Philippine Army Keeps Troops in Basilan to Secure Peace
The Philippine Army is committed to maintaining a strong troop presence in Basilan despite the province being declared free from the extremist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). The military leadership emphasized that sustaining peace and supporting development remain top priorities in this region.
Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, the Philippine Army commanding general, stated in an interview that the decision to retain the Army units is crucial. “Will we downsize the Army units there? No, it will remain because we still have this role to sustain the peace, which is very important – sustaining the peace and making sure development will flow in that area. Confidence-building is now in the works,” he explained.
Currently, six battalions of Army soldiers are stationed in Basilan. While the ASG’s presence has diminished significantly in other Mindanao provinces, Galido noted that remnants of the extremist group still exist, though minimally.
Addressing Root Causes of Extremism
According to Galido, the main reason the extremist group thrived in the past was the lack of economic opportunities in the area. “Why do they thrive? As I’ve said when I was there, it’s their lack of opportunity,” he said. “They think that embracing this mindset of radical idealism will provide them this economic opportunity. But what the campaign of the government there, local government has manifested, is that embracing radicalism will not bring in economic opportunity.”
The Army’s focus now is on socio-economic programs to prevent locals from being drawn to extremist ideologies. “Once we open it up, I’m 100 percent sure their support system will decrease enormously,” Galido added.
Basilan Declared Free from Abu Sayyaf Influence
Basilan, historically a stronghold for ASG known for kidnappings and violent attacks, was officially declared free from the extremist group’s influence on June 9. This declaration was based on Resolution No. 01, Series of 2025, passed unanimously during a joint meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC).
The 101st Infantry Brigade in Basilan confirmed through intelligence and operational assessments that there is no longer any organized ASG presence, infrastructure, or influence in the province. The resolution also recognized the successful surrender and reintegration of former ASG members via programs like E-CLIP and the Balik-Loob Program.
Local governance, security efforts, and community resilience have all contributed to dismantling the conditions that allowed violent extremism to flourish. Galido highlighted that the biggest beneficiaries of this achievement are not the military but the local government and the people of Basilan.
“The entity that will benefit more is not the military. It’s the local government unit and the province itself,” he said.
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