PNP says peace and order ”under control” despite US travel advisory

April 13, 2019

The Philippine National Police ( PNP) assures that peace and order in the country is ''under control'' amid a travel advisory by the United States warning their citizen from travelling to the southern part of the country.

“The peace and order in our country is under control because the security that we implement is very tight not only this election but even every time because it’s the mandate of the PNP,” said Police Col. Bernard Banac, PNP spokesman, in a radio interview Saturday.

However, Banac noted it is just normal for a country to issue a travel advisory for the protection of their citizens.

“We do not deny that there are kidnapping incidents in parts of southern Philippines where the terrorist groups are, so it is just normal for their country to issue a security advisory for their nationals here,” he said.

''They are just being cautious and we cannot blame them as they just want to protect their citizen but the PNP as we said we do not need to worry,” he added.

Banac emphasized kidnapping incidents continue to decrease since 2017.

“The kidnapping incidents continue to decrease from 2017, 2018, 2019. Until this first quarter we have low number of incidents,” he said.

“Most of the victims were in southern Mindanao. If I am not mistaken it reached to 48. It was made by the terrorist groups, that is why the whole Mindanao was placed under martial law, part of it is because of the threat of kidnappings,” he added.

Banac said the public should not worry as the PNP deployed all of its personnel, especially this summer and because of the observance of Holy Week.

Last Tuesday, the US Department of State Office of Consular Affairs issued travel advisory to warn their citizens from traveling is some parts of the Philippines because of “crime, terrorism, civil unrest, a measles outbreak and kidnapping.

The advisory indicates that US citizens avoid travelling to the Sulu Archipelago due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest and kidnapping as well as in Marawi City. Robina Asido/DMS