A deserving number one

According to Conde Nast, an award-winning US travel magazine, Palawan is the world's "Top Island in the World," With its subterranean river in Puerto Princesa pulling in most of the tourists, Palawan is also known for its fantastic, world-class resorts such as El Nido and Amanpulo. There are also many other attractions the island has to offer, being a short flight away from Manila. I myself have been to many places in Palawan, and every trip turns out to be a memorable one indeed. It's about time Palawan is recognized as the world's best. Its breathtaking sites and natural wonders are sure to stir the soul of even the most hardened cynic.

But with all the attention Palawan is going to get after being named as the world's best, both foreign and domestic, the government has to make sure that aside from being a wonderful tourist attraction, it must also ensure that it is also the safest. Palawan lies at the outermost western portion of the country. While offering some sort of geographic isolation from nearby islands, it is not immune from criminal elements determined to make a killing from its thriving tourist industry.

We know of the Dos Palmas resort kidnappings in May of 2001, where twenty guests and some of the resort staff were abducted by members of the Abu Sayyaf Group on board motorboats. The events led to the deaths of Guillermo Sobero who was beheaded about a month into the crisis, and Martin Burnham who was killed in the rescue operation conducted by the AFP on June of 2002. The incident brought notoriety to the ASG, labeled a terrorist group.

Most recently, two German nationals were kidnapped, again by the ASG, while sailing on a yacht on Rio Tubbataha, an hour's ride from Puerto Princesa. They have recently been released after an undisclosed amount was paid as ransom, which the government denies. Both high-profile incidents and many others do not help promote the wonderful island that is Palawan. Which is why the safety of everyone, not just foreign tourists but locals as well, must be assured by those concerned. The local government, the police, the military should all coordinate to make the place for everyone to enjoy.

I cannot reiterate the need to finally eliminate the Abu Sayyaf Group. But if indeed they received ransom from their latest crime, then their logistics just became better, making them even deadlier and more dangerous. We have achieved peace with the MILF. Obviously the ASG is not interested in peace but in crime. They must be dealt with accordingly. If they will not accept the doves of peace, then they will have to face the dogs of war.