MANILA – The Philippines government is reacting sharply to the decision by Australia and Canada to close their embassies in fear of terrorist attacks.
Senior Philippine said Friday, the moves gave the Philippines a “black eye” and were not the acts of “friendly nations.” The officials said Australia and Canada did not warn them of the closings and failed to share intelligence about the terror threats.
On Thursday, the two Western governments temporarily shut down their offices because of what they called specific threats by Islamic extremists. Australia’s Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the threat is limited to the embassy and includes the next few days. It is not clear how long the embassies will remain closed, but Manila’s Daily Inquirer reports embassy personnel are working temporarily out of un-disclosed locations.
Nearly 90 Australian tourists died in Indonesia on October 12, when two bombs flattened a nightclub district packed with foreigners.
The European Union also shut down its Manila offices.
