Military enlists aid of local leaders to counter ISIS threat

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has sought the support of local leaders in southern Philippines to thwart the recruitment efforts of the militant Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a senior government official said today.

Presidential Communication Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. made the remarks following reports that a Filipino was one of the ISIS executioners seen in a video showing the beheading of a Syrian pilot.

The AFP said it currently determining the authenticity of the video.

"The AFP said it is coordinating with local leaders to prevent ISIS recruitment efforts and enjoined their support to our counter-radicalization campaign in the communities," said Coloma.

The Philippine military has maintained that there is no confirmed report of ISIS recruitment in the country.

Citing raw intelligence reports, former Philippine president Fidel Ramos said in August that some 100 Filipinos were training with the terrorist group.

A month before Ramos issued his statement, Australian national Musa Cerantonio, an influential ISIS supporter, was arrested by local authorities in the central Philippine province of Cebu.