In spite of some countries' warning against traveling to Cebu,
the venue of the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) Summit, for fear of terrorist attacks, Philippine officials
say there is no specific threat to the summit site.
"With the ASEAN Summit starting Sunday, the security
preparations have made Cebu a lot safer," the local Sun
Star newspaper Friday quoted Task Force chief for the summit
Silverio Alarcio Jr. as saying.
He said the danger can't be ruled out and that no one can be
sure of absolute safety, but that Cebu "has remained one of the
safest places in the country."
At least five countries have warned their citizens against
traveling to Cebu. The British Embassy in the Philippines released
Wednesday a travel advisory, saying, "We advise against all travel
to Cebu Province, as we believe that terrorists are in the final
stages of planning attacks."
Within hours, separate advisories were issued by Australia, New
Zealand, Japan and the United States.
In response to the US travel warning, the task force chief said,
"Possibly this advisory is more of a general statement," citing
information from Interpol that there was no specific threat to
Cebu.
"Terrorism is a world-wide threat, we all know it's a threat
that constantly hovers everywhere, whether in New York, Paris or
London itself," said Cebu Province Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, when
asked about the British travel advisory.
"We must face the fact that all major events are always
attractive venues. That's precisely why 5,000 police and other
peace-keeping forces are in the local government units that are
venues of the summit to ensure that delegates will be given
adequate protection," the governor said.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena said in his recent regular press
conference that he remains confident the Cebu island is "very, very
safe."
According to local media reports, a confidential government
threat assessment report cited groups that could pose a threat to
the summit, including Indonesia-based Jemaah Islamiyah and two
Philippine groups, the Abu Sayyaf and the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front.
The report said intelligence agencies have not monitored any
specific plots against the ASEAN events by al-Qaida-linked groups,
but added such possibilities were not farfetched.
"We have received information, but these are not validated
threats," military spokesman Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said.
(Xinhua News Agency December 8, 2006)
