DFA urges Filipinos abroad to be more vigilant following attacks

August 16, 2017

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Wednesday  called on the more than ten million overseas Filipinos to heighten their vigilance in the wake of terrorist attack.

The DFA issued the statement after a foiled terrorist attack in Russia and a deadly shooting incident in Burkina Faso.

“We want our kababayans wherever they are abroad to always remain vigilant and to always be prepared because these senseless acts of violence can happen anywhere and when we least expect them,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said.

Quoting a report from Ambassador Carlos Sorreta of the Philippine Embassy in Moscow, the DFA said Russian intelligence was able to prevent Islamic militants from carrying out a series of terrorist attacks in the country. The terrorist plot reportedly included two suicide attacks.

In Ouagadougou, 18 people were killed when Islamic militants opened fire at a restaurant frequented by foreigners. The DFA said it monitored other small-scale attacks that took place in other parts of the world, mostly in Africa and the Middle East, during the past few days.

Citing data from the Global Terrorism Database,  the DFA said around 1,102 terror incidents took place worldwide from January to August 2017 while 1,204 terror attacks were perpetrated during the same period in 2016.  A total of 1,820 terrorist incidents took place from January to December 2016.

Cayetano conveyed his sympathies to the families of the victims of the 13 August attack in Burkina Faso.

"We mourn with the families of those who lost their lives in this terrible incident in Burkina Faso," Cayetano said. DMS