Wednesday, January 10, 2007 Aussie's travel advisory v. Davao, Cebu downplayed
POLICE and military officials dismissed the latest travel advisory issued by the Australian Embassy against the cities of Davao and Cebu in time for the Asean summit.
The Australian government recently issued the travel advisory, saying the two cities are most likely the target of a terrorist attack anytime soon.
In a statement issued late Monday, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade urged travelers to exercise a high degree of caution when traveling in the Philippines, and avoid Cebu province altogether.
"Recent information suggests terrorists are in the final stages of planning attacks," it said.
"We continue to receive credible reports that terrorists are planning attacks against a range of targets, including places frequented by foreigners," possibly targeting the capital, Manila, the southern provinces of Mindanao and Cebu province, it added.
However, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff General Hermogenes Esperon Jr. dismissed the alert, saying there is no concrete evidence to prove such report.
"The Australian advisory is understandable since they only want to protect their citizens. But it is not necessarily the correct and real picture," Esperon said.
Davao City Police Office Director Catalino Cuy, meanwhile, said the terror threat here has always been present.
"We knew about the threat. It has always been there. Davao is always included as target of the terrorists. That is why we have a Task Force Davao," Cuy said.
Meanwhile, police regional information officer Belflor Causing said they are still verifying the report.
But, Causing assured the public that their personnel are always ready to address and prevent terror activities.
Sixteen Asian heads of state have confirmed their participation in a regional summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, plus officials from Australia, China, Japan, India, South Korea, and New Zealand. Australia's Prime Minister John Howard was among those expected to attend.
The annual Asean meeting was originally scheduled December 11 to 13 in the central city of Cebu, but the Philippine government abruptly rescheduled the event, citing an approaching typhoon.
Australia, the United States, and Britain issued a similar warning on the week before the original Asean meeting, but event organizers denied the conference was postponed because of security concerns.
The Asean meeting and the associated East Asian Summit are scheduled for January 10 to 15. (BOT)
