Govt downplays new Australia travel advice

As expected, the Aquino government over the weekend downplayed a new travel advisory issued by Australia in the wake of a deadly bus bombing that killed five people in Makati City last Tuesday. Deputy presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte said the information in Australia’s travel advice was merely updated to “inform" its nationals in the Philippines, even as she twitted the administration's critics for questioning government's supposed laxity in security. “[The] overall tenor of the travel advisory has not changed. Naintindihan natin bakit [We understand why: it is] to inform citizens who are here [in the Philippines]," Valte said on government-run dzRB radio, adding that the Australian advisory was merely precautionary. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos Jr. also explained that the advisories are done "on a regular basis." "What they do is just update. So I don't think may panibagong advisory na na-issue [that a new advisory was issued] as a result of the bombing incident," Conejos said in a separate interview on dwIZ radio. "Di naman sinabing bawal [It did not say ‘Don’t go there’], it's only to tell them what are the conditions in the country," Conejos added. On the other hand, Valte brushed aside criticisms that Philippine security agencies were “ningas-kugon" or inconsistent. She said Philippine National Police chief Director General Raul Bacalzo already explained that there is a system of alert levels depending on the threats to the country. “Hindi kasi all the time naka-red alert tayo kung di kailangan at wala tayong nakikitang pagbabanta," she said. (We cannot be on red alert all the time if there is no need and if we see no threat.) In a travel advisory updated Friday, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade had warned its citizens anew against “the high threat of terrorist attack and the high level of serious crime" in the country following the Makati bus bombing. (See: Australia warns anew of terror attacks after bus blast) Australia thus became the second country after the United Kingdom to advise its nationals to be wary of possible terrorist attacks in the Philippines following Tuesday’s bus blast. Palace twits Puno bashers Meanwhile, Valte twitted Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno’s critics who had been calling for his ouster. Critics of Puno claimed that the Interior official, who was supposed to be the point man in police matters, was nowhere to be seen during the furor over the bus bombing. “Sa mga naghahanap kay Puno, sinabi ni [Interior Secretary Jesse] Robredo, he is out on official business at sa katapusan siya babalik. Sana makinig sa explanation nasaan si Sec. Puno. Minsan mahirap sa kritiko ay bingi, kung ayaw nila makinig wala tayong magagawa," Valte said. (To those looking for Puno, Sec. Robredo already said he is out on official business and will return by the end of the month. We wish that critics listen to our explanation about Sec. Puno’s whereabouts. The problem with critics is that often they play deaf. If they don’t want to listen then we can’t do anything about that.) Puno, a shooting buddy of President Benigno Aquino III, had been entangled in several controversies recently concerning his so-called “lapses" as interior undersecretary and his uneasy relationship with Interior secretary Robredo. His critics had repeatedly asked for his ouster but Aquino appeared to stand by him each time. (See: Aquino admits DILG's Puno had lapses but....)—JV, GMANews.TV