The search continues
Department of Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo is set to visit the province of Bohol anytime this week to give the public a notion that it is perfectly safe to go around the province after the encounter with Abu Sayyaf Group members in the area. She will go around the different tourist sites to prove that there is nothing wrong and all is back to normal.
While her assurance to tourists is that everything is in good shape, we cannot deny that there are still those who fear for their lives as there are still members of the ASG on the loose. They might even be calling for reinforcements to rescue them or to avenge the deaths of their key members during the encounter with government forces. Travel agencies have confirmed that there have been cancellations of bookings by large groups, mostly coming from countries which have issued the travel advisory. In Cebu, the tourism sector has not felt the effects and is in fact enjoying a high occupancy rate but they would not want to let their guard down with the possibility of a terror threat.
There is really nothing wrong in trying to regain one's image that was damaged by bandits who wanted to extort from people they kidnap. Bohol as we know it is a top tourist destination not just in the Visayas but in the whole country because of its distinct charm and friendly people. As of the moment, it needs to go back to what it once was. I only hope that the government will be honest on the possibilities of another surge from the terrorist group.
As of now the search continues for the original members of the ASG who came to Napo, Inabanga, onboard three motorbancas. Some say that they have fled the province, while many are convinced that they are already too weak and starving from all the hiding that they have been doing. Sometimes I try to ask myself why these people can't just find a decent job instead of kidnapping people for ransom. It is so hard to deal with the fact that our enemies are just fellowmen who hail from a different province.
I guess we have to live with the reality that the Philippines is a diverse country with people wanting many things at once which the government cannot provide. There are principles that are contrary to our moral values which we have to be aware of. The search for the missing three and their possible saviors should not take that long. After all, it is barely three weeks since the first encounter happened.
What are the lessons learned from all this? From my end, I would say that trust should be placed upon those who have been tried and tested throughout time and that we should always be vigilant in the society. Apathy will not get anybody anywhere. It is time to get involved.
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