Mindanao security efforts are being reinforced as intelligence operations against terrorism take center stage following renewed concerns over extremist activity in parts of the region. The Philippine National Police (PNP) is sharpening its focus on intelligence gathering and monitoring to prevent recruitment, training, and coordinated attacks linked to terrorist groups.
These measures come as authorities move to protect recent gains in peace, order, and development in Mindanao, particularly in areas that were once affected by armed conflict. Police leadership emphasized that vigilance remains necessary despite improvements on the ground, especially amid emerging threat indicators flagged by security monitors.
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Heightened Monitoring and Inter-Agency Coordination
PNP acting chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. directed police units to maintain strict surveillance and intensify intelligence collection across Mindanao, citing the need to disrupt potential terror plots before they materialize. He stressed that coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the wider intelligence community remains constant to ensure a unified security response.
“We treat all the information we receive seriously. And while there are already significant gains in improving peace, order, and development in areas in Mindanao that used to be the sites of armed conflict, we continue to monitor the situation on the ground with the help of our AFP counterparts,” Nartatez emphasized in a statement on Sunday.
Security concerns escalated following reports from peace advocates monitoring violence in Mindanao, who warned of alleged recruitment and training activities by Dawlah Islamiyah in the provinces of Lanao and Maguindanao. These warnings followed a Jan. 23 ambush in Munai, Lanao del Norte that resulted in the deaths of four soldiers during non-combat security operations tied to community development.
Persistent Threats and Community Role
Nartatez said police and military units in Lanao and Maguindanao are maintaining heightened alertness in line with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to sustain an uncompromising stance against internal security threats and preserve stability in the Bangsamoro region. He noted that sustained monitoring and timely intervention have long been part of security protocols supporting the government’s peace and development initiatives in Mindanao.
The PNP chief, who previously led the Area Police Command–Western Mindanao, also highlighted the role of communities in maintaining peace, underscoring the importance of cooperation between residents and security forces in identifying and preventing extremist activity.
Data cited by Climate Conflict Action Asia pointed to a 91 percent rise in violent extremist incidents, from 23 cases in 2024 to 44 in 2025. These incidents included armed encounters resulting in at least 30 deaths, arrests of suspected financiers and drug dealers, and the seizure of weapons such as M16 rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers, and improvised explosive devices. The group also observed sustained recruitment efforts over the past two years in parts of Lanao and Maguindanao.
For Filipinos, especially those living and working in Mindanao, sustained security efforts directly affect daily life by protecting livelihoods, enabling safe travel, and ensuring that development projects can proceed without disruption, reinforcing long-term stability not only in the region but across the country.
