Surviving Ilocos Norte

Hello Everyone, my story happened little over ten years ago. I was going on my first trip to the Philippines. My wife wanted me to stay in the home she was born in, located in the small village of Currimao Ilocos Norte northern Philippines.

On the morning we where due to leave the village, we made our way to the bus terminal (A small post in the middle of nowhere) It was four o'clock in the morning and extremely dark. We had been at the location for 5 mins then without warning when a lone figure emerged from the darkness, a double barrel shotgun pointed directly at both my wife and I.

I could feel my heart bounding of the inside of my chest, I have heard about many sad stories in regards to the senseless killing of tourists in the regional parts of the country. The figure came toward us without urgency with his shotgun always pointed directly at out heads. Not a word was spoken as he made his way toward us both. He would have been a little over 5 meters from us, my mind was in overdrive all I could think of was how on earth to I protect my wife.

Then the distinct sound of a Tuk Tuk making its way toward the station spooked our potential murderer away. I gave the Tuk Tuk driver 3000 pesos (About $100 AUD) for his amazing arrival on the scene. He was shocked and happy for the money.

On our way back to Australia we stopped in Hong Kong for a week, we received a phone call from my wife's sister. She explained that the man whom approached us was well known for his violent robbery's, he was killed 3 days after we encountered him. From what we where told he had tried to commit another holdup on a Filipino family where he was shot dead on the scene.

Never again will I go anywhere alone in the Philippines ever again.

Dan

 

Oh, this is a sad thread to read that you have experienced a horrible incident in the Philippines. I wouldn't blame you for saying that you wouldn't come back to our country, I understand your feelings. In fact, I would do the same if that happened to me. That's the problem in our country, a foreigner seems to smell of money so opportunists and criminal elements are on the lookout for foreigners to victimize. I really am very sorry for that sad incident but let me assure you that it is an isolated case maybe because it is a rural area. They cannot just do that in the city.

 

Robert Frost I agree with what you have to say, sad thing is Australians can't really cry poor as an excuse due to our generous welfare system!

 

Salamat po kaibigan - Corzhens my view of the Philippines has not changed. I love the Philippines and the Philippine people. I have been fortunate to travel the globe 3 times now. I have seen many beautiful and welcoming people and stunning landscapes (particularly in Europe) . Manilla would have to be on the very lowest in regards to beauty, but the people alone make the Philippines shine. I have never felt more welcome in any country I have visited, I love it so much in 20 years time I may settle down to retirement in Ilocos Norte!

Cheers Dan

 

The Philippines have some fascinating illegal firearms manufacturing facilities -- poor may they be, they've my respect (same up northern Pakistan way):



Ban whatever you want to ban -- just makes the price go up.

 

This sort of thing is very rare in Australia, it happens but rarely

Armed holdups in Australia are mainly on small business's people themselves are very rarely targeted unless they are known cash carriers for business etc!
Statisticly most armed holdups are druggie on druggie things with the general public rarely involved!

So in Australia if you stay away from drugs and scumbags and are single you have little to fear except fear itself of course!
You might get your house burgled or car stolen though so be careful with that!

 

Here in America, in America's South, I had a genetic trash unit try to get into my house one winter's night; decades ago this was; at 3AM, oh joy. Its car was broken down it said and it needed help. I told it to leave or I'd call the Sheriff's Dept. -- which was an empty threat. Was dead of winter w/ almost a foot of snow over ice on the roads (Fahrenheit temp was approaching zero, well below freezing).

My actual ace-in-the-whole was a pump w/ 6 loads of buckshot. Had he kicked the door, I'd have done to him what I'd have done to a possum. I have zero qualms about taking life.

From the tone of my voice, from my shutting off all in-house lights, and my having lit it up with the porch lights, apparently the interloper got religion. Maybe it had a vision of moments future. Maybe what little mind it possessed was filled with images of leaping flames and the smell of sulfuric fumes just up from Hades. So whatever, the trash-unit tread through the snow to its "disabled" car, got in, and drove off.

In Australia, you do have all manner of poisonous spiders and snakes and trees with poisonous barbs, however you lack the hoards of poisonous "people" who inhabit the U.S., "people" who predate upon the humans of the USA. Count your blessings.
.

 

I'm sorry that this has happened to you sir Dan here in the Philippines. I feel sad really. I know there are a lot of violent and crimes happening in our country but believe me, we don't like what's happening. There are just people who are out of their minds. But mostly, those who commit crimes are drug addicts. Our current president is doing a good job in eradicating those kind of criminals.

