Online Extremist Recruitment Flagged at ASEAN Peace Education Forum

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) on Wednesday flagged reports of online recruitment into extremist groups, as international delegates gathered for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Peace Education Conference. Speaking to GMA News Online, Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento described online recruitment into extremist groups as a “modern” and “emerging” threat. “It’s actually an emerging threat. There are recruitment efforts linked to modern extremism. There is a threat of exposure even on social media, as well as incidents happening in schools nowadays,” Sarmiento said in an interview. “It’s alarming because it seems that something happens almost every month in the Philippines, among other things, of course,” he added. According to the United Kingdom government, extremism can contribute to the “radicalization of individuals,” denial of people’s rights and opportunities, incitement of hatred, erosion of democratic institutions, social capital and cohesion, and acts of terrorism. Sarmiento made the statement following the school shooting in Banga, South Cotabato, where at least three students were killed and eight others were injured. The student shooter was reportedly part of a “true crime community,” which Banga Mayor Albert Palencia said may have influenced him to copy other shooting incidents. This year’s ASEAN Peace Education Conference is themed “Peace Education for Shared Futures and Enduring Cooperation.” Sarmiento underscored the significance of the international forum, saying it allows delegates to engage in dialogue and learn from the peace-related experiences and challenges faced by different countries. “It’s good because we learn from each other, such as how others addressed a particular problem and how lessons learned from that experience could possibly be applied in other places,” he said. With regard to the peace process in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Sarmiento challenged the newly elected Parliament members to set aside their personal interests and work together to advance the region’s development. “I hope those who won — this is my personal prayer — will set aside, so to speak, their individual thoughts and concerns for the meantime. I hope they all unite because we are always behind and need to catch up,” he said. “But if all their leaders unite and focus first on strengthening the economy and advancing the development of the BARMM, that would be better,” Sarmiento added. Sarmiento said OPAPRU will hold a meeting with stakeholders over the weekend as part of the normalization process under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) to address remaining details. OPAPRU oversees the implementation of the government’s peace agreements with various groups in Mindanao, including the normalization track under the CAB. The normalization process includes the decommissioning and reintegration of former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants, as well as other measures intended to help former combatants and their communities transition to peaceful civilian life. The BARMM held its first parliamentary elections on Monday, September 14, with a final voter turnout of 84.34%, representing 2.02 of the region’s 2.39 million registered voters. The 80 newly elected Parliament members will assume office on October 30 and elect the region’s chief minister. The first elected officials will serve a five-year term until June 30, 2031.— MCG, GMA News