Welcome to PIPVTR!

Countering Political Violence and Terrorism Through Peace Research

New Office Address

106 Sterten Place Condominium, 116 Maginhawa Street, Teachers Village East, Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippines Telefax: +632 4333870 

The PIPVTR is an independent, non-stock, non-profit, non-governmental research organization officially registered at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on 29 November 2007 as Philippine Institute for Political Violence and Terrorism Research.  It was first conceptualized in September 2005 by a group of experts, academics and practitioners who see the need to establish a center  in the Philippines dedicated to the study of political violence and terrorism and their implications for peace and security. The PIPVTR was officially launched on 6 March 2008 at the Hotel Intercontinental Manila by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, the Chairman of the Philippine Anti-Terrorism Council.   Ermita described the PIPVTR as the country's "pioneering think tank on terrorism research and studies".  

The PIPVTR is renamed as PHILIPPINE INSTITUTE FOR PEACE, VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM RESEARCH in order to bring peace studies into political violence and terrorism research.  SEC approved this new name on 10 August 2010.  To broaden the research agenda of the Institute in the light of post-9/11 security challenges that have tremendous impacts on peace, violence and terrorism issues, two centers have been created:  the Center for Intelligence and National Security Studies (CINSS) and the Center for Transnational Crimes Research and Non-Traditional Security Studies (CTCNTS). 

PIPVTR does not receive government funding.  But PIPVTR welcomes private contributions to support our research work. Please contact us if you are willing to support  us and be our partners in our  missions. Below is the location map of the PIPVTR Office.

Renewed Tensions and Continuing Maritime Security Dilemma in the South China Sea:  Challenges in Philipine Foreign, Defense and Security Policy

In the light of the recent incidents involving China and the Philippines in the Reed Bank, which is one of the contested areas  in the South China Sea, the Center for Political and Democratic Reforms, Inc., (CPDRI) will hold a round table discussion on the above topic on March 17, 2-5 PM at the Asian Institute of Tourism (AIT), Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City.  Prof. Rommel C. Banlaoi, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism (PIPVTR) will be the main resource speaker.  For more information about the roundtable discussion, please email Mr. Dennis Lalata at dlalata@yahoo.com.

PIPVTR To Hold Three Round Table Discussions This March

The Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research (PIPVTR) is pleased to announce the holding of three round table discussions (RTD) this March as follows:

March 11, 2011 on "Mainstreaming Indigenous Peoples' Issues and Concerns in the National Agenda", 2-7PM, Electronic Library, 2nd Floor, Asian Institute of Management Conference Center, Makati City.  Co-organized by the Institute of Autonomy and Governance and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

March 28, 2011 on "Understanding Violent Religious Radicalization:  A Multidisciplinary Perspective", 2-5PM, PIPVTR Seminar Room, 7th Floor, Sterten Place Condominuim, 116 Maginhawa Street, Teachers Village East, Quezon City. Co-organized by the Center for Excellence on National Security (CENS) of the S. Rajaratnam School of Internatioal Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.

March 30, 2011 on "Youth and Terrorism", 2-5 PM PIPVTR Seminar Room, 7th Floor, Sterten Place Condominuim, 116 Maginhawa Street, Teachers Village East, Quezon City. Co-organized by the Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism (SEARCCT), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

For further information about these three events, please contact Rowena at 4333870 or email rbanlaoi@pipvtr.com.

Terrorism:  Threat to Tourism and Public Safety?

The Center for Political and Democratic Reform, Inc (CPDRI), the Asian Institute of Tourism (AIT) and the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research (PIPVTR) organized a symposium entitled "TERRORISM…THREATS TO TOURISM AND PUBLIC SAFETY?”   on February 22, 2011, Tuesday, 2-5 PM at the  Seminar Room of the Asian Institute of Tourism, Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City. 

