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A DAY before the 40th Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (Asean) Summit, the United Kingdom ordered its citizens to
stay away from rallies that might be organized during the event.
“You should avoid demonstrations
and large gatherings of people. There is often a rise in tensions
and political unrest around public holidays, political events and
important anniversaries,” it said in its advisory.
The UK advisory came after the
Bureau of Immigration announced that foreigners who join the protest
actions against the Asean Summit would be deported.
Earlier, Immigration Commissioner
Marcelino Libanan said that “foreigners have no business joining
rallies here as it is tantamount to interfering in our country’s
domestic political activities.”
Libanan said this after several
foreign activists joined Filipinos in protest actions against
President Arroyo’s State of the Nation address in Congress last
Monday.
Some were interviewed on TV,
prompting Libanan to threaten them with deportation. But no action
was taken.
The UK advisory also warned its
citizens against malaria and periodic outbreaks of dengue fever,
“for which there is no vaccination or immunization.”
“You should take adequate
precautions against being bitten by mosquitoes. More than
three-quarters of British travelers who contracted malaria in 2005
did not take preventive measures, such as malaria prevention
tablets,” it said.
It also reiterated its advisory
not to travel to Mindanao due to ongoing terrorist activity there,
citing ongoing military and police operations against insurgent
groups in Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Jolo.
 --Francis
Earl Cueto
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