Central Visayas resorts under tight guard

CEBU CITY — The military is now tightening security in all tourist spots and beach resorts in Cebu and in the entire Central Visayas, following the kidnapping of 20 foreign and local tourists from the upscale Dos Palmas Resort in Palawan last Sunday.

Armed Forces’ Visayas Command commanding general Julius Javier disclosed that President Arroyo herself called him through his cellular phone and ordered him to secure all resorts frequented by tourists following the Palawan abduction.

Javier, in a television interview, said several military task forces were deployed to different spots and resorts in the region to keep tight watch and repel possible intrusion of Abu Sayyaf rebels.

Javier sent troops to Malapascua Island in Daanbantayan as well as to Moalboal and beach resorts in Bohol.

Javier said the President does not want a similar incident to happen in Central Visayas.

Meanwhile, regional police director Jose Antonio Salvacion said he is ordering his police chiefs, especially those in coastal municipalities, to intensify their barangay intelligence networks and watch out for people arriving by pumpboats at night.

"I have asked my chiefs of police to conduct patrols aside from coordinating with local resorts. According to my assessment, the chances of this incident happening in Cebu are minimal, but we have to preempt any attack," Salvacion said.

In particular, he is asking for closer coordination between policemen and resort operators in Sta. Fe, Logon, Malapascua, Moalboal and Mactan Island.

Police officials are also set to meet at the regional police office this Friday to discuss additional security preparations.

The Abu Sayyaf, once a minor band of bandits, gained international notoriety for the ransom kidnapping of mostly foreign tourists from the Malaysian resort of Sipadan in April last year.

The ensuing negotiations for the hostages’ release was a focal point of world media attention, lasting seven months.

Cebu remains a popular destination for tourists, owing to its beaches and vibrant expatriate community.

A total of 823,498 tourists, mostly from East Asian countries, particularly Japan, came to Cebu last year. In fact, there was an eight percent increase in the number of tourists from Japan even when the Philippines’ image abroad was badly tainted as a result of the Sipadan kidnapping. — Freeman News Service