PhilStar: Sayyaf in the Visayas
As of last night, five Abu Sayyaf bandits, three soldiers and a policeman had died in heavy fighting in Bohol. Central Visayas is a long way from the terrorist group’s lairs in Sulu and Basilan, raising concern that the bandits are expanding their areas of operation. The clashes occurred as the United States and Australia, with the United Kingdom joining them yesterday, warned their citizens about the threat of being kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf.
The group is still holding foreign hostages after beheading a German captive in February and two Canadians last year for failure to pay ransom. The threat of kidnapping more foreigners is already inflicting damage on the economy of Bohol.
As described by foreign media reports yesterday, Bohol is a known travel destination, and Holy Week is peak season for tourism. The province has unique attractions – the endangered tarsier and the Chocolate Hills, among others – but local and foreign travelers alike will readily skip the sights if there’s a threat of being kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf.
This threat cannot be contained by the military alone; the local government must take the lead and mobilize community action to confront troublemakers. Palawan, whose economy is heavily dependent on tourism, suffered heavily from Abu Sayyaf raids and kidnapping of tourists. Residents of the province later banded together to help protect their communities and improve responses to terrorist threats.
The situation is different in certain conflict zones in Mindanao, where local authorities themselves are suspected of coddling the Abu Sayyaf and other armed groups for personal gain. Other provinces must not allow a similar situation to develop. Lives, property, jobs and livelihoods are at stake, and the military and police perform their tasks best with public support.
