Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Monday strongly rejected reports branding Mindanao as a “terror hotspot” following information that suspects in the deadly Bondi Beach shooting in Australia had traveled to the region last month.
“These claims are not only unvalidated by intelligence, but are also deeply unjust to the peace-loving people of Mindanao,” Galvez said in a statement, stressing that such characterizations disregard government efforts to transform the region from a conflict area into a “bastion of peace and development.”
Galvez urged international media organizations to exercise “discernment and responsibility,” warning that linking an entire region to terrorism based on the movements of a few individuals creates harmful generalizations.
“Branding an entire region based on the transient movements of individuals creates dangerous generalizations that unfairly stigmatize a population that has sacrificed so much for stability,” he said.
The OPAPRU chief also cited President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s earlier rejection of what he described as misleading claims portraying the Philippines as a training ground for terrorism.
“For years, we have acted decisively to dismantle terrorist networks, secure communities, and sustain our hard-earned peace. To dismiss these gains with unfounded speculation is not acceptable,” Marcos said during the 90th founding anniversary of the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Dec. 19.
Last week, the Bureau of Immigration confirmed that Bondi Beach shooting suspects Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son Naveed were in the Philippines from Nov. 1 to 28, and stayed at a hotel in Davao City, according to local police.
The mass shooting, described as one of Australia’s worst and reportedly inspired by Islamic State ideology, left 15 people dead. Sajid Akram was killed by police at the scene, while Naveed was wounded.