PDIR RODOLFO "BOOGIE" MENDOZA, JR (ret), PIPVTR President, was the main speaker who talked on the topic, "Updates on Current Terrorist Threats in the Philippines".  Retired Army General Jaime Delos Santos (President of Tourism Foundation),  Retired Police General Felizardo Serapio Jr (Executive Director of the Philippine Center on Transnational Crimes) and Dr. Clarita Carlos (President of the CPDRI) served as discussants on the implications of terrorism on tourism and public safety.  Please access Paper Series of this website for a copy of Mendoza's presentation.

 

First International Conference on the Security Environment of East Asian Seas

To discuss the current and evolving maritime security environment in East Asia Seas, the Ocean Policy Research Foundation (OPRF) based in Tokyo, Japan organized the First International Conference on the Security Environment of East Asian Seas at the Hotel New Otani, Tokyo on 16-17 February 2011.  At least 15 foreign experts and 40 Japanese experts attended the said conference. The Center for Intelligence and National Security Studies (CINSS) of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research (PIPVTR) presented a paper on "Current Maritime Security Environment on East and South China Seas."

Terror Threat:  The Government Must Consult Not Insult

Despite the serious travel advisories from 7 foreign embassies and warning from a local terrorism think-tank that terrorist threats in the Philippines, particularly in Metro Manila, were imminent, the Philippine government downplayed those advisories and questioned the credibility of a think-tank to make warning. The military establishment even denied the clear and present danger of terrorist threat in the city, arguing that the information from which the travel advisories was based was raw and not yet validated.  While the government and the military may have their own reasons for denying the threat, the Makati bus bombing last January 25 demonstrated the terrorist threat was not imagined but real.  Read more here. or here.(Photo source here)

Internal Peace and Security Plan Released

As a paradigm shift in countering insurgency and terrorism in the Philippines, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) just released its new military campaign plan dubbed as OPLAN Bayanihan or the Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP).  This new military plan recognizes the structural factors that bring armed insurgency.  Thus, AFP claims that solving the the insurgency problem can not be done by the military alone.  Countering insurgency and terrorism needs the support of all stakeholders of peace and security in the country.  As part of PIPVTR's effort to help AFP in disseminating the said plan, a full copy is available for free download in the Paper Series of this website.

Asian Transnational Security Challenges: Emerging Trends, Regional Visions

The Council for Asian Transnational Threat Research (CATR) just published the book, Asian Transnational Security Challenges:  Emerging Trends, Regional Visions.  The book provides a rigorous country-by-country analysis of the most important emerging non-traditional and transnational security threats in Asia over the coming five to ten-year horizon.   The book was launched on 29 October 2010 at Dusit Thani Manila on the occassion of the International Forum on Asia Pacific Security organized by the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research (PIPVTR) in cooperation with CATR, Asia Pacific Security Forum and the Institute for Defense Analysis (IDA).  A copy of this book is available free for paying participants at the International Forum.  To claim your complimentary copy, please call +632 4333870. Other participants can get their  free electronic copy at the Paper Series of PIPVTR Website.

 

Waging Peace Conference 2010

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Organized by the Gazton P. Ortigas Peace Instiute with the support of the International Alert and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, the Waging Peace Conference 2010 was held at Bayview Hotel, Manila on 7-8 December 2010 with a theme, "Seize the Opportune Moment:  Work for Peace Now!". PIPVTR participated in the said conference as a recognized think-tank involved in peace research.  It was during the conference when the organizers recognized the third party facilitators to the peace processes with the National Democratic Front (NDF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).  Ambassadors Knut Solem and Dato Seri Ibrahim Saad accepted the recognition on the behalf of the Norwegian and Malaysian governments, respectively.

Directions and Challenges of Philippines Security Relations with China and the United States

The Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research (PIPVTR) organized a Round Table Discussion (RTD) on “Directions and Challenges of Philippine Security Relations with China and the United States” on 19 November 2010, 2:00-5:00 PM at the PIPVTR Conference Room. Prof. Benito Lim of Ateneo de Manila University and Mr. Carl Baker of Pacific Forum CSIS based in Honolulu, Hawaii were resource speakers. See Paper Series of this website to download a free copy of their presentations.