A Belgian technical advisor for land reform and a fellow Belgian tourist were abducted by armed men when attempting to cross by boat from Zamboanga City to nearby Santa Cruz Island June 13. This region of Mindanao and the nearby Sulu Sea have been plagued by a Muslim insurgency for decades, and the kidnappers are believed to be Muslim militants. The target of the abduction was the Belgian engineer, most likely for political purposes; such actions are not normally directed at tourists. The Ninoy Aquino International Airport Centennial Terminal II will open in Manila this summer and should help reduce congestion on domestic passenger routes. The terminal is designed to serve four million passengers a year.
