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Southern Philippines hit by travel alerts from US, Canada
Canada has joined the U.S. and Australia in advising its citizens to avoid areas in the Southern Philippines due to high kidnapping and terror threats.
“Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada advises against all travel to the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (consisting of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi Tawi, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao), as well as to the Zamboanga Peninsula, Zamboanga del Sur, Sarangani, Lanao del Norte, Davao, North and South Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat, due to the serious threat of terrorist attacks and kidnapping,” a travel advisory said.
On May 29, 2013, the Embassy of the United States in Manila warned U.S. citizens in the Zamboanga region of Mindanao to be extremely vigilant following a credible threat of a terrorist plot to kidnap foreigners for ransom in that area.
Dozens of people have been killed or injured by bombings in (but not limited to) Cotabato, Kidapawan, Zamboanga City, General Santos City, Iligan City, Jolo, Isabela City and Davao City. The threat of terrorist attacks remains high in major centres in the region.
Clashes between the Philippine Armed Forces and insurgent groups have killed civilians.
A state of emergency was declared in Cotabato City and the provinces of Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat in November 2009 due to election-related violence. The state of emergency remains in effect.
Canada said the threat of terrorist activities exists, particularly in Mindanao.
“Kidnappings have occurred throughout the country, including in Manila and several resort areas, and some cases have resulted in the death of the victim. Be cautious when travelling to and around coastal areas and island resorts.”
American nationals in the Philippines have been advised by their government to continue taking “extreme caution” when traveling to Sulu due to kidnapping threats as well as insurgency-related violence.
Throughout Mindanao, criminal groups have clashed sporadically with government troops particularly in rural areas, while terrorists have kidnapped international travelers and carried out deadly bombings, the advisory said.
The Philippine National Police, through Senior Superintendent Reuben Sindac, said it was not aware of any specific threat against Westerners in Mindanao.
Mindanao and surrounding islands are a hotbed of various armed groups including communist guerrillas, bandits, Muslim insurgents and the al-Qaeda linked Abu Sayyaf.
Founded using seed money from al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden in the 1990s, the Abu Sayyaf had kidnapped dozens of foreigners for ransom.
In 2001, the group abducted three American tourists among a group of hostages from a resort in Palawan, leading to the deaths of two of the Americans.
US troops have been operating in Mindanao on rotational basis for more than a decade to help train local troops in hunting down members of the Abu Sayyaf, which is on the US government’s list of foreign terrorist organizations.
Asked if the latest travel alerts would set back efforts to lure more foreign travelers to the country, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez said “not really.”
“The advisories are specific to certain areas and do not include the hugely successful markets like Davao and other great places,” Jimenez told The STAR.
Canada, Australia and the US are among the top 12 countries whose citizens frequently visit the Philippines. The US ranks second while Australia and Canada are 6th and 8th, respectively.
The travel alerts came after the DOT reported a record rise in foreign tourists arrivals for the first five months of 2013.
For the period January to May, international arrivals reached 2.011 million, up 10.54 percent from the same period last year.
“It is noteworthy to highlight that this is the first time in Philippine history that we reached the two-million mark in the first five months of the year,” the DOT chief said.
The presidential palace in Manila last weekend brushed aside adverse travel advisories being issued by foreign governments against the Philippines, as it said that it is the right of any country to keep their citizens safe.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte, in a press briefing aired over government-run radio station dzRB, said that the latest adverse travel advisory against travelling to the southern part of the Philippines, is understandable as the Philippines also resorts to similar travel warnings to Filipinos in other countries.
“We respect the right of any country to issue any precautionary measures intended for the safety of their citizens while visiting other countries in the same way that the Philippine government, through our posts in other countries, has also issued several warnings whenever we feel that our citizens should take extra precautions in light of events that are happening,” according to Valte.
She cites as an example the caution or the alert levels that the Philippines raised for Filipino nationals in Egypt in light of the tense political situation in the North African country.
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