Fil-Ams Urged to Heed Travel Alert
Henni Espinosa, ABS-CBN North America News Bureau
Posted at 11/25/15 12:33 PM
CALIFORNIA – The holidays are here and so are the busiest travel days of the year for Filipinos in America.
But traveling has become more complicated for an estimated 46.9 million people who are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home during the Thanksgiving weekend.
The US government has just issued a worldwide travel alert for Americans amid concerns that terror groups and individuals are planning more attacks after the Paris massacres.
The State Department said terror groups like ISIS, Al Qaeda, and Boko Haram “continue to plan terrorist attacks in multiple regions.”
Officials say there are also individuals who might also carry out their own attacks.
“They are simply making you aware that if you’re traveling, you could potentially be a target. It’s unusual, but given the circumstances that have happened both in Mali and in Paris, I think there’s some concern generally, that these individuals are making an effort to identify citizens of certain nationalities,” said Action News Law and Safety Expert, Dale Carson.
The alert does not ask Americans to avoid travel. Instead, it urges them to be vigilant, especially in public places or using mass transit.
Philippine government officials are one with US authorities in keeping everyone safe.
Philippine Ambassador Jose Cuisia Jr. urged Filipinos “to exercise vigilance and take necessary precaution to ensure their personal safety this Thanksgiving weekend.”
“They are also requested to monitor the security situation in their respective localities and heed the advice of local authorities,” the ambassador added.
For his part, San Francisco Philippine Consul General Henry Bensurto said the public should not allow terror groups to “fundamentally alter our lives in fear.”
“This is precisely what these groups are trying to do. We should not allow them to do that. Having said this, it is practical and smart for us to remain vigilant, alert and mindful of our surroundings,” he said.
This is the first worldwide travel alert since December 2014. It extends until February 24, 2016.