UK renews Mindanao travel warning, cites Cotabato blast

Citing Monday's Cotabato City blast that killed at least eight people, the United Kingdom on Tuesday renewed its travel warning to parts of Mindanao. "On Monday, 5 August, a suspected car bomb in Cotabato City killed at least eight people and injured over 30. Cotabato City is located in a part of the Philippines where the FCO advise against all travel," the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office said . The UK FCO maintained its advice against all travel to southwest Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago "because of ongoing terrorist activity and clashes between the military and insurgent groups.” The FCO also  advised against all but essential travel to the rest of Mindanao as well. "There is a high threat from terrorism throughout the country. Terrorist groups continue to plan attacks and have the capacity and the intent to carry out attacks at anytime and anywhere in the country. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by foreigners like airports, shopping malls, public transport and places of worship," said FCO. "Since November 2011 there have been at least ten bombing incidents in North Cotabato, Cotabato City, Sulu, Sultan Kudarat, and Zamboanga," it added. The UK government also said there was a threat from kidnapping, particularly in the southern Philippines. An earlier renewal of the UK travel alert to Mindanao cited the July 26 explosion in a Cagayan de Oro restaurant that killed eight.  However, the Cotabato explosion may not be terrorist-related as police in Region 12 said they were presently pursuing the theory that the blast was part of an assassination plot against city administrator Cynthia Sayadi. Sayadi said in a radio interview late Tuesday she had received death threats before Monday's blast. — DVM, GMA News