UNSTABLE' LIST
MANILA, JANUARY
9,
2012 (TRIBUNE) By Michaela P. del Callar -
The United States has retained the Philippines on its list of countries labeled
as "dangerous or unstable" and placed it on the same level as North Korea, Iran,
Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia when it reissued a travel warning against Manila
Thursday (Friday in Manila), citing heightened concerns on possible terrorist
attacks.
Washington released the travel warning the same day a video of an Australian
abducted by suspected Muslim militants in Mindanao surfaced and showed him
pleading for his life and appealing to his family to pay the $2-million ransom
demand of his kidnappers. The last travel warning on the Philippines was issued
in June 14, 2011.
The US State Department said the updated travel warning "reflects continuing
threats due to terrorist and insurgent activities" in the Philippines.
Travel warnings, according to the US State Department, are issued when
"long-term, protracted conditions make a country dangerous or unstable," which
leads them to recommend that "Americans avoid or consider the risk of travel to
that country." It is also issued when the US government's ability to assist
American citizens "is constrained due to the closure of an embassy or consulate
or because of a drawdown of its staff."
Among the countries that meet these criteria include the Philippines, and
states or territories known to have existing armed conflict and unstable
security conditions such as Central African Republic, Republic of South
Sudan, Syria, Cote d'Ivoire, Afghanistan, Burundi, Eritrea, Kenya, Guinea,
Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran, Nigeria, Lebanon and Mauritania.
Also included were Mali, Libya, Algeria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Chad, Haiti,
Pakistan, Niger, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Israel,
the West Bank and Gaza, Sudan and Mexico.
None of the Philippines' South East Asian neighbors, including the reclusive
Myanmar, which has been denounced by the West for its gross human rights
violations, was in the same travel category.
Lower levels of US travel advisories come in the form of "Notices to American
Citizens" and "Warden Messages."
The new warning notifies US citizens of the risks of terrorist activity in
the Philippines, particularly in the Mindanao province of Sulu, a stronghold of
extremist Abu Sayyaf Group, which is on Washington's foreign terrorist
organization watchlist.
Terrorist attacks, it warned, "could be indiscriminate and could occur in any
area of the country, including Manila."
Public gathering places, it said, may be targeted, including, but not limited
to, airports, shopping malls, conference centers and other public venues.
The State Department also said that "US government employees must seek
special permission to travel to Mindanao or the Sulu Archipelago" due to
sporadic clashes between lawless groups and the Philippine Armed Forces
throughout Mindanao, particularly in rural areas.
It also said kidnap-for-ransom gangs continue to proliferate throughout the
Philippines and have targeted foreigners, including US citizens.
Around 400,000 American citizens are living and working in the Philippines.
The US has long expressed concern about the presence of terrorist groups in
the Philippines specifically the Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf Group and the Jemaah
Islamiyah in Mindanao. It has warned its citizens in the past from traveling to
the country and other parts of Mindanao and to avoid public areas like ship and
bus terminals, places of worships and shopping malls, wherein some of it were
bombed and targeted by attacks.
Last year, a bomb exploded on a bus near Manila's business district, killing
four people and officials did not rule out terrorism in its investigation.
President Aquino was incensed when the US, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia,
New Zealand and France one after the other issued travel warnings against the
Philippines in 2010, warning of looming terror attacks. Manila protested the
advisories and sent diplomatic notes to the embassies of the six countries.
But the military doesn't take this seriously.
The latest travel advisory issued by the US against the Philippines should
not cause any public alarm, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said
yesterday.
At a press briefing, AFP spokesman Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr. said that
while the military respects US State Department's issuance of a travel advisory
to protect their citizens in the country, the AFP does not see any "significant"
incident that could have prompted the issuance.
"In the Armed Forces, whether we receive significant information of possible
threat or not, we will continue with the security operation, intensification of
patrol will continue…there should be no cause for alarm on this travel warning,"
Burgos said.
"It's their (US) right and responsibility to warn and caution their citizens
in the country. In the Armed Forces, with or without travel warning, we will
remain firm in our commitment to secure Filipinos or any other citizens staying
in the country…all citizens, Filipino or not, will be protected from terrorist
threats," Burgos said.
The latest US travel advisory came amid the reported ransom demand of $2
million by suspected Abu Sayyaf band holding retired Australian serviceman
Warren Rodwell as captive in southern Philippines.
