With no workable plan to deal with Islamic
terrorism, the Philippines is slipping towards chaos and possible dictatorship,
an
international commentator believes. Journalist Graham Cooke says the country’s problems are leading to a flight of foreign investment, and quotes an Australian National University expert on the region, Dr Kit Collier, who describes the Philippines security forces’
terrorism arrest record as appalling. Even though Jemaah Islamiyah has been using southern areas of the Philippines as a training ground for future generations of terrorists, there have been hardly any convictions of significant figures in the international terrorist group. Instead there have been widespread round-ups, often with little or no evidence of offences committed, and lengthy detentions without trial. This led to a prison revolt in March 2005 that was put down with the death of 26 inmates. However, much of the fault lies with the country’s legislators, who have been debating anti-terrorism legislation since 1997 without result. Collier says many politicians have problem with the Government’s insistence, against international advice, on sweeping provisions in the proposed laws which could be used to suppress all opposition, violent or non-violent. This has fuelled fears of a backdoor attempt by embattled President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to reintroduce the authoritarian regime of the Marcos era. Cooke says one international player who is taking an interest in the Philippines situation is China, which would dearly like to see the influence of the United States diluted in the South-East Asian region. If American companies flee because of the unstable conditions, China could well fill the vacuum. This has larger implications for countries like Australia, especially if China decides to push its influence further into the South Pacific where countries from Papua New Guinea to Tonga have experienced unrest and instability in recent times.