On A Serious Note: Safety For Foreigners In The Phillipines

Kickin' Chicken

Kickin' Chicken

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I just read a report in which an Australian who married a PI girl was kidnapped close to a year ago by Muslim Al Queda sympathizers, a group known as Abu Sayyaf. They just released a video with him pleading for help.

This is by no means an isolated case and so I wonder how safe is it to travel to the PI as an american.

The thought has crossed my mind to maybe go there someday to enjoy the magnificent pool and interesting culture but there is this safety consideration.

Maybe some like Jay who go there regularly can comment. And also some of our Pinoy az-ers , maybe they can comment on this.

Thanks.

best,
brian kc
 
It's quite a bit removed from Manila and operates primarily in the SW of the country. Iirc, there hasn't been that much notable activity in the last few years. In Manila and the surrounding areas, it would be mostly petty crime like any other city, I'd think. Right now, Mexico would frighten me much more than the Phillipines. October article from the BBC:

Guide to the Philippines conflict

milf.gif

The southern Philippines has a long history of conflict, with armed groups including Muslim separatists, communists, clan militias and criminal groups all active in the area.

Three groups comprise the Muslim separatists - the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Abu Sayyaf. The MILF and the Abu Sayyaf are breakaway factions of the MNLF.

The communist insurgency, on the other hand, is propagated by the Communist Party of the Philippines' (CPP) military wing, the New People's Army (NPA).

Most of the conflict in the south is in the remote islands of central Mindanao, especially on Basilan and Jolo.
 
I thought Shane gets a body guard when he heads there. I'll have to ask him.

Either way I'm curious, I did just have a friend of mine get back from there with out anything crazy going on, so I would think it's fairly safe as long as you stick to the tourist type areas. I know that how mexico is.

best,

Justin
 
Not a lot of places in the world are safe right now. Mexico or Latin America wouldn't be a top choice, the middle east and several parts of Africa wouldn't fall too far from the tree either.

I'm sure a white boy would be sticking out like a sore thumb in southeast Asia, your safety is definitely something not to be taken for granted. Lots of people are kidnapped for ransom, extremist groups are more prevalent in certain parts of the world, you don't have the same rights and the mentality/culture/etc. are all things that can influence what happens.'

Throw in gangs, higher crime rates than your suburban city, corruption, desperation, or people that just don't give a , a few views on Liveleak or Morbid Reality and..reality should set in regarding your safety anywhere.

Won't keep me from going to the Phillippines!
 
Travel to the phils

I traveled there and my wife is from there. I felt very safe in Makati. That is the business district in Manila. She said their were certain places I shouldn't go, not because of the kidnapping but because they think you have money if you are white.
We flew to Northern Samar and were in some very remote areas. I felt safe with her. I think if I trveled most anywhere there I would want to be with someone who knew the way around.
The people in the phils were nicer and more welcoming to me than anywhere else I have traveled. We are possibly going to Cebu this summer
 
Banks said:
Three groups comprise the Muslim separatists - the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Abu Sayyaf. The MILF and the Abu Sayyaf are breakaway factions of the MNLF.
Click to expand...

Down here in Texas, the acronym MILF has a whole 'nother meaning ;)!!!

Maniac (just a dose of daily humor to lighten things up)
 
I think there are many more Tourist destinations that I would feel less safe than the PI.

Its a rather small place compared to the population. Altho I have said that of the Filipinos that I work with are some of the friendliest people I have ever met, I wouldn't be as naive as to think that with the population of the PI, that there aren't some nasties on the Islands too.

Find yourself in the wrong part of the city late at night, where you've been flashing some cash around and you will find yourself in trouble should you decide to walk for a few blocks before hailing a cab.

Someone has probably been watching you most of the night.

What might seem a small bank roll to you, maybe a couple of hundred would be a serious wind fall for the average Filipino.

Over all, considering the happenings in Mexico lately, it wouldn't be my first choice in travel destinations. I probably wouldn't feel any safer in certain parts New York by myself either. I have a tendency to gravitate to seedier parts of the cities on occasion. Probably where some of the best pool halls are.

I could handle being asked to hand over my money but would rather be able to continue breathing there after.

I would imagine that for us pool players, it would be difficult to stick to the resort areas only. How could you be in the land of pool players and not want to gravitate to any of the small and large pool halls there to play and watch.

If I were to travel there, I believe it would be as much or more of a pool holiday as anything else.

Warmth, site seeing and eating great food by day and turning into a pool player by night.

It would probably be a reasonable expense to hire a taxi driver for a good part of the time to be your guide and watch your back for you.

Forget the sleeping part, I can sleep when I get back home.
 
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Andrew Henson said:
I traveled there and my wife is from there. I felt very safe in Makati. That is the business district in Manila. She said their were certain places I shouldn't go, not because of the kidnapping but because they think you have money if you are white.
We flew to Northern Samar and were in some very remote areas. I felt safe with her. I think if I trveled most anywhere there I would want to be with someone who knew the way around.
The people in the phils were nicer and more welcoming to me than anywhere else I have traveled. We are possibly going to Cebu this summer
Click to expand...

The article I read that caused me to post about this was to do with an autralian national man who was married to a PI girl. He was kidnapped from their house on the beach and remains their captive approx 1 year later.

I guess you need to use good common sense when travelling there.

