Foreigners are safe in Basilan, says gov

WINTERING The wintering of rubber trees is when leaves turn yellow and orange in Lamitan City, Basilan, shown in this photo taken on Jan. 9, 2023. The province is known for its vast rubber
plantations. —JULIE S. ALIPALA

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur — Basilan Gov. Hadjiman Hataman Salliman said he would ask the national government to “intervene diplomatically” as Basilan continued to be in the Canadian Embassy’s list of places to avoid while its updated advisory already lowered the security risk rating of other places in Mindanao like Davao City and Siargao Island.

Canadian Embassy officials updated its travel advisory to the Philippines in December 2023, lowering the security risk rating of Siargao Island and Davao City from “avoid all travel” to “exercise a high degree of caution.”

But places like the provinces of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay and Sultan Kudarat remained to be in the list of places for Canadian nationals to avoid.

Salliman said the Canadian government should review its policy as Basilan already achieved gains as a result of the peace deal forged in 2014 between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the government and implemented in 2019 through the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

He said that as part of the decommissioning process, former MILF combatants had already started surrendering their weapons and that the province had registered zero kidnapping incidents involving the Abu Sayyaf bandits in the last 10 years while the relationship between soldiers and former Moro rebels had improved.

The governor also said that roads and other infrastructure in the province have improved.

‘Ironic’

“I do respect the opinion of others, but to come up with a policy for their people without really considering and appreciating the real situations on the ground, it hurts us,” Salliman said in an interview on Jan. 26.

“For me it is really ironic [because here’s] the European Union and other embassies of foreign governments pushing for peace and development in Mindanao and yet here comes Canada, issuing advisories that run against [our intention to attract tourists and investments],” he added.

Salliman said there was a need for foreign partners to review and look back on the gains that have been achieved so far. “[Find out] where these provinces are right now, it’s worth looking back and I can assure them foreigners are safe in Basilan,” he said.

Canadian Embassy officials, in an email to the Inquirer, said that Canada did not issue any new advisory but only updated what was already in place. They also noted that the Canadian government had been “going through a process of examining prevailing conditions in select jurisdictions since May last year as part of its review and update process.”

“These changes reflect our appreciation for improved security and safety conditions in both locations,” the officials said, referring to the lowered security risk ratings of Siargao Island and Davao.

“The changes in our travel advisory will help Canadians make informed decisions about travel in the Philippines, strengthen and deepen people-to-people ties, expand commercial cooperation and create new opportunities for collaboration and exchange.”

Continuing assessment

“We are continuing to assess and review travel advisories in other provinces and jurisdictions,” the officials said. “This is an ongoing and constant process. We will continue to update our travel advisories as we move through this review process.”

Among the reasons cited by the government of Canada in its website (travel.gc.ca/destinations/philippines) for the advisory were the presence of extremist groups, serious threat of attacks, kidnapping, piracy and violent clashes between the security forces and rebel groups.

Among the safety and security concerns, the website noted that extremist groups had been active in Southern Philippines and that violent attacks like terrorism, bombing, kidnapping and clashes could occur in the areas of BARMM, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen and in Zamboanga Peninsula.

“Bombs causing deaths, injuries and property destruction have exploded in public areas of major cities like Cotabato, General Santos, Isabela, Kidapawan, Zamboanga,” the website noted.

“There’s a risk of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Everyone has their perception of a place,” Lt. Gen. William Gonzales, commander of the Western Mindanao Command, told the Inquirer in a separate interview on Jan. 26.

“But I assure them that if there is conflict, it’s always confined to a specific area, I can assure [them] that the whole Western Mindanao is relatively peaceful,” Gonzales added.