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Ni Estong Reyes
NANGANGAMBA ang ilang security agencies ng pamahalaan na mas lumala ang terorismo sa bansa kapag pumayag na patirahin nang pansamantala sa Pilipinas ang ilang refugees galing Afghanistan na kaalyado ng US.
Sa ginanap na pagdinig nitong Biyernes, inihayag ng ilang ahensiya ng pamahalaan na maaaring may miyembro ng Taliban at iba pang ”splinter group” na maaaring magpasiklab ng propaganda kapag pumayag ang Plipinas sa kahilingan ng US na pansamantalang patirahin dito ang Afghan nationals.
Ayon kay National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Deputy Director Jose Justo Yap na “ “highly probable” there are “sleepers” among the Afghan refugees and they may have “sympathizers” in Mindanao.”
“I think the apprehension that we noted is they may have sympathizers from the Southern Philippines, from our Muslim brothers, so that is a possibility,” giit ni sa Yap bilang tugon sa katanungan ni Sen. Imelda “Imee” Marcos sa pagdinig.
Sumang-ayon naman sa NBI si National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) Director General Lt. Gen. Ricardo De Leon.
“Certainly madam chair it can also be used as a propaganda and some of our apprehensions is about the ‘sleepers’ they could always be activated and it will have an impact as far as revival of some activities in the South,” ayon kay De Leon.
Sinimulan ni Marcos, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, ang isang Senate inquiry hinggil sa pormal na kahilingan ng US government sa Pilipinas na payagan ang ilang Afghan nationals na kanilang empleado kabilang ang kuwalipikadong dependents nito na pansamantalang manirahan sa bansa sa pamamagitan ng Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applications.
Ayon kay Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, na pormal na ipinalutang ni US President Joe Biden kay President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. nitong Mayo ang kahilingan sa ginanap na pagbisita nito sa Amerika. Lahat ng gagastusin sa paglilipat at paninirahan ng Afghan nationals ay sagot ng US.
Ngunit, sinabi ni Manggay G. Guro, chief of staff ng National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) Chief of Staff, na hindi nila inaalala ang sinasabing masasanibang ito ng sleepers, kundi baka sila mismo ang magiging target ng pag-atake.
“As we all know just recently, this Wednesday, an incident happened in Marawi (City) again, concerning the same group that caused the Marawi siege,” ayon kay Guro na tumutukoy sa Islamic State (IS)-affiliated group na naglunsad ng Terorismo noong 2017 na tumagal ng limang buwan.
“Apparently they are regrouping and growing in numbers because of this continuing problems in Marawi that up until now, most of these affected by the Marawi siege, they have not yet returned to their homeland or to their homes,” dagdag niya.
“So these are the concerns of the NCMF because if their mobility would not be limited and even if their mobility would be limited, these people from the South or these sympathizers of these ISIS-inspired group can easily travel to Luzon,” giit pa ni Guro.
Sumang-ayon si Marcos sa obserbasyon ng mga ahensiya kaya naitanong nito na kung bakit ayaw ng US mismo na doon sila patirahan sa kanilang teritoryo.
“Yes, I think doesn’t the fact that the US no longer wants to house these foreigners in safe havens within the territory of the United States, raise concerns for us? They’re claiming that they are very low risk security, that highly-vetted groups will be the only ones coming and the SIVs are assured. And yet they don’t want them? Doesn’t this raise concerns on the background and character of these individuals?” giit ni Marcos.
“Ayaw nga ng employer na kunin yung dating empleyado, bakit tayo ang kukuha? Tayo hindi nangangamba, sila ayaw? Bakit ganun,” aniya.
Sinabi naman ni Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, na kanilang hinihintay ang legal opinion ng Department of Justice (DOJ) kahit nagpahayag sila ng pag-aalala sa naturang sitwasyon.
“There are ways that it can be made legally permissible but we have to anticipate the what ifs, and then we have to bring it on the other side and make certain that they are ready and willing to execute their undertakings that we have to determine,” ayon kay Teodoro.
