Palawan warning.

[Snowy79]

Time to keep your head down I think if you're visiting Palawan any time soon. I traveled down the South of the country and it's a bit of a Muslim area which I was warned about. They've previously had a few kidnappings there. https://ph.usembassy.gov/security-message-u-s-citizens-travel-advisory-palawan-province/

[Jack Peterson]

19 minutes ago, Snowy79 said:

 

Time to keep your head down I think if you're visiting Palawan any time soon.

 

 Yes we had a similar warning from the UK Embassy Today. News not to be taken Lightly I feel;

**

Philippines travel advice

09-05-2017 09:50 AM GMT

Latest update: Summary – on 9 May 2017, the US Embassy in Manila advised its citizens it had received “credible information that terrorist groups may be planning to conduct kidnapping operations targeting foreign nationals in the areas of Palawan Province, Philippines, to include Puerto Princesa City, and the areas surrounding Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park”; you should carefully consider travel plans, and exercise heightened vigilance in these areas ** Let's be careful out there G & G's

[Jollygoodfellow]

The last one turned out to be mostly  true but on the other hand these warnings have been going on for years. If a foreign equity has this information then the locals have it too otherwise how do they know?

[jpbago]

2 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

The last one turned out to be mostly  true but on the other hand these warnings have been going on for years. If a foreign equity has this information then the locals have it too otherwise how do they know?

The foreign entity has eyes in the sky. The locals deny that it is happening. It is not good for tourism.

[Reboot]

Eyes in the sky and communications intercepts.

 

[mogo51]

Enough to keep me out of the area, will stick to the more 'tourist' area when we go to visit in the future.

[Jollygoodfellow]

4 hours ago, mogo51 said:

Enough to keep me out of the area, will stick to the more 'tourist' area when we go to visit in the future.

Huh, you dont think Palawan is a tourist area?  

[intrepid]

4 hours ago, mogo51 said:

Enough to keep me out of the area, will stick to the more 'tourist' area when we go to visit in the future.

Maybe you mean the "non-tourist" areas.  It seems the tourist areas is the target now.  They may be thinking they can blend in better, grab a hostage, and easily escape back to their "home base" because of less security sometimes in these tourist areas.  Also less developed could mean better hiding places and escape routes.

[sonjack2847]

Terrorists are planning to kidnap foreigners in tourist hotspots across the central and western Philippines, Western governments said Wednesday following a foiled abduction attempt by Islamic militants a month ago.

President Rodrigo Duterte said security had been increased on the western island of Palawan, one of the Philippines' most popular tourist destinations, after the US embassy warned of a kidnapping threat there.

"The U.S. Embassy has received credible information that terrorist groups may be planning to conduct kidnapping operations targeting foreign nationals in the areas of Palawan," it said in a travel advisory.

The embassy identified two locations -- the capital city of Puerto Princesa and the nearby underground river that attracts thousands of visitors daily -- as areas the kidnappers were targeting.

Puerto Princesa is about 400 kilometres (240 miles) northwest of southern islands that are strongholds of the Abu Sayyaf, militants who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and frequently kidnap foreigners.

The Abu Sayyaf last month attempted a kidnapping raid on Bohol island, a popular tourist destination in the central Philippines, but were foiled after authorities became aware of the plot.

Security forces found the militants a day after they arrived on speedboats from Bohol, which is 500 kilometres north from the Abu Sayyaf's bases, and engaged them in a gun battle.

Nine militants, three soldiers and one policeman were killed in the clashes, according to authorities. They said another militant died in police custody.

The Bohol raid occurred days after the US embassy issued a warning of potential kidnappings there and the neighbouring island of Cebu, which has a major city of the same name.

The Abu Sayyaf has since its founding in the 1990s kidnapped dozens of foreigners and many more locals to extract ransoms.

- Kidnappings for ransom -

The militants typically raid coastal areas after sailing from their southern island strongholds on speedboats, although in recent years they have also attacked cargo and merchant ships.

They beheaded two Canadians last year and an elderly German sailor in February after demands for millions of dollars were unmet.

The Abu Sayyaf raided a resort in Puerto Princesa's Honda Bay in 2001, abducting three Americans and 17 Filipinos.

One of the Americans was beheaded, while one was killed in a military rescue attempt a year later. The third American was freed in the rescue effort.

The Abu Sayyaf has also kidnapped people from Malaysian coastal resorts, which are a short speedboat ride from its southern Philippine bases.

Still, in recent years the kidnapping threat had largely been restricted to the southern Philippine region of Mindanao.

Until recently, foreign governments had not warned of kidnapping threats in the central and western Philippines.

Fresh advisories from the Canadian and British embassies on Wednesday that backed up the American warning about Palawan also referred to tourist hotspots in the central Philippines near Bohol.

These included Dumaguete, Siquijor and Cebu.

Asked in Manila about the latest travel warnings for Palawan, Duterte said he wanted the suspects dead.

"My order to the security forces is shoot them on sight. Kill them," Duterte said.

Duterte last year ordered a major military offensive to extinguish the Abu Sayyaf on their southern bases, but the militant threat continued to grow.

The Philippines is looking to conduct joint patrols with Indonesia and Malaysia to stop the rising number of kidnapping raids on cargo and merchant vessels near the Abu Sayyaf's bases.

Duterte on Wednesday repeated a warning that the Islamic State group was gaining influence in the Philippines.

"We have a problem with terrorism. What looms very big ahead is the IS. They are coming in," Duterte said.

The Abu Sayyaf and other militant groups have in recent years pledged allegiance to IS. YAHOO NEWS

[Snowy79]

Having been to Palawan a few times I think it would be very easy for the terrorists to hide out. South of Brooks Point has already been set as a no go area for a few years due to a large population of the religion of peace, and local thugs who kidnap foreigners then sell them onto terrorists. It's also got vast areas of jungle and ideal areas to set up a trap. 

You only have to see the rest stops between Puerto Princesa and El Nido. Any terrorist worth his salt just has to watch the tourist vans pull in for lunch, record their number plate or description of van and warns his friends ahead. There's many areas where there are no phone signals so the kidnapping could go unnoticed for a long time giving the terrorists plenty of time to escape.