RP slams Canberra, Washington for ‘unwarranted’ terror advisories

The Philippines lashed out yesterday at allies Australia and the United States for what it called unwarranted advisories that warn against likely terrorist attacks against their citizens here.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople said the Philippines does not "have to listen to them."

"The US and Australia are higher risk targets than the Philippines. They are the ones being targeted by terrorists, not us," Ople told reporters.

He added that "we know we are high-risk targets because terrorist detest the values that we hold dear. But it is not necessary to continue labeling the Philippines as a high-risk target, since no country is truly secure from terrorist attack."

Ople said if ever there is a reason terrorists will strike in the country, it is because they "are offended by the success of the Philippines in the war against terror and by the Philippines’ strong adherence to democratic and liberal values."

He added that "unreasonable labels do not fully reflect the situation."

Ople was reacting to claims made recently by Australian Defense Minister Robert Hill that the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), described as the Southeast Asian arm of Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network, could intensify its attacks in predominantly Christian Philippines.

"That (Australian report) was attributed to an irresponsible personal opinion of one of its ministers," he said.

The Philippines "is probably the most target-rich environment in Southeast Asia in terms of western-style clubs, discos, hotels and symbols of western culture such as multinational businesses and fast-food outlets," Hill had told a conference in Canberra.

Earlier this week, a spokesman for a US military contingent in joint training with Filipino troops in Central Luzon said American soldiers were to be restricted to camp to avoid being "high risk" targets by local terrorists.

But Ople denounced such warnings as "particularly disconcerting since there are actually no specific terrorist threats against the Philippines."

Ople stressed the Philippines, which US President George W. Bush last month promoted to the status of a full-military ally, has been doing its share in combating terrorism in the region.

President Arroyo is a key anti-terror ally of the United States and Australia. — With AP