US Embassy Manila updates travel warning for Mindanao

If there’s one thing in common that the US State Department (through the US Embassy) and the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office share, it’s the fact that their travel advisories to their citizens contain travel warnings for Mindanao.

In a parallel post in Barrio Siete, I’ve pointed out how the travel advisory by two influential countries in the world has dire implications for Philippine tourism and investments. It’s a pity that a region which boasts of the richest, most unspoiled tourism spots in the country suffers from negative first impressions, simply because there exists in some areas a rash of kidnappings, terrorism threats and civil war for decades. And most recently, there is of course the shock brought about by the utter violence of the Maguindanao massacre.

As of November 24, 2009, the US Embassy Manila – through its embassy warden system – updated its old travel warning to Mindanao to include the Maguindanao incident:

” Travelers should exercise extreme caution if traveling in the central and western portions of the island of Mindanao, as well as in the islands of the Sulu Archipelago. Recent violence in Maguindanao resulted in the Government of the Philippines declaring a state of emergency in the provinces of Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat and the city of Cotabato. The state of emergency includes road checkpoints conducted by the Philippine military and law enforcement. If U.S. citizens travel to Maguindanao despite this Travel Alert, they should understand there are heightened tensions and there will be a significant military presence. They should carefully research restrictions imposed upon travel and follow the instructions of officials with regards to limitations on movement.”
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Requiem for victims of the Maguindanao massacre

The bad news that greeted the nation last Monday affected me so much that I didn’t have the strength to blog about it until now. Still couldn’t believe that something of that horrific magnitude could happen in this day and age, in this supposedly democratic country. I could only manage to write something on my Facebook wall, and my friends joined me in condemning the incident as barbaric and cowardly, indeed. Some couldn’t resist throwing in expletives or two. The general mood was one of anger and indignation, even though most didn’t personally know the people who met their tragic fate.

I am of course referring to the Nazi-style execution of a group of journalists, lawyers and family members who were supposed to file a certificate of candidacy in behalf of aspiring Maguindanao governor Datu Esmail “Toto” Mangudadatu. The suspects are the rival Ampatuan clan who is presently lording it over Maguindanao politics. With the incident, I don’t know whether they will still lord it for long. It was sheer stupidity on their part to do something as brazen, when they know the whole world is watching. They’ve also caused extreme embarrassment to the Arroyo government. Even when their political dalliance with President Arroyo is strong, the public and even international groups as high as the United Nations will hold everyone accountable for what happened.

Even worse is the incident’s implications to the idea of a free press in the country. One of the fatalities was Mindanao reporter Bong Reblando of Manila Bulletin, the newspaper I write for. I’ve met Bong once or twice when I still worked for the newspaper full time. It was kinda surreal conjuring images of someone you met before and then equating it with violence. Media is a small world after all, and the other journalists who talked or dealt with the victims on a regular basis were simply stunned. It appeared that the journalists who went with the convoy were invited precisely because it was thought that they would deter any violent plan from Mangudadatu’s political rival. Turns out even the “Media/Press” badge wasn’t enough to spare them from the tragedy.

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