1.The price of the kidnapping in Mindanao.
UK warns its citizens to avoid going to Mindanao
MANILA, Philippines - After the kidnapping of two Europeans in Tawi-tawi earlier this week, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) warned British nationals to avoid traveling to Mindanao due to the "high threat from terrorism."
"We advise against all travel to south-west Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago because of on-going terrorist activity and clashes between the military and insurgent groups," the FCO said, in a February 1 advisory on its website.
South-west Mindanao covers the following areas: the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM, which includes Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, and the islands of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi) plus thep rovinces of Sarangani, North and South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay.
The FCO advised against all but essential travel to the rest of Mindanao because of ongoing terrorist activity. It noted there have been at least 10 bombings in the areas since November 2011.
The FCO emphasized the high terrorism threat. "Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. Such places could include, but are not limited to, airports, shopping malls, places of worship etc," it said.
British nationals were also warned about the threats of kidnapping in the Philippines, especially in the southern region.
"Kidnapping could occur anywhere, including on coastal and island resorts and dive boats and sites in the Sulu Sea," the FCO said.
Last February 1, Swiss national Lorenzo Vinciguerra, 47, and Dutchman Ewold Horn, 52, were seized by armed men in Parangan in the township of Panglima Sugala in the Tawi Tawi island.
Last December 5, an Australian citizen was kidnapped in Zamboanga Sibugay.
Aside from the threats to personal safety, the FCO advised against travel to areas in Mindanao that were affected by Tropical Storm Sendong last December, specifically Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro. It noted there is a heightened risk of diseases and an outbreak of leptospirosis in Cagayan De Oro.
British nationals are also advised to avoid flying with Philippine-certified airlines. There has been an EU ban on all carriers certified in the Philippines since April 2010, because the Philippine regulatory authority has been unable to verify that these airlines comply with international safety standards.
In 2011, over 130,000 British tourists visited the Philippines.
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