Palace seeks reversal of travel warnings

Malacañang on Saturday vowed to exhaust all diplomatic remedies in disputing travel advisories from at least six countries warning of possible terrorist attacks on the Philippines. The travel advisories came shortly after a failed terrorist attack on the US. Deputy presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte also said the Palace is not budging from its stand that the travel warnings are an “overreaction" by some countries. “Ine-exhaust natin ang diplomatic channels natin (We are exhausting our diplomatic channels on the matter)," she said on government-run dzRB radio. While she did not elaborate, she said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has already taken steps, and the Palace is waiting for updates from the agency. “The DFA is already taking care (of it), it’s elevating our concerns. We understand there are procedures to follow. We maintain our position that this is an overreaction. The basis is not that solid and is disputable as far as we are concerned," she said. PNoy to take up advisories at APEC meet She added that these efforts are on top of President Benigno Aquino III’s plan to discuss the matter with fellow leaders at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting next week. However, not all of the six countries that issued travel warnings on the Philippines are APEC members. These APEC-member countries include the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. The United Kingdom and France are members of the European Union. Nevertheless, Valte said there is a possibility the travel advisories will be taken up in the APEC meeting in Japan scheduled for next week. “(We will look at) the inclinations of the other leaders on how best to go about this," she said. In the meantime, she said that state security forces have already taken added steps to secure the public from any possible terrorist threat. “We have taken measures to tighten security, you’ve seen it all around. There’s a call for vigilance," she said. Palace ‘unfazed’, stands ground against warnings Valte said Malacañang is not fazed by reports the countries that issued the travel advisories have not withdrawn their warnings. “The issuance of advisories on disputable basis is merely an overreaction on the part of the sources of the advisories," she said. She added that the refusal of the countries concerned to withdraw their travel advisories is not an automatic indication of the veracity of the sources of the warnings. “(I don't a country's refusal to withdraw its warning) as automatic indication (that) their basis for issuing it was solid," she said. Valte also brushed off speculations the travel warnings are part of an international power play, with some countries allegedly ganging up on the Philippines. She similarly reiterated that there is no connection between the United States’ issuance of a travel warning and an ongoing review of the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement. -TJD, GMANews.TV