Aquino: No adequate basis for travel warnings vs PHL

(Updated 11:28 p.m.) The government will express its displeasure over the travel warnings issued by five countries, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III said, claiming that the advisories did not have “adequate basis." Aquino said on Thursday the alleged terror threats against the Philippines were probably "blown out of proportion" because the travel advisories were likely based on "raw" data that still had to be validated. The travel advisories were issued against the Philippines this week after alleged “cargo bomb" against the United States were foiled on Friday last week. Authorities on three continents thwarted multiple terrorist attacks aimed at the United States from Yemen on Friday, seizing two explosive packages addressed to Chicago-area synagogues and packed aboard cargo jets. The plot triggered worldwide fears that al-Qaida was launching a major new terror campaign. The US, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia all recently issued travel advisories warning their citizens of possible terrorist attacks in the Philippines. The US government said the sites targeted by terrorists may include shopping malls, airports, conference centers and other public venues. Aquino said it was a "normal course of action" to ask the embassies of the said foreign governments to reconsider their travel advisories. However, he said the Philippine government will take its actions a step further. “There are certain implications that we're also studying but we will express our displeasure (as) we believe there is no adequate basis," Aquino said in an interview with reporters in Malacañang. “We will also convey certain questions. Were these officially conveyed to us, being an ally?" he asked. “I'm told that it was not transmitted to us officially. There are several countries that discussed it among themselves. A lot of these people are our allies, I think we should have been informed," he said. “I think it (the threat) has been blown out of proportion primarily because it seems so official and all of that. But at the end of the day, it's really being extremely cautionary on the part of the embassies that have issued these advisories," he added. Aquino brushed aside intelligence reports that certain security officials and two ambassadors were being targeted. He explained that these threats were inconsistent with the previous actions of domestic terror groups. When pressed for details, the president said: "Shall we say that the analysis of the purported threats is not consistent with what these terror groups normally do, which is to inflict massive harm on a number of random people."
In the case of the Australia, Aquino said, the government there was only being extremely cautious, as it is facing a suit over its failure to warn its citizens of terror threats prior to the 2002 Bali bombing. On October 12, 2002, terrorist bombings in Bali, Indonesia killed 202 people, including 88 Australians and 38 Indonesians. The bombings were linked to the violent Islamist group Jemaah Islamiyah. Enrile: PHL at fault for travel warnings The Philippines is to blame for the recent travel warnings, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, sponsor of the Anti-Terrorism Law said on Thursday. “Of course those countries are advising their people not to travel to countries like the Philippines because they think that the Philippines is a soft country that does not have the capacity to enforce its security laws," said Enrile. Enrile, however, said that it is the country's fault for allowing these advisories to gain mileage in the media. "We have done the damage to the country. For one reason or another, we immediately expound on those advisories on television, on radio, on print, that there is danger in the country," he said What's worse, he said, is that one cannot "counter" these kinds of advisories. "So we scare people in coming here. We are chastising ourselves, at the worst, punishing ourselves," he said. Enrile said the best thing that the Philippines can do is to stop scaring its people "unnecessarily." "The best thing is for us to be circumspect and not unduly alarming our people, and not unduly alarming other nations," he said. Security remains tight Meanwhile, Malacañang said on Thursday that security for the country's most powerful man remains the same — tight as always. “The president has always been accorded the highest degree of security by the Presidential Security Group," said deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte when asked whether the travel advisories would have a bearing on the president’s activities. “The conduct of public affairs of the president will always be taken in tandem with security considerations," she added. Presidential Security Group chief Col. Ramon Dizon said the PSG continues to upgrade its services and train its men with or without terror threats. "Constant yan, with or without any report. Inherent sa unit natin, especially presidente binabantayan namin, to constantly look at the way we do things," Dizon said in a phone interview with GMANews.TV. (That is constant, with or without a report. It is inherent in our unit especially since we're protecting the president, to constantly look at the way we do things.) Because of the alleged terror threats, Metro Manila remained under red alert even though the Undas season had passed. Malacañang urged the public not to panic, saying precautionary measures have been put in place while the intelligence reports on possible terrorist attacks are still being validated. a—With Kimberly Jane T. Tan/VVP/DM/JV, GMANews.TV