US urged to lift travel advisory

The United States government was urged yesterday to heed the advice of its ambassador here, Francis Ricciardone, and lift its travel advisory cautioning its citizens against going to Mindanao.

In making the appeal, Cebu Rep. Antonio Cuenco, chairman of the House committee on foreign affairs, and Assistant Majority Leader Antonio Cerilles, said the word of Ambassador Ricciardone should carry weight.

"He is well-traveled in the South, and his assessment is a fair judgment of the more stable peace and order situation in most of Mindanao despite the Sulu conflict and threats of terrorism," Cuenco said.

He said the US government should immediately act on Ricciardone’s recommendation to help the country recover from the negative impact of its earlier "unfair" travel advisories.

"It is a serious matter that has to be acted upon now. Ambassador Ricciardone’s advice was based on his actual visits to the south and consultations with local officials. It should be given weight by the US government," he said.

He added that if the US lifts its latest advisory, other foreign governments could take the hint and follow suit, making such an action’s economic impact on Mindanao even more significant.

He pointed out that Ricciardone’s positive assessment of the situation in the south was a "welcome break" from the recent derogatory statements of charge d’affaires Joseph Mussomeli, who said Mindanao could be the next Afghanistan and is fast becoming a "Mecca of terrorism."

For his part, Cerilles said Ricciardone "is showing more sensitivity for the country’s welfare, with the economy adversely affected by travel advisories issued by the US State Department."

"If acted upon, his recommendation will boost tourism and trade in Mindanao and hasten the region’s recovery from the negative impact of travel warnings and terror threats," he said.

"Ambassador Ricciardone has shown that the Americans remain our reliable and trustworthy allies," he added. — Jess Diaz