The Philippines should take the Japanese government’s warning of possible terrorist attacks in Southeast Asia, the chairman of the House Committee on Strategic Intelligence said on Wednesday.
Surigao Del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said it would be best for Philippine authorities to heed the warning and prepare for any possible scenarios.
“Our sense is, it is best for all of us to take the alarm seriously and heighten our vigilance. Our security forces should take all the necessary precautions,” Pimentel said in a statement.
Pimentel added: “The last time a foreign government openly warned of a possible terrorist attack in the Philippines, an incident actually happened.”
The lawmaker was referring to the failed attempt by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or the ISIS-linked Abu Sayyaf Group to kidnap foreign tourists in Bohol in April 2017.
He also recalled that two days before the Abu Sayyaf incursion in Inabanga, Bohol, the United States (US) embassy in Manila had warned its citizens over “unsubstantiated yet credible information” that terrorist groups might attempt to conduct kidnap-for-ransom activities in Central Visayas, which includes both Cebu and Bohol provinces.
As a result, three Philippine Army troopers and a police officer were killed in the Bohol raid. Five of the armed suspected terrorists were also killed in the raid.
Last Monday, Japan’s Foreign Ministry urged its citizens to stay away from religious sites and large gatherings in six Southeast Asian nations, warning of a possible attack.
Aside from the Philippines, the warning applies to Japanese citizens in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar.
The ministry said it had obtained information that “there are increased risks such as suicide bombings."
Pimentel noted that many Japanese consultants work for large construction projects in the Philippines including new railways, funded by soft loans from Japan’s International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
He said there are also many Japanese executives and staff who work at dozens of corporations operating in Philippine export processing zones.
“Hundreds of Japanese corporations are heavily invested in the Philippines and the rest of Southeast Asia. It goes without saying that Japan devotes considerable intelligence gathering to look after these interests, including the Japanese citizens working in the region,” Pimentel stressed.