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American diplomats safe in Philippines – Malacañang

Rappler.com

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Officials of the American Embassy in Manila are safe in the country, Malacañang assured amid attacks and the death of American diplomats in North Africa

MANILA, Philippines – Officials of the American Embassy in Manila are safe in the country, Malacañang assured amid attacks and the death of American diplomats in North Africa.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte gave this assurance in a radio interview on Sunday, September 16. She was asked if the embassy personnel and other Americans need to flee the Philippines.

“The envoys and the US Embassy personnel here in the Philippines do not need to flee because our Muslim community has always conducted themselves with goodwill and sobriety,” she stressed.

“The government can guarantee the safety of the US Embassy,” she said, adding that the National Capital Region police group has already inspected and increased police presence outside the US Embassy in Manila.

She said the US embassy here made arrangements with the government and the police following the directive of US President Barack Obama to their embassies around the globe to beef up security. The US State Department has also ordered all non-essential embassy personnel to leave Sudan and Tunisia following embassy attacks sparked by an anti-Islam video.

On September 14, the Al-Qaeda group made fresh calls for more attacks against American diplomats and embassy officials in Middle East and Africa.  Mob protesters have been targeting US embassies, schools, fast food chains and other symbols of US influence in their areas following the showing of an amateur film called “Innocence of Muslims.”

Valte said the Philippine government will not block access to the anti-Muslim video.  

“In the entire two years and a few odd months that the President has been in office, the administration has never asked [websites] to take down anything…I think everybody knows that there are a lot of videos that may be considered offensive by some sectors. But that’s also part of the free speech,” she said. – Rappler.com

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