Aussie travel advisory vs. Cebu doesn''t bother Gwen

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday shrugged off the travel advisory issued by the Australian government allegedly due to threat of terrorism.

"We''ll ilaha sab na. They just want to keep safe," Garcia said, adding that there really is nothing that the government can do to stop the travel advisory as this is the second time the Australian government issued the warning since the 12th ASEAN Summit.

Garcia, who is the regional chairwoman of the peace and order council, said the threat to terrorism is not only here in Philippines but also in England and in the United States.

"There really is nothing that we can do to stop this travel advisory. We will just have to cope with it and it goes without saying that although we may feel particularly sensitive about it, I do believe to that other travel advisories are issued routinely against other countries at any whip of a suggestion that there might be possibility of improbable attack," Garcia said.

Police Regional Office-7 director Chief Supt. Silverio Alarcio Jr., said tourists vacationing here have nothing to worry about as the PNP has enough force and security plans. That plus they have not received any reports of terrorist threats here.

"We have not received any reports report from any source, as far as terrorist plans are concerned in Region 7, although every summer, the PNP is always coming out with a security plan to ensure the security of our visitors in the region being one of the tourist destinations," Alarcio said.

Last December, Australia, Great Britain, Canada and the US issued travel advisories to their countrymen here to avoid vacationing in the region because of the threat of possible attacks by terrorists, but no such attack materialized.

The Australian Foreign Affairs and Trade posted in its website the other day a warning to its citizens to reconsider their need to travel to Cebu and to avoid crowded areas. - Garry B. Lao and Norvie S. Misa/BRP