Thank you for not changing your view to our country and to my fellow countrymen.

Maraming salamat po!

 

Man who gets up let alone be on a public area at 4 in the morning? That's messed up. And usually bus/train stations have people, even at that early in the morning, right? Where was everyone? Did you guys decide to go to a more private part of the station or something? It baffles me to no end how any of this could be avoided had you only used, well, common sense. I'd never go outside at 4am in a place I have never been to. No thank you, I'd rather live than be early for something, or at the very least on time. Wait for me to get there, I'm not leaving this place until the sun comes up.

 

Philippines: The next ISIS stronghold?

http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/28/asia/isis-threat-southeast-asia/index.html

What a shame.

 

It is sad also. Our president is trying so hard to eradicate those filthy terrorist but people keep on bashing and hating him because they say that his methods are unjust. The president does not want due process to those kinds of animals. He wants them gone, as in dead. I for one support him.

 

m33kuh
I would support him also.
ISIS are animals without a sense of tolerance or justice.

Suicide bombers kill nine in Nigerian city of Maiduguri


https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-security-idUSKBN19H1B6

A while lot more from: http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/

A few months ago an Islamic fundamentalist traded his 12 year old
daughter for a bag of rice and a goat to a man to use her for sex.

Jihad Report
May, 2017
Attacks 217
Killed 1650
Injured 1726
Suicide Blasts 44
Countries 26

In ONE week world wide.

ALL OTHER RELIGIONS COMBINED? NONE.

I'm not against Islam. I am against MURDER.
Any murder but particularly murder in the name of some "god" or "prophet".

In the U.S.: World Trade Center, Miami, Orlando, New York, L.A. ..............................

What does this have to do with survival?

Does one really need to ask that question?

I'd post a list of Islamic terror attacks on the U.S. since 9-11 but there isn't enough
space on this thread.

The fastest growing religion in the United States is.............................Islam.

 

That's a bit messed up. So basically people have free reign on committing crimes against law abiding citizens? So what do people there to do combat this? Or do they just wait for a robber to show up and they can call insurance for damage payments? I live in a fairly safe city in Asia, and crime is never a problem because there's barbed wires everywhere. Walls and fences separating the properties all have barbed wire coiled on top, while some have broken glass cemented on them. I'm in the middle of the city and in the 5 years I've lived here (I moved into the city from the countryside) there's been about 2 thefts and that's about it. Both cases the people living there weren't around so the locks were messed with. No murders, no shooting, etc.

 

I learned long ago that when there is a clear threat take it out.
By ANY means.
I'm not a police officer any longer thus no rules except the rule of
survival.
This IS a survival forum no?
We were taught that you can't shoot someone a "little bit".
If one uses deadly force one must assume someone is gonna die.
Period.
It's that serious.
If some animal tries to rob by threatening deadly force one MUST assume that
whatever the animal wants is worth more to him than your life.
If one used force in defense and is by law justified EXPECT to be sued
anyway.
Some hungry lawyer will coax the family of the animal to sue you.
I've been sued 4 X at jury and it ain't no fun.
Once I was on trail for a full week.
I sweat razor blades.
The juries found in my favor but it was still horrible to be a defendant.
I had at most two lawyers defending me.
The creeps had a team of from 3 to 5 lawyers.
All hungry lawyers looking for deep pockets.
I won all suits of course and wanted to counter sue but lawyers advised
against it.
Why?
The animals had nothing to loose. No job, no property, no money, nothing.
Kind of makes one consider shooting some one in the knee cap.
Crippling for life.
But I have ethics and values.
I can't so such a thing.
Still it's nice to imagine now and then.
If one must use deadly force make sure it's deadly.
The only story being told is your story.

 

I agree. These people are lower than animals. It's been my thinking that the best case scenario if I ever get mugged is to fight back and at least break an arm or a leg of the perpetrator so they will learn a lesson. You think jail time can teach people like that a lesson? I highly doubt it. But if you break their arm or leg and they can't take care of themselves or do their daily living without assistance, they won't learn. It's pretty barbaric but I agree with your approach. People like that just don't learn with what the criminal justice system can dole out.

 

As a suggestion if a person is physically attacked and is not armed with a
weapon then BE the weapon.
I AM THE WEAPON!
Go for the eyes if possible.
Don't be squeamish about poking an eye out.
It's extremely likely a gobblin will forget all about doing dirty deeds done dirt cheap
with a finger in the eye.
Better yet a ball point pen, finger nail file, whatever.
I'm lucky enough to have been train in unarmed defense.
There is no such thing as a fair fight outside a boxing ring.