Rep. Rodriguez wants US envoy summoned over travel advisory

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez is urging the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to summon the US Ambassador to the Philippines to demand an explanation for the recent travel advisory issued by the US State Department.

The US State Department's advisory cautioned Americans about increased security risks in the Philippines, citing concerns such as crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping, particularly in Mindanao.

Rodriguez believes the DFA should seek clarification from US Ambassador MaryKay L. Carson regarding the rationale behind this warning, stating it casts the Philippines 'in a bad light before the international community'.

He argued that the advisory is an 'unfair, shotgun warning' and that the United States should review it, as it could hurt the country's tourism sector and delay economic recovery.

The US Embassy in Manila stated that their travel advisories are a result of careful analysis of local conditions and that the advisory for the Philippines has remained largely unchanged since May 2024.

Rodriguez also suggested that President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. should inquire with the Philippine Ambassador to the US and the Department of Tourism about the steps being taken to address the concerns raised by the US travel advisory.