OUTGOING Davao City Mayor and Vice President-elect Sara Duterte-Carpio called out journalist Raissa Robles on Saturday, June 4, 2022, for her tweet about Mindanao that is "insulting" and "demonization" to its people.
Robles, a writer for the South China Morning Post (SCMP), tweeted on June 2 her reaction to the plan of incoming Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, also Duterte-Carpio spokesperson, to open up tourism in Mindanao despite the presence of the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in the region.
"Apparently, Frasco would like to open up Mindanao to tourism. I'm sure the extremist Abu Sayyaf and other bandits would be pleased by the prospects of so many potential kidnap victims. Way to go, Frasco. Prep yourself for ransom negotiations. ASG might ask you to nego personally. [sic]," Robles said.
Duterte-Carpio, in response, finds the tweet "replete with journalistic recklessness and irresponsibility."
"[S]omething that calls for our collective condemnation as it grossly discriminated against all Mindanawons, especially those living in Moro communities," the mayor said in a statement forwarded to the media.
Duterte-Carpio added, "What Robles did was a demonization of Mindanao and an insult to its people, who also deserve to experience the gains of the Duterte administration over the past six years."
The daughter of outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte claimed that since her father came into office, the kidnapping operations by ASG on the island have "significantly reduced" compared to the previous years. In addition, authorities have successfully rescued all victims.
"Robles clearly wanted to undervalue everything that the Duterte administration has done in keeping the peace and security in Mindanao and ensuring that concerns caused by terrorist organizations, including kidnap for ransom groups, are addressed appropriately with the help of local governments and leaders of communities," Duterte-Carpio said.
In Basilan, the incoming vice president said Representative Mujiv Hataman himself said there had been zero kidnapping incidents since the Duterte administration started.
"All other incidents concerning ASG had been about the arrests and surrenders of their members and leaders," she added.
Duterte-Carpio said Robles "should be ashamed of herself for dangerously trying to stoke and encourage terrorist groups to target tourists in Mindanao."
Robles, in a tweet on Sunday, June 5, responded by tweeting a 2,000-word article of her story published on Asiaweek.com.
"Ive been covering terrorism in conflict parts of Mindanao long before you were mayor. You can criticize me all you want but the security advisories of UK, US and Canada are all there for everyone to see. Read this while you foam in the mouth against me [sic]," she said.
Mindanao Development Authority (Minda) Chair Mabel Sunga-Acosta also responded to Robles' tweet.
In a Facebook post, she said there is a need for a concerted effort to bolster Mindanao’s peace and development initiatives.
"It would help to highlight instead what is amazing and promising about Mindanao rather than get stuck in the old construct of 'it’s bad news that sells'," Acosta said, who is a former chairperson of the public safety and security of the 19th Davao City Council.
She added, "While a lot of peace and development initiatives have already manifested on the ground, the mindset and perspective of what Mindanao is all about still needs a lot of proper understanding and appreciation."
She also thanked Frasco for her interest in promoting tourism in Mindanao.
The incoming Tourism Secretary has not issued a statement in response to Robles as of writing.