A postcard for suspected international terrorist Osama bin Laden "accidentally" arrived in the Philippines early this month, officials of the Philippine Postal Corp. said yesterday.
According to PhilPost director Love Joy Matias, the postcard, which was mailed from Kansas City, Missouri, was dated Oct. 4, and arrived on the same week that a package for Abu Sayyaf spokesman Abu Sabaya was intercepted by postal employees.
"We received that postcard from Bin Laden. It was addressed to Afghanistan but somehow found its way here," Matias said.
Matias said the postcard had no return address, but the intended address was listed as "Afghanistan, care of Taliban."
"The postcard was forwarded to Afghanistan since the postage was already paid for," he said.
Matias could not exactly recall what was written on the postcard but added that it was a message of support for the prime suspect in the worst terrorist attack in history last Sept. 11.
Matias added that the Central Post Office has received a lot of mail addressed to Bin Laden. Those with paid postage were forwarded to war-torn Afghanistan, he said.
It will be recalled that PhilPost employees were alarmed after receiving a package from the United States addressed to Sabaya.
Members of the Western Police District bomb disposal squad were then called to dispose of the package suspected to contain a bomb.
The package was eventually found to contain a video tape dubbed in Filipino, about the life of Jesus Christ. The package also contained a letter for Sabaya, reportedly trying to convince him that Islam is not about violence.
Meanwhile, PhilPost officials also warned the public to be extra careful in handling mail and packages, especially with the coming of the holidays, in the light of the anthrax bacteria scare.
"If you receive a letter for Christmas and don’t see any return address, or if you come across the sender for the first time, think about it before opening it," Matias said.
He said those who receive suspicious letters or packages should immediately send these to the epidemiology unit of the Department of Health for analysis.
Matias also advised those who may happen to receive suspicious looking mail or packages to immediately wash their hands and take a bath.
But PhilPost officials are also quick to reiterate that they are ready for the possibility that anthrax bacteria spores may be sent to the country by terrorist groups through the postal system.
Matias said the Central Post Office is in constant coordination with the DOH in analyzing letters suspected to contain anthrax.
The Post Office facility at the airport processes one million letters a day, though it expects the number to rise to 1.2 million during the Christmas season, Matias said.
Letters and packages addressed to members of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government are also being carefully screened.
"We have so far segregated not more than 30 pieces. These include one from the Visayas that also turned out to be a hoax," he said.
Most of the letters analyzed, he said, contained talcum powder, which was probably placed by pranksters. Matias added that mail sorters are well protected from potential anthrax spores by gloves and gas masks.