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==[[Tawi-Tawi News]]==
==[[Tawi-Tawi News]]==
'''Abductions in Mindanao seen to derail Philippine tourism campaign '''
'''Philippines: No ransom demand yet for 2 Europeans'''
*Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=774357&publicationSubCategoryId=200
*Source: http://asiancorrespondent.com/75297/philippines-no-ransom-demand-yet-for-2-europeans/
*February 04, 2012 03:02 PM
*Feb 05, 2012 3:08AM UTC
:by philstar.com
:by AP News






MANILA, (Xinhua) -- The recent abduction of two Europeans in the island-province of Tawi-Tawi in the southernmost tip of the Philippines and the continued terrorist threat in Mindanao could derail the government's ambitious plan to make the Philippines a top tourist destination in Asia.
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Police said Friday that local thugs, not al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf militants, were likely to have abducted two European tourists this week in the southern Philippines.


After a spike in tourist arrivals last year, the Philippine government is now crafting a long-range program that would make tourism a major engine in the country's economic growth.
Police Director Felicisimo Khu said the kidnappers had not contacted authorities or made any ransom demand.


For the first nine months of 2011, visitor arrivals increased by 12 percent to 3.7 million, with South Korea being the country's largest tourism market, followed by the United States, Japan, China and Australia.
Ewold Horn of the Netherlands, Lorenzo Vinciguerra of Switzerland and their Filipino guide, Ivan Sarenas, were abducted Wednesday during a bird-watching trip to Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines’ southernmost province. They were the latest kidnap victims in an impoverished region infested with al-Qaida-linked militants and criminal gangs that often seek ransom for their foreign hostages.


Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez said that the Department of Tourism (DOT) is now finalizing the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) that aims to attract 10 million foreign visitors to the country by 2016. The DOT hopes to increase tourist arrivals this year to 4.2 million.
Sarenas escaped hours later by jumping off their captors’ boat after he saw some fishermen, who rescued him.


Last year, Malaysia had 32 million tourists while Thailand had 14 million visitors.
Khu said he doubts the gunmen were Abu Sayyaf members because there is no known Abu Sayyaf presence in the province. But Tawi-Tawi is home to rebels from the Moro National Liberation Front, which signed a peace pact with the government in 1996.


The abduction on Feb. 1 of Elwold Horn, a 52- year old Dutch, and Lorenzo Vinciguerra, a 47-year old Swiss, in Parangan, Panglima Sugala, Tawi-Tawi province by armed men, however, could throw a monkey wrench in the government's grandiose tourism plans.
“There are no indications that they are Abu Sayyaf,” Khu said in a telephone interview, adding that the abductors were likely local thugs.


The two foreigners, reportedly wildlife photographers, were seized while on board a pump boat along with a certain Ivan Sarenas, a local guide, who was able to escape.
He said the kidnappers freed unharmed an unarmed policeman, a town councilor and a boat skipper who were accompanying the bird watchers, and did not shoot Sarenas when he jumped out of the boat to make his escape — uncharacteristic of the brutal Abu Sayyaf militants, who are notorious for kidnappings and beheadings.


The kidnapping, which has remained unresolved four days after it happened, has prompted the British embassy in Manila to reissue a travel advisory for its citizens.
The abductors also appeared to be have bungled in failing to take Vinciguerra’s bag, which contained more than $1,000 worth of foreign currencies, and Sarenas’ bag, which had expensive cameras.


"We advise against all travel to southwest Mindanao covering the following areas: Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which includes Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, and the islands of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi) plus the provinces of Sarangani, North and South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay," the embassy travel advisory says.
Police recovered the belongings from the motorized outrigger from which the victims were seized.


The embassy also advised against "all but essential travel to the remainder of Mindanao because of ongoing terrorist activity." It said there have been a number of attacks against civilian targets in several areas in Mindanao since November 2011 that included at least 10 bombing incidents in North Cotabato, Cotabato City, Sulu, Sultan Kudarat, and Zamboanga killing a total of eight people and wounding of 66 others.
Sarenas said the victims were transferred to another boat, then a third boat. He said he escaped when he realized the boat was speeding toward Jolo island, a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf.


