Foreign govts issue travel advisories for Davao provinces, ARMM

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 23): Foreign govts issue travel advisories for Davao provinces, ARMM

The Canadian and the United Kingdom governments issued an advisory for their citizens against traveling to Davao provinces and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) effective last Tuesday due to the “serious threat of terrorist attacks and kidnapping”.

However, Davao City is not included in the travel advisory ,which also had no effect in a nationwide scale but Canadian and British citizens were told to exercise “high degree of caution”.

While the city is not included, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said he could not do anything if foreign governments issue a travel ban for their citizens in the Philippines.

“Wala ta’y mahimo. Talagang may nangyari dito (We cannot do anything. Something has really happened here),” Duterte said in an interview on Tuesday night at Grand Menseng Hotel.

The mayor said even if the Island Garden City of Samal was not part of Davao City, but it is in Davao del Norte, he cannot do anything with travel advisories.

“We cannot control other governments,” Duterte said, admitting that the kidnapping incident would have a negative impact on Davao City because the Davao International Airport is the first point of entry of tourists traveling to other provinces and cities in Southern Philippines.

Among the areas where travel is banned are Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-tawi, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao in ARMM; Zamboanga Peninsula and provinces of Saranggani, Lanao del Norte, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, Davao Oriental, Cotabato, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.

The advisory cited the kidnapping incident in Island Garden City of Samal on Sept. 21, 2015 wherein two Canadian nationals, a Norwegian, and a Filipina, were the victims.

“Several foreigners have been kidnapped in this region. Threats of abduction of, or violence toward, foreigners continue to occur,” the advisory reads.

“There is a serious risk of terrorist attacks and kidnappings in this region,” the advisory added.

The Canadian government also considered the threat of kidnapping in ARMM and surrounding areas as “high”.

Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario has condemned the kidnapping incident, adding that it was very unfortunate but considered it as an isolated case.

“I am appealing to the perpetrators the immediate and unequivocal release of the hostages. I am asking them to be fair and to sympathize with their victims, as they are only here to enjoy what we have to offer in the province,” Del Rosario said.

Del Rosario assured the public that the government is doing everything that it can ensure the early resolution of the crisis. A special task force was already organized to conduct a thorough investigation and the necessary operation to recover the victims.

On Monday, police, military and the local government authorities in Samal were caught by surprise when the information reached them that armed men abducted Canadian nationals John Ridsdel, 68, and Robert Hall, Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad, 56 and Filipina identified as Marites Flor, who is the live-in partner of Hall.

Ridsdel was former senior vice president for Canadian mining firm Toronto Ventures Inc. (TVI) Resource Development Philippines, Inc. while Hall was said to be also working with the mining firm.

Sekkingstad is the manager of Holiday Ocean View Samal Resort Yacht Club where the kidnapping incident happened.

It was learned that Ridsdel has a special retirees resident visa while the immigration status of Hall is tourist that is expiring tomorrow (Sept. 25) and Sekkingstad a 9G commercial, which is a Philippine pre-arranged employment visa.

In 2001, posh Pearl Farm Resort, owned by prominent Floirendo family, was also attacked by suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), who also staged a kidnapping-try that resulted in the killing of two resort employees.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=807451