The ASG (abu sayaf group) have been doing this for years. Basically a bunch of thugs who kidnap for money. Yea, they're muslims too, but rely on paid ransoms for money.
The US spent a few years down in Basilan, Jolo, and Sulu, and a little in Mindanao chasing these a$$clowns until members of the Philippine Senate/Congress came out and said it was against the Philippine constitution to have active US combat troops fighting in the Philippines. After that, most of us were relegated to "training" our counterparts and no longer actively going after the ASG.
This past year, Dueterte put an end to the US presence in the southern Philippines. My 2 cents is that it was about time; all we were doing was wasting time and money trying to chase down kidnappers with little or no help from the Philippine Govt. They just wanted our money.
Duterte is a meat and potatos guy and takes no bullshit (his words ... as you know), so our presence wasn't needed because he had turned loose the cops and the military and they are kicking ass.
My comment was to flesh out the article and point to a political move that could have been done on board a ship or a dessert Somolia ... instead they went to the Philippines .... probably to prop up the MORO and illustrate they CAN get over Duterte.
BTW .. I LIKE Duterte as does my Filipina wife and all my expat friends mostly in Davao City .... my inlaws in the province and relatives in Manila/Cavite think he's terrific.