in the future. Other claimant…
To Win the Fight against Terrorism, Nations Must Be Inclusive, Fair, Just
by Rizal Buendia 7 December 2020 Less than two months after President Rodrigo Duterte signed the controversial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 on 3 July 2020, otherwise known as Republic Act No. 11479, effectively supplanting Human Security Act of 2007 or Republic Act 9372, the country was rock by another terrorist attack in Jolo, Sulu in…
RCEP and Promotion of Practical Cooperation Between China and Philippines
Rommel C. Banlaoi 27 November 2020 On 15 November 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with five of its strategic partners, namely China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to promote free trade among participating nations. RCEP is…
Oil and Gas Development in the West Philippine Sea: Imperative for Philippine Economic Development and Peaceful Management of Conflicts in the South China Sea
Rommel C. Banlaoi, PhD 21 October 2020 After six years since 2014, the President Rodrigo R. Duterte finally lifted the moratorium on oil and gas exploration in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), a unilateral action that Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi described as an exercise of sovereign rights of the Philippine government in accordance with existing…
Violence in Southern Philippines Highlights Resilience of Militant Networks
by Georgi Engelbrecht 18 September 2020 On 24 August, two explosions in Jolo, a city in Sulu province in the southern Philippines, killed 15 and injured 74—a chilling case of déjà vu in a region that has suffered repeated attacks in recent years. The incident set alarm bells ringing in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)…
Countering Terrorism 19 Years After 9/11: The Imperative for US-China Cooperation
by Rommel C. Banlaoi 12 September 2020 9/11 was a milestone in the history of American global leadership since the end of the Second World War as it exposed the vulnerability of the US as a global power and of the international community as a family of sovereign nations. The aftermath of 9/11 strongly demonstrated…
Ethnopolitics and Party System in the Bangsamoro: Issues and Challenges
by Rizal G. Buendia 1 September 2020 Introduction The ratification of Republic Act (RA) No. 11054, otherwise known as the “Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao” (OLBARMM) or simply the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) in the 21 January and 6 February 2019 plebiscites signifies the cessation of armed conflict between the Moro…
Deescalating China-US Tensions in the South China Sea
Rommel C. Banlaoi, PhD 31 August 2020 Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the whole world, China and the United State are currently involved in a worsening security tension in the South China Sea. China-US relation has reached its lowest moment since the normalization of their bilateral ties in 1979. The US has presently hardened its…
Militarising The South China Sea Amid A Pandemic*
Anna Rosario Malindog-Uy** 19 August 2020 On 3 August, President Duterte issued a directive disallowing the Philippines from joining naval/maritime exercises and drills of other countries like the United States (US) in the South China Sea (SCS) to reduce tensions in the disputed waters. The US along with its allies like Australia and Japan has…
Cold War Brewing Over South China Sea Tensions*
Anna Rosario Malindog-Uy 12 August 2020 In his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on 27 July, President Rodrigo Duterte stated that, “Within ASEAN and beyond, the Philippines will continue to work with partners to address global perils and ramp up cooperation to secure for our peoples, greater peace, progress, and prosperity. The Filipino…
Threats of Violent Extremism and Terrorism in the Philippines Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Rommel C. Banlaoi 10 August 2020 Introduction Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, terrorist threats worldwide continue unabated. In fact, international terrorist groups are taking advantage of the pandemic to propagandize, recruit and mount violent attacks. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), for example, is currently experiencing a rapid resuscitation as the pandemic is…
Opposition to Anti-Terror Law Unjustified, All About Politics
The Manila Times 30 July 2020 Petitions against the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 have been piling up at the Supreme Court. Earlier, many of the petitioners and other like-minded people have been engaged in vigorous discussions in various fora, on social media and even in a few protests to air their fears and concerns. These…
Building Philippines-China Relations for the Future During the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Ambassador Jose Santiago L. Sta. Romana* 28 July 2020 Introduction The theme of this event is quite apt as we are meeting under very different circumstances. However, it is important that we adapt and adjust so that we may overcome the challenges presented by COVID-19 to the whole of humanity. The current pandemic has…
Join Hands to Overcome Disruptions and Challenges in the Fast Changing World
by Ambassador Huang Xilian* 27 July 2020 It is my delight to join you on-line to talk about building China-Philippines Relations against the backdrop of COVID-19. First and foremost, I would like to congratulate you on the convening of this very timely and meaningful webinar under the current situation. I would also take this opportunity…
China Refuses to Quit on the Philippines
by Derek Grossman* 25 July 2020 When the Filipino people elected Rodrigo Duterte to become their next president in May 2016, China saw a distinct opportunity to pull the longtime U.S. ally away from Washington and into Beijing’s strategic orbit. Avowedly anti-American, President Duterte on his first trip to Beijing in October 2016 exclaimed that it was…
Hurdling the Adverse State-Civil Society Relation Against Terrorism in Southeast Asia
by Rizal G. Buendia* 22 July 2020 Introduction In the United Nations (UN) Security Council’s meeting in April 2020, UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres acknowledged that in spite of the current COVID-19 pandemic, “the threat of terrorism remains alive.” Terrorist groups see a “window of opportunity” to violently attack governments while their attention is turned towards…
