Philippine military takes local leaders' help to counter IS threat

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have sought the support of local leaders in southern Philippines to thwart the recruitment efforts of the militant Islamic State (IS) Sunni radical group, a senior government official said Thursday.

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

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

"The AFP said it is coordinating with local leaders to prevent ISIS (as the IS was earlier known) recruitment efforts and enjoined their support to our counter-radicalisation campaign in the communities," Xinhua quoted Coloma as saying.

The Philippine military has maintained that there was no confirmed report of IS 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 IS supporter, was arrested by local authorities in the central Philippine province of Cebu.