It is a fact that the Abu Sayyaf are still the major terrorists in Mindanao and lately, bombing incidents are being experienced in other parts of the country. Unlike other criminals, terrorists take pride in claiming credit for their crimes. It is not so with the current terrorists. Their target are usually helpless people on their way to work and the victims and the general public never even get to know why the bombs were planted. It seems to be a case of evil for evil’s own sake. It is a problem every individual will have to face and sad to say, it is a problem that we will have to confront for some time to come. The worst problems are the irrational ones and the current terrorism problem is not only irrational, it is world-wide.
One of the senseless things about the terrorist bombings is the fact that one of the favorite targets are the tourists. Classic example here was the bombing in Bali. Many of the victims were Australian and western tourists. Why kill people who are out to enjoy the beauty and hospitality of a country? Some intelligence sources have said that there is also a terrorist plan for a big bang in the Philippines. We must do everything in our power to prevent such an occurrence. This is not easy because if there is such a plan, no one really knows where and when the terrorists will strike. But the police, we are sure, are certainly doing their intelligence work. An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure. We certainly live in very trying times. When we say we, we include even the innocent babies.
According to a news report, the United States has upgraded its travel advisory for its citizens residing in the Philippines by informing them that they have received information that the Philippines will be one of the targets of the Jemaah Islamiyah. That is understandable. What is disturbing is the report that the European Union has alerted European embassies in Manila to impose very tight restrictions on the issuance of Schengen visas for Filipinos, as well as Indonesians, Pakistanis and Afghans. The Philippines is a victim of terrorists and definitely not a haven for terrorists. This report is true, it shows how damaging the Abu Sayyaf kidnappings have been to the Philippines image abroad.
We had no bombings in the cemeteries last All Saints’ Day. But each and every person who visited their dearly departed had to undergo rigid inspection for his own protection. That is what we must all realize. We must be willing to undergo inconveniences in the fight against terrorists.