ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how various insurgent groups in the Philippines have thwarted the Philippine government and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in developing a credible territorial defense capability. Former President Benigno Aquino III shifted the AFP’s focus from internal to territorial defense during his six-year term. President Rodrigo Duterte has continued his predecessor’s modernization program that aimed to enhance the Philippine military’s territorial defense and disaster response capabilities. The five-month battle for Marawi City, however, exposed a major structural problem for the AFP—the resilience of internal security threats has not only altered the country’s security perceptions, but also imposed greater resource constraints as it seeks to improve its overall capabilities. Currently, there are five major insurgent groups defying the Philippine government—the New People’s Army (NPA), the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), and the Maute Group. In conclusion, the chapter argues that the most pressing security challenge the Philippine state faces is to effectively and decisively exercise its monopoly on the use of legitimate violence to overcome the armed challenges posed by several non-state actors in Philippine society.
