The Philippines says its communist rebels are defeated – but are they?

The mountains of the Philippines are quieter now. The jungle bases that once sustained Asia’s longest-running communist insurgency are mostly emptied out. Its tens of thousands of guerrilla fighters have been reduced, by the military’s account, to something “very, very negligible”. After 56 years, the Philippine military thinks the fight is almost over – and that conviction is transforming the armed forces from the inside out. Commanders are overhauling training and strategy, moving away from...

By Alan Robles,Raissa Robles