Ramos declares war on terrorists<\/p>\n
MANILA (AFP): Philippine President Fidel Ramos yesterday
\ndeclared war against terrorists, a day after four people,
\nincluding a Singaporean boy and a prominent ethnic Chinese
\nbusinessman, were ambushed and killed.<\/p>\n
Ramos vowed the attackers would \"pay for these crimes,\" which
\nsent shockwaves throughout the capital, with the Philippine
\nbusiness community warning that the bloodshed could undermine the
\ncountry's economic turnaround.<\/p>\n
Killed in separate ambushes on Monday were tycoon Leonardo Ty,
\n81, and his Filipino driver as well as Jerry Tai, 5, the son of a
\nSingaporean couple, and a police bodyguard.<\/p>\n
Another ethnic Chinese business executive, Benjamin Yu, was
\nseriously wounded in a third ambush.<\/p>\n
Tai's mother, Linda, is in critical condition and four other
\ncompanions were also wounded, a citizens' anti-crime group said.<\/p>\n
The attack on Ty, 82, was claimed in a telephone call to a
\nradio station by the Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB), the urban hit
\nsquad of the Communist Party of the Philippines, waging a 26-year
\ninsurgency.<\/p>\n
In all three ambushes, groups of men armed with pistols
\nsurrounded the vehicles carrying their victims and fired on them
\nbefore fleeing. This is the trademark of the ABB who killed over
\na hundred police, soldiers and civilians in Manila in the early-
\n1980s.<\/p>\n
\"Apparently this signals a declaration of war by terrorists,\"
\nRamos said in a special news conference, called after he met
\nofficers of the Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce. The
\nbusiness group voiced indignation over the killings.<\/p>\n
\"We are intensifying also our war against the ABB because they
\nhave made the people the victims of their war. And if they claim
\nresponsibility for this, we are going to make sure that they as a
\ngroup or as individuals pay for these crimes,\" Ramos added.<\/p>\n
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the
\ncountry's largest business group, condemned the violence and
\nwarned it \"may cause ripples that could undermine all efforts to
\npromote the Philippines as an investment and tourism
\ndestination.\"<\/p>\n
It said that \"this ... should reinforce the government
\ndetermination to maintain peace and order in the country.\"<\/p>\n
\"If our own citizens are getting more and more demoralized and
\ndisillusioned, no amount of enticements and incentives will
\nencourage people to come here and risk their lives,\" the private
\nCitizens Action Against Crime, which is supported by Chinese
\ncivic groups, said in a statement.<\/p>\n
The Philippine Stock Exchange composite index was also jolted
\nby the Ty ambush, dropping 1.4 percent yesterday, analysts and
\ntraders said.<\/p>\n
Ramos's government has been severely criticized in recent
\nmonths for its failure to stop a spate of violent crimes such as
\nkidnappings and bank robberies which often occur in broad
\ndaylight.<\/p>\n
The ethnic Chinese community has been the target of many of
\nthese crimes because they are considered wealthy and are often
\nreluctant to report the incidents.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ramos-declares-war-on-terrorists-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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