MANILA, Philippines—Officials shrugged off fears that President Benigno Aquino III’s visit to the US aircraft carrier from which Osama bin Laden’s body was buried at sea would encourage groups in the Philippines sympathetic to the cause of the al-Qaida leader to launch retaliatory attacks.
“No, I don’t think there is going to be a backlash … I don’t think it will do that sort of thing,” Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang said a day after the President and a few Cabinet members toured the USS Carl Vinson on Saturday in the South China Sea as it neared Philippine waters.
The nuclear-powered warship was responsible for bringing via helicopters a US Navy Seal team into Abbottabad, Pakistan, which raided the house where Bin Laden was hiding and killed him early this month.
An umbrella organization of Bangsamoro civil society groups said Filipino-Muslims were dismayed by the visit of the aircraft carrier.
Maradeka slammed what it called the “insensitivity” of the Philippine government in allowing the American warship to drop anchor in Manila Bay.
“This show of arrogance and intolerance by US will be source of the radicalization of Muslim youths,” Maradeka secretary general Nash Pangadapun said in a text message to the Inquirer.
Last week, Maradeka members participated in a rally of Manila-based Filipino Muslims and tried to march in front of the US Embassy building on Roxas Boulevard to show their outrage over the manner of Bin Laden’s killing and burial.
Carandang said the country had a defense treaty with the United States and that Mr. Aquino’s tour of the US Navy aircraft carrier was a “normal part” of that cooperation.
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that during a recent meeting with members of the team that attacked Bin Laden, they expressed concerns about the security of their families.
American officials agreed shortly after Bin Laden was killed not to release any operational details on the commando assault, Gates said, but added “that fell apart—the next day.”
“We are looking at what measures can be taken to pump up the security,” Gates said.
Philippine police have said they would step up security in Manila, where militant groups have threatened to stage protests against the US warship’s visit.
A Philippine military spokesperson doubted that the presence of the USS Carl Vinson would attract retaliation from Bin Laden’s sympathizers.
“I don’t think that will happen,” Commodore Miguel Rodriguez said
He said the military had not found any specific terrorist threat against the crew of the carrier, which docked Sunday with three other warships—the USS Bunker Hill, USS Shiloh and USS Gridley—for a four-day “routine port call and goodwill visit” until May 19.
“Terrorists will strike at any opportunity whether the (USS Carl) Vinson is here or not. That’s why we are always on alert,” Rodriguez said.
He pointed out that the warship was quite “far” from land as it was docked 4 kilometers from SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.
“They have their security measures and as host station we also have security measures to protect our visitors. So retaliatory attacks would be remote,” Rodriguez added.
Capt. Bruce Lindsey, skipper of the USS Carl Vinson, said at a press briefing on the ship that he and his crew felt “very comfortable” in the Philippine capital.