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BY BOY RYAN ZABAL
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Friday, September 1, 2017
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BORACAY – This world-famous island resort is not ideal for people escaping conflict-torn areas, according to a local government official.
Several residents of Marawi City, where the Islamic State-linked Maute terrorist group had laid siege, sought refuge in various other areas in the country, including Boracay.
“Boracay is not a place for evacuees because it is a tourism area,” said Rowen Aguirre, executive assistant for Boracay affairs of the local government of Malay and head of the Joint Task Force Boracay.
“But we cannot prevent them (evacuees) from staying in Boracay,” Aguirre clarified. “We respect their human right to travel from conflict areas.”
Aguirre made the statement amid concerns on security in the island.
He and Lieutenant Commander Julius Reyes, the task force’s operations officer, assured that there are no imminent threats to Boracay.
But Reyes warned that “there is always the possibility (of terroristic acts).”
“The Armed Forces of the Philippines will protect Boracay Island at all costs, as instructed by President Rodrigo Duterte,” said Reyes.
It will continue coordinating and sharing information with local intelligence units of the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Coast Guard, the Maritime Group, and volunteer groups, he added.
Aguirre acknowledged that Boracay, as a prime tourist destination, was a target for lawless elements so it is relatively safe.
“Threats do not come from a specific group alone. It may come from anywhere,” he said. But “at the moment, there is no specific terror threat to Boracay.”
Still, “we have to work hard to secure Boracay,” he added. (Aklan Forum Journal/PN)
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