UK warns of travel to Philippines after blast

KORONADAL CITY—The United Kingdom on Wednesday warned its citizens against traveling to the Philippines saying “there is a high threat from terrorism throughout the Philippines.”

The advisory was issued following Tuesday’s explosion in Cotabato City that left one person dead and 10 others wounded.

The military said the bombing was the work of the Indonesia-based terror group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).

Instead of singling out Cotabato and Mindanao in its advisory, the UK said “terrorist groups continue to plan attacks and have the capacity and the intent to carry out these attacks at anytime and anywhere in the country.”

“Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travelers. Such places could include, but are not limited to, airports, shopping malls, and places of worship,” the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said in the advisory.

For those on essential travel, the FCO said they should especially be cautious in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the provinces of Sarangani, North and South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay.

“We advise against all but essential travel to the remainder of Mindanao because of ongoing terrorist activity. There have been a number of attacks against civilian targets,” it said.

Lt. Col. Prudencio Asto, spokesperson of the 6th Infantry Division based in Maguindanao, said the attack was carried out by JI recruits, particularly those trained by Basin Usman.

Usman, who was blamed for most major bomb attacks in Mindanao in recent years, was reported killed during a US drone strike in Pakistan in January last year.

But Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, Cotabato City administrator, said the explosion has nothing to do with terrorism based on police findings.

“The angle seen by police is personal grudge and not terrorism,” she said.

She said Jayvee Martinez, owner of gunstore where the explosion took place, has personal grudges with his relatives over property issues. He allegedly sold pieces of property of the family and deprived relatives of their share, according to the city administrator in a phone interview.

She described UK’s latest travel warning as unfair.

The bombing occurred on the second day of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and amid warning by authorities about heightened terrorist activities.

The warning by authorities was issued following the recovery of six homemade bombs made from mortar shells in the towns of Esperanza in Sultan Kudarat, Atu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao and in Kidapawan City in North Cotabato. Jeoffrey Maitem, Inquirer Mindanao