The Philippines is the second ‘least peaceful’ country in Asia Pacific after North Korea, a recent study of Global Peace Index 2018 showed.

Results from the study said the Philippines ranked 137th out of 163 countries in the world, just preceding North Korea at 150th as the least peaceful. Its overall score was 2.512.

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“The improvements in internal and external conflicts fought and relations with neighboring countries reflected a calming of tensions in the South China Sea after President [Rodrigo] Duterte of the Philippines reached an understanding with China, and the new rapprochement between Beijing and South Korea under new President Moon Jae-In,” the study said.

It added that the Philippines “suffered particularly badly” as President Duterte continued his crackdown on suspected drug dealers and from the five-month gun-battle between government forces and ISIS-inspired terrorists.

More than 1,000 people were killed, mostly terrorists, in one of the worst security crisis of the Philippines in recent years.

The study also said the Philippines had little improvements from the past year. It ranked 138th last year.

The Index also noted that the average level of global peacefulness has declined for the fourth consecutive year.

Iceland, New Zealand, Austria, Portugal and Denmark are the most peaceful countries in the world, while Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Iraq and Somalia are the least peaceful.

The study was conducted by the Institute for Economics and Peace, an independent think-tank based in Sydney, Australia. /vvp

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