PHL remains 2nd least peaceful country in Asia Pacific region

The Philippines retained its rank as the second least peaceful country in the Asia Pacific region, behind North Korea, according to the 2018 Global Peace Index report that assessed the peace and order situation in 163 countries.

Among Southeast Asian nations, the Philippines was named the least peaceful. It ranked 137th this year, moving up one spot from last year's 138.

The Philippines' score declined by 0.012 points at 2.512, second only to North Korea, the region's least peaceful state, with a score of 2.95, according to the peace index report of the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).

Myanmar (122nd) came in as the second least peaceful Southeast Asian country, while Singapore (8th) took the the top spot in the region.

In the overall ranking, Iceland topped the list of most peaceful countries while the war-torn nation of Syria is at the bottom, a position it held in the last five years.

In its report, the Australia-based think tank cited President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs and the Marawi seige as factors that influenced the Philippines' ranking.

"The Philippines suffered particularly badly as President Duterte continued his assault on alleged drug dealers and from the  five-month battle between government forces and Islamic militants who took over the city of Marawi, resulting in almost 1,200 militants, government forces and civilians killed," the group said.

The Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), which conducted analyses of data from think tanks, research institutes, government and universities, said China has boosted its military and political influence in the region while neighboring countries are also increasing their military capacities.

The Philippines is among seven countries that recorded increased weapons imports last year. The other countries are: Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, Papua New Guinea and Thailand.

The improvements in internal and external conflicts fought and relations with neighboring countries reflected a calming of tensions in the South China Sea after Duterte reached an understanding with China, and the ease in the cooperation between Beijing and South Korea under President Moon Jae-in.

South Korea, Australia, Japan and Taiwan scored relatively strongly on peacefulness as their scores deteriorate over the past year, while North Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, China and Vietnam showed very slight improvements.

Last year, the Philippines also ranked as the second least peaceful nation in the Asia-Pacific region due to Duterte's crackdown on illegal drugs and criminality.

The results of the 2018 GPI found that the global level of peace has deteriorated by 0.27 per cent in the last year, marking the fourth successive year of deterioration.

The GPI covers 99.7 per cent of the world’s population, using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources, and measures the state of peace using three thematic domains: the level of Societal Safety and Security; the extent of Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict; and the degree of Militarization.

Ninety-two countries deteriorated, while 71 countries improved. The 2018 GPI reveals a world in which the tensions, conflicts, and crises that emerged in the past decade remain unresolved, especially in the Middle East that resulted in gradual, sustained fall in peacefulness. — Margaret Claire Layug/BAP/KBK/MDM, GMA News