Says comment on Mindanao security ‘reckless, irresponsible’
Vice President-elect Sara Duterte-Carpio hit the social media post of a journalist who is a known administration critic, saying it demonized Mindanao and insulted its people.
In a statement, Duterte-Carpio said the views expressed by Raissa Robles on Mindanao in reaction to plans to develop the region as a tourist destination were “replete with journalistic recklessness and irresponsibility – something that calls for our collective condemnation as it grossly discriminated against all Mindanawons, especially those living in Moro communities.”
In her Twitter post on June 2, Robles, in reaction to the statement of incoming Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco that she would like to open Mindanao to tourists, said “the extremist Abu Sayaf and other bandits would be pleased by the prospects of so many potential kidnap victims.”
Robles then asked Frasco to “prep yourself for ransom negotiations” as the ASG might ask for her.
Duterte-Carpio said Robles “wanted to undervalue everything that the Duterte administration has done in keeping peace and security in Mindanao.”
“As a Filipino, Robles should be ashamed of herself for dangerously trying to stoke and encourage terrorist groups to target tourists in Mindanao,” the Vice President-elect said.
She said that since 2016, kidnapping operations by the ASG in Mindanao have been significantly reduced compared to the previous years. Authorities have also successfully rescued all victims.
“In Basilan, as confirmed by Rep. Mujiv Hataman himself, there had been zero kidnapping incidents since President Duterte came into office. All other incidents concerning ASG have been about the arrests and surrenders of their members and leaders,” she added.
Meanwhile, Rep. Shernee Tan-Tambut of the Kusug Tausug party-list also criticized the negative picture Robles painted of Mindanao.
“I am utterly dismayed that a journalist like you, with connections to international papers, would carelessly suggest in a public forum like Twitter that tourists in Mindanao will be sitting ducks for kidnappers and other criminals,” she said.
“Your overpowering dislike for the President-elect should not give you a reason to pass unfounded judgment on policies that are yet to be implemented; neither should it give you a license to make false assumptions that mock the efforts of the Muslim Mindanao provinces to maintain peace and stability so that they can draw in investors and tourists,” she added.
Tambut invited Robles to experience the beauty of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, and Zamboanga City.
“I will personally accompany you there so you can see for yourself how the people live in peace in these places and how they work hard to earn a living,” she said.
For his part, Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte lauded incoming President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for choosing Frasco as the new Tourism secretary.
“We commend President BBM for appointing to the Cabinet an official from the ranks of the local government unit executives who know exactly what is happening on the ground and have first-hand knowledge of and experience in grassroots development,” he said.