China-Philippines Ties See Transformation and Upgrading Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
By Huang Xilian* 21 July 2020 Highlights When #COVID-19 vaccine is developed and put into use, #China will give priority to providing it to the #Philippines as a global public good. As the resumption of work and production proceeds in an orderly manner, there will be more #Chinese cooperative projects in the #Philippines in the…
Strategy of a Small State with Great Powers: The Philippines Amidst US-China Rivalry in the South China Sea
by Rommel C. Banlaoi, PhD* 9 July 2020 Security tensions in the South China Sea are rising again due to escalating major power rivalry between the United States and China. The US and China have increased their military presence in the South China by sending their warships to conduct air-sea battle exercises while the whole…
Anti-Terrorism Law of 2020: The Urgent Need for Gender-Sensitive Counterterrorism Measures in the Philippines
by Mary Ysabelle Samantha A. Chikiamco* 8 July 2020 Law enforcement authorities stereotypically portray terrorist fighters as weapons-carrying men who are always on the frontlines. They regard women, on the other hand, as passive members, blind supporters, or unfortunate victims of terrorist organizations who are always on the sidelines. This mindset is sadly reinforcing gender-biased…
On the New Philippine Anti-Terrorism Law and “the Quest for the Holy Grail”: Towards A Legal Definition of Terrorism
by Soliman M. Santos, Jr* 6 July 2020 President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed Republic Act 11479 entitled, “The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020” on 3 July 2020. One controversial aspect of this law is the perennial debate on the definition of terrorism. This paper examines the definitional ramification of terrorism from a legal standpoint. Editor The…
New Philippine Anti-Terrorism Law: Fighting Terror to Protect Human Rights
by Rommel C. Banlaoi, PhD* 4 July 2020 Despite continuing public criticisms, President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed the new Philippine anti-terrorism law or the Republic Act 11479 on 3 July 2020 to serve as a lawful instrument to fight terror and not to cause terror. Officially entitled “The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020”, the new law…
The ASEAN Summit and the South China Sea: Little Has Changed
by Mark Valencia* 2 July 2020 On 26 June, the leaders of the ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) held their 36th annual summit by video conference, after the in-person summit scheduled for April was postponed because of Covid-19. The pandemic was the main topic of discussions. But also high on the agenda was the…
Parañaque Raid Against the Abu Sayyaf: Countering Terrorism in the City Amidst the Pandemic
Mary Ysabelle Samantha A. Chikiamco* 1 July 2020 On 26 June 2020, four alleged Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) members were killed in a police raid at Don Bosco district in Parañaque City. Slained suspects were identified as: 1) Merhama Abdul Sawari, female; 2) Bensaudi Sali, male; 3) Rasmin Hussin, male; and, 4) Jamal Kalimming, male.…
Why The Philippines Needs An Anti-Terrorism Law
by Anna Malindog-Uy* 27 June 2020 Introduction It has been three years now since the tragic “Marawi Siege”. But until now, terrorist attacks continue to permeate the Philippines making it hard for the government to secure its citizens from those who persistently seek to attack the lives and the way of life of every Filipino.…
Addressing the Root Cause of Terrorism: Beyond Duterte’s Proposed New Anti-Terrorism Law
by Lucio Blanco Pitlo II* 24 June 2020 While mayor of Davao, Rodrigo Duterte tolerated the presence of rebel groups so long as they will not bear arms and carry out attacks in his city. It was an uneasy arrangement that was generally observed. Since becoming President of the Philippines, the self-confessed socialist even appointed…
Terrorism During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Collection of Analyses and Commentaries
To provide ready materials and references on terrorism and COVID-19 pandemic, we collect and share the following analyses and commentaries for appreciation of our readers. We will update this post from time to time to provide our readers timely and useful sources of analyses and commentaries on the topic. Photo Credit: Google Images by PIPVTR…
The VFA and Philippine-American Alliance Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
Rommel C. Banlaoi, PhD* 21 June 2020 When the Philippine government suspended the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), US Defense Secretary Mark Esper expressed his utmost gratefulness to President Rodrigo R. Duterte. Esper gave his statement during his telephone conversation with his counterpart, Philippine National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, on 12 June 2020. …
Understanding Terrorism in the Context of the Proposed New Philippine Anti-Terrorism Law
by Rod Kapunan* 20 June 2020 The latitude of freedom accorded to our people has gone a bit too far. To express one’s indignation to the proposed law is beyond the concept of freedom of expression. Such unmitigated rile against the Anti-Terrorist Law already crosses the boundary of freedom. The action of the so-called militant…
On the Proposed New Philippine Anti-Terrorism Law: Beyond Constitutionality
By Soliman M. Santos, Jr.* Naga City, 18 June 2020 The current public debate in media and occasionally in the streets, as well as the reported executive department review of the new Anti-Terrorism Bill (ATB) presented by the leaders of both houses of Congress to the President for him to sign it into law, can…
Terrorism: An Emerging Definition and Framework
by Atty. Soliman M. Santos, Jr.* 15 June 2020 Introduction Contrary to general impression, there is an emerging internationally acceptable definition of terrorism. This much can be gleaned from the Report of the UN High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change on 2 December 2004, subsequently endorsed by the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in,…
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Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research 