Americans warned of terror

The United States has reiterated its travel warning for the Philippines, saying terrorist attacks could occur in Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago as well as in the capital.

In a June 15 travel advisory, the US State Department said “terrorist attacks could be indiscriminate and could occur in other areas, including Manila.”

“Targeted sites may be public gathering places, including but not limited to airports, shopping malls, conference centers, and other public venues,” it said.

It asked US nationals to “exercise extreme caution if traveling to Mindanao, or the Sulu archipelago, [where] regional terrorist groups have carried out bombings resulting in injuries and death.”

“Sporadic clashes have occurred between lawless groups and the Philippine Armed Forces throughout Mindanao, particularly in rural areas,” according to the agency.

In the new advisory, which replaced the one it issued on Nov. 2, 2010, the State Department also said “kidnap-for-ransom gangs are active throughout the Philippines and have targeted foreigners.”

“US citizens traveling, living and working throughout the Philippines are urged to exercise heightened caution in public gathering places,” it said.

The agency also expressed concern about the “continuing threat of terrorist actions and violence against US citizens and interests throughout the world”.

The US travel advisory is updated approximately every six months.

Last November, President Aquino criticized the travel warnings issued by foreign embassies in the Philippines, including the US mission, saying they were not based on firm intelligence.

‘Improved security’

Last month, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) asked the US to lift its travel warning on the Philippines, citing “improved security conditions in the country.”

Malacañang on Wednesday said it had “seen an improvement” in the latest US travel advisory.

“There have been amendments from the previous Nov. 2, 2010 travel advisory indicating that progress in the security situation, and therefore the safety of tourists and visitors, have been observed,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said.

Lacierda noted four changes, among them the removal of the phrase “frequented by expatriates, and foreign citizens, including American citizens” in the portion describing the public places likely to be terrorist targets.

Reference to previous bus bombings in Mindanao and Edsa have also been removed, Lacierda said.

While there was still a warning about kidnap-for-ransom gangs throughout the country, there was no longer an advisory to hire security staff, Lacierda noted.

Police and military officials on Wednesday sought to downplay the latest US travel advisory, claiming there were no reports of any specific terror threat.

“I am not saying there is no immediate threat. [But] there is no specific report of terrorist threats in the country,” said Philippine National Police Director General Raul M. Bacalzo.

He noted that the PNP had already downgraded the alert level in the country to “heightened” after the opening of classes, except in Mindanao where the maximum alert level remains in place.

PNP still monitoring

Bacalzo said the US advisory is just a periodic update likely prompted by the killing of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and the installation of a new leader.

Bacalzo said the PNP was still monitoring certain terrorist organizations, especially the Abu Sayyaf, and Jemaah Islamiyah—the regional terror network linked to al-Qaida—elements in southern Mindanao.

“If you will notice in the past few months, we have caught or killed some terrorist elements, especially kidnapping elements there,” he said.

Military officials pointed out that bomb attacks and kidnappings in Mindanao were “isolated” incidents.

“We have not monitored any specific threat posed anywhere in the country,” said Armed Forces spokesperson Commodore Miguel Rodriguez.

“There are some parts of Mindanao where [improvised explosive device] attacks and kidnappings are occurring. But these incidents are isolated and happens on a small scale. As such, they do not affect the general peace and stability of the region,” said Lt. Col. Randolph Cabangbang, spokesperson for the Western Mindanao Command.

Assistant Secretary J. Eduardo Malaya, the DFA spokesperson, said the DFA recognized the prerogative of foreign embassies to issue travel advisories for the guidance of their nationals as the Philippines does for its own citizens overseas.

“These are part and parcel of consular functions and responsibilities,” noted Malaya. With reports from Norman Bordadora, DJ Yap and Dona Z. Pazzibugan