By ANTHONY IAN CRUZ
Malaya
Oct. 22, 2007
THE United States and Australia have joined Canada and the United Kingdom in advising their citizens to either exercise caution if they opt to go to the Philippines.
The US Embassy said it was urging “Americans contemplating travel to the Philippines to carefully consider the risks to their safety and security, including those due to terrorism.”
The US also pledged aid police authorities in investigations.
Australia told its citizens to “exercise a high degree of caution in the Philippines because of the high threat of terrorist attack.”
Australia said while authorities are still determining who or what group was behind the blast, “the possibility of a terrorist bomb attack cannot be discounted.”
“We continue to receive credible reports that terrorists are planning attacks against a range of targets, including places frequented by foreigners. Some reports suggest that terrorists could target sites in Metro Manila and Mindanao, including the Sulu Archipelago. If you do decide to travel, you should exercise extreme vigilance when you are in the Philippines,” said the travel advisory.
It added that “there is a danger of kidnapping throughout the Philippines, including Manila and coastal and island tourist resorts.”
A reissued travel advisory of the British government said there were no reported British casualties in the Glorietta explosion.
But it said “there is a high threat from terrorism throughout the Philippines.”
It also raised the “threat of kidnapping throughout the Philippines.”
British citizens were advised not to go Mindanao, especially Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Jolo.
The Canadian foreign ministry, in an updated travel advisory, advised its citizens against “all travel” to Sulu, Basilan, the Zamboanga Peninsula, Zamboanga del Sur, Sarangani, Davao del Sur, South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao “unless they have critical or compelling business or family reasons.”
It said there is a “threat of a terrorist attack, which could occur at anytime in the region.”
It said travel at night outside of metropolitan areas should be avoided, particularly in Mindanao.