There were reports that the ASG band of Furuji Indama is now holding Rodwell
in the outskirts of Basilan province. Earlier, a video and photographs of the
victim were sent to his family as proof of life.
Burgos admitted that the Rodwell kidnapping could be one of the factors that
prompted the issuance of the latest US travel advisory against the Philippines.
At present, Burgos said the AFP is in close coordination with other
government law enforcement agencies, particularly the Philippine National Police
(PNP), to maintain public security and safety in the country. With Mario J. Mallari
FROM THE GMANEWS TV
New media killing shows PHL still among world's deadliest
places for journos January 8, 2012 12:15pm
Overseas media support groups have challenged the Aquino government to follow
through on the investigation of yet another journalist's killing, as outrage
continues over the murder of General Santos City publisher and broadcaster
Christopher Guarin. Guarin was shot Thursday by motorcycle-riding assassins
while he was in a car with his family.
Guarin's murder was the latest media killing in the Philippines, and the
first in Asia for 2012.
The France-based Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontieres/RSF)
condemned the murder of the "Tatak News Nationwide" publisher and Radyo Mo
Nationwide (RMN) presenter, even as it voiced skepticism over the creation of a
new body to probe the case.
"Special units have been set up in the past, such as Task Force 2011, without
great results. The government's credibility is on the line with this new body.
The transparency of its investigations must be guaranteed, like that of any
inquiry carried out by public officials," the group said.
Unidentified gunmen shot dead Guarin in an ambush Thursday night in General
Santos City.
Earlier reports said Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Nicanor Bartolome
ordered the creation of Special Investigation Task Group Guarin to investigate
the killing.
The task force will include investigators from the General Santos City Police
Office, the Crime Laboratory, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group,
Intelligence Group and the PNP Task Force Usig.
Still, RSF said Guarin's killing highlighted the "climate of insecurity that
surrounds... media workers in the Philippines."
"We welcome the formation of a team of independent investigators and lawyers
from the private sector, but await further steps to protect media organizations
and combat impunity," it added.
Chased and killed
An investigation showed Guarin, accompanied by his wife and two children, was
on his way home from work at about 10 p.m. when two men on a motorcycle opened
fire on his car.
While he was hit by the first bullet, he managed to get out of the car and
run. But the attackers chased him and fired several more shots, hitting him five
times in the body and once in the head. Doctors pronounced him dead on arrival
at a hospital.
Guarin's wife, who was slightly wounded, said her husband had received death
threats for several days prior to the attack.
The RSF said the Philippines is one of the most dangerous countries for
journalists.
"In 2011, two journalists were killed because of their work and five other
media workers died for reasons that are still unexplained," it said.
It added the metropolitan areas of Manila, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro on the
islands of Luzon and Mindanao are among the world's most dangerous places for
journalists.
'Failure to protect journalists'
Meanwhile, New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the
murder of Guarin and called on authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice
quickly.
"The murder of journalist Christopher Guarin speaks to the Benigno Aquino
government's growing failure to protect journalists and live up to its reform
rhetoric," said Shawn Crispin, CPJ's Southeast Asia Representative.
"How many journalists must be killed with impunity before Aquino's government
takes seriously and acts decisively against the threat faced by all journalists
across the Philippines?" he added.
CPJ also cited a statement from the media support group Freedom Fund for
Filipino Journalists that said Guarin's death is "one more indication of the
persistence of the culture of impunity that encourages the killing of
journalists and media workers in the Philippines."
The CPJ also noted the Philippines ranks third on CPJ's global Impunity
Index, a quantitative measure of the number of journalists killed for their work
(without getting justice) worldwide.
"Guarin's death is typical of many killings of journalists in the
Philippines. Block-timing is a practice in which a broadcaster leases air time
from a radio station and is responsible for bringing in advertising money to
cover the program's expenses. A number of block-time commentators, many with
affiliations to local politicians, have been killed in the Philippines,
according to CPJ research. Very often the killings come at the hands of
assailants on motorcycles," CPJ said.
It added Guarin, who ran for city councilor but lost in the 2010 elections,
is the first Filipino journalist to be murdered this year.
At least two Philippine journalists were shot and killed in relation to their
work in 2011, according to CPJ research. Both were local radio announcers.
CPJ is investigating the murders of three other journalists last year, but it
is not clear if their deaths were related to their work as journalists. All
three were also local radio announcers. — LBG/HS, GMA
News
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All
rights reserved
PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
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