Palace says still safe to travel to Zamboanga del Sur despite kidnapping

MALACAÑANG ON Monday said foreigners can still visit Zamboanga del Sur despite the recent kidnapping incident, noting that local authorities are on top of the situation. “There’s only one incident. The PNP (Philippine National Police) there and the army can take care of that place,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said at a press briefing Monday. But he also advised foreign tourists to “take care of themselves and avoid places where danger lurks.” The provincial government of Zamboanga del Sur, in a statement over the weekend, said it “is exhausting all measures to rescue the lives of the Hyrons couple who were abducted by unidentified gunmen at their resort in Tukuran on Friday night.” British national Allan Hyrons and his wife, Wilma, were taken by unidentified gunmen at their resort in the coastal town of Tukuran. — Arjay L. Balinbin