In 2011, some 130,000 British tourists visited the Philippines.
But Khu said that the boat was small and that there was no extra fuel on board for the 12-hour trip to Jolo.


Aside from the Feb. 1 kidnapping of the two Europeans in Tawi- Tawi, an Australian citizen was also kidnapped in Zamboanga Sibubay on Dec. 5, 2011. On July 12, 2011 two American citizens and a Filipino were also kidnapped from a resort on the island of Tictabon near Zamboanga City.
Police said the kidnappers landed in Tawi-Tawi’s Languyan township and burned their boat in a bid to hide its owner.


The embassies of the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Canada have also issued similar advisories to their citizens.
Sarenas said he, Horn and Vinciguerra arrived in Tawi-Tawi on Sunday in search of the Sulu hornbill, said to be the most endangered hornbill in the world.


Earlier, the Philippines strongly urged members of the United Nations Security Council to take a "balanced" approach in the international campaign against terrorism and called on governments to "exercise due care and diligence" in issuing travel advisories.
Tawi-Tawi is famed for virgin beaches surrounded by crystal blue waters. But like most areas in the restive southern Philippines, it is undeveloped because of years of violence, including ransom kidnappings, bomb attacks and fighting between troops and Muslim rebels.


The call, issued during the Security Council meeting in November, said a balance must also be achieved in the issuance of travel advisories, particularly those that relate to "possible terrorist attacks."
After spending three days in a mountain forest, the three were heading back to the provincial capital of Bongao by boat Wednesday when five rifle-toting gunmen on another boat fired warning shots and intercepted them, Sarenas said.


"While the Philippines recognized the responsibility of states to protect their citizens, Manila believed that governments must exercise due care and diligence in issuing travel advisories," the government said.
Muslim insurgents have been fighting for minority self-rule in the predominantly Christian nation’s south, and the Abu Sayyaf is the most violent group. The militants have been holding an Australian man abducted in December, as well as a Japanese and a Malaysian.
 
Meanwhile, Malacanang, the seat of the Philippine government, has tried to reassure foreign embassies on the latest kidnapping incident. 
 
"We condemn the abduction, and the national and local governments, as well as all agencies concerned, are working to ensure the resolution of the situation, the recovery and release of the men who remain in the hands of their captors, and the bringing to justice of the lawless elements involved," Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said.
 
Valte urged foreign tourists to check with the Department of Foreign Affairs, as well as their own embassies, regarding advisories on conditions that may affect their travel and other arrangements while visiting the Philippines.
 
The military has suspected rogue members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) to be behind the abduction of the two European tourists.
 
"There was information that rogue elements of the MNLF were involved. But we are verifying the reports," said Armed Forces chief of staff Jessie Dellosa.
 
Dellosa said government troops and the police have intensified the pursuit operation to locate the victims and their abductors in an area of Tawi-Tawi.
 
But Dellosa also cited the possibility that the kidnappers might have escaped to nearby Sulu province where military forces have launched intensified operations following the air strike that reportedly killed 15 top-ranking Islamic terrorists with links to Al Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).
 
According to the military, among those killed in the air strike in Parang, Sulu last Thursday were three of the most wanted terrorist leaders: Malaysian Zulfikli bin Hir, also known as Marwan, a top JI leader; Abu Sayyaf leader Umbra Jumdail alias Doc Abu; and Singaporean JI leader Abdullah Ali alias Mauwiya.


==[[:Category:Tawi-Tawi, Philippines Photo Gallery|Tawi-Tawi, Philippines Photo Gallery]]==
==[[:Category:Tawi-Tawi, Philippines Photo Gallery|Tawi-Tawi, Philippines Photo Gallery]]==
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