An explosive cocktail – Counter-terrorism, militarisation and authoritarianism in the Philippines
In June 2020, the Philippines government signed into law the highly contested Anti-Terrorism Act. This law is seen by many as the latest move by Filipino authorities to use countering 'terrorism' as the pretext to limit dissent and undermine democracy.
This discussion paper explores how the renewed global focus on counter-terrorism, combined with the election of a populist government in the Philippines with autocratic instincts and violent tendencies, has produced an explosive cocktail; one that is having damaging effects on conflict dynamics, civic space and the democratic freedoms of Filipino citizens.
It recommends a significant change in approach by security and development partners in the Philippines, multilateral institutions and international NGOs, and national CSOs, as well as a number of lessons for policymakers at the national and global level.
Read the report here.
Read a summary of the report here.
Read more about our work on peacebuilding responses to terrorism and migration.