It never ceases to amaze me how some people still sail anywhere near Somalia with all of the pirate kidnap stories we hear, but they continue to do it. :confused:

best,
brian kc
 
Kickin' Chicken said:
It never ceases to amaze me how some people still sail anywhere near Somalia with all of the pirate kidnap stories we hear, but they continue to do it. :confused:

best,
brian kc
Click to expand...

Like the three Berkeley grads who thought it would be a good idea to go hiking in the mountains bordering Iran...lol. I have no sympathy.
 
evanlockhart said:
Like the three Berkeley grads who thought it would be a good idea to go hiking in the mountains bordering Iran...lol. I have no sympathy.
Click to expand...


Oh...you mean the CIA operatives...... :wink:



Anybody traveling anywhere needs to be on their guard and be smart. There are places in the United States that are extremely dangerous.

Americans abroad can be particularly at risk due to politics and poverty. Be careful.

I have traveled a bit and so has my wife...me as a student and my wife in the military. My wife had an interesting potentially dangerous incident happen. She was in uniform while driving. She got lost and left the main highway to find some directions. She encountered somebody that threatened her and spit on her first because she was in a US uniform and second because she was a woman. She escaped before the person did anything more physical than spit on her but we are quite confident it would have escalated had she not escaped.

Now, she has had thing happen in various places, but what makes this incident particularly interesting is where it happened. Canada.



.
 
Where in Canada Doc? If you say it happened, then it did.
I'm kind of shocked is all. We have our share of idiots here too.

I think the guys with the 50 Cal machine guns on board tend to fair well against the Somalian Pirates.

Lots of UTube vids with the Pirates getting their boats blown out of the water. I'd even pay for that gig.

Go on a Pirate Hunting expedition. People pay good money to go to Game Farms.
 
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PI ain't bad.... Much worse places you could go... Also nicer places you could go too. Just don't run your mouth, keep your eyes open, and keep your real loot in your shoe and you will be fine. This could be said for any major city in the US or any other part of the world.
 
Blue Hog ridr said:
Where in Canada Doc? If you say it happened, then it did.
I'm kind of shocked is all. We have our share of idiots here too.

I think the guys with the 50 Cal machine guns on board tend to fair well against the Somalian Pirates.

Lots of UTube vids with the Pirates getting their boats blown out of the water. I'd even pay for that gig.

Go on a Pirate Hunting expedition. People pay good money to go to Game Farms.
Click to expand...


I believe it was Toronto.

This kind of thing can happen anywhere.


.
 
Ah, Toronto. I spent a bit of time there working. Just about got my head torn off for having the nerve to ask the time of day once. Last time I did that.
 
Kickin' Chicken said:
I just read a report in which an Australian who married a PI girl was kidnapped close to a year ago by Muslim Al Queda sympathizers, a group known as Abu Sayyaf. They just released a video with him pleading for help.

This is by no means an isolated case and so I wonder how safe is it to travel to the PI as an american.

The thought has crossed my mind to maybe go there someday to enjoy the magnificent pool and interesting culture but there is this safety consideration.

Maybe some like Jay who go there regularly can comment. And also some of our Pinoy az-ers , maybe they can comment on this.

Thanks.

best,
brian kc
Click to expand...
There are certain places that are hot spots for AL Queda, there are U.S. Special Forces active in those area's . I went down there with one of my old units and trained with the PI military
 
Banks said:
Three groups comprise the Muslim separatists - the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Abu Sayyaf. The MILF and the Abu Sayyaf are breakaway factions of the MNLF.
Click to expand...

Nobody? Really? Am i the only one who read this???????? Okay okay I will be the first.

You gotta watch out for those MILF's!




(I know it's a serious topic but I got to admit I am a little surprised that no one cracked a joke about this!)
 
ASG is one of dozens of muslim thug groups in the PI...

Kickin' Chicken said:
I just read a report in which an Australian who married a PI girl was kidnapped close to a year ago by Muslim Al Queda sympathizers, a group known as Abu Sayyaf. They just released a video with him pleading for help.

This is by no means an isolated case and so I wonder how safe is it to travel to the PI as an american.

The thought has crossed my mind to maybe go there someday to enjoy the magnificent pool and interesting culture but there is this safety consideration.

Maybe some like Jay who go there regularly can comment. And also some of our Pinoy az-ers , maybe they can comment on this.

Thanks.

best,
brian kc
Click to expand...

The PI has many terrorist groups that claim Muslim justification, most are really nothing more than thugs that want to get money from rich americans, so they kidnap americans and hold them for ransom. They will not hesitate to cut off their heads though.

Abu Sayaaf Group or ASG is just one of them. Another is MILF...lol it actually means Moro Islamic Liberation Front. I used to be a SME on SEA terrorist groups or South East Asia, and parts of the PI and Indonesia are the worst for these groups, although Indonesian groups are usually more actual Islamic terrorist groups as opposed to the organized crime thugs of the PI.

Jaden

p.s. I don't know that I'd be willing to visit some parts of the southern PI for this very reason. I'd be sure to get my head cut off for resisting, because these groups like to kidnap groups of Americans when they can find them and kill any resisters to serve as a warning to the rest of the captives and to show to those who would pay the ransoms that they are serious.
 
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Cdryden said:
Nobody? Really? Am i the only one who read this???????? Okay okay I will be the first.

You gotta watch out for those MILF's!




(I know it's a serious topic but I got to admit I am a little surprised that no one cracked a joke about this!)
Click to expand...

You missed my post #6.

Maniac
 
Jaden said:
The PI has many terrorist groups that claim Muslim justification, most are really nothing more than thugs that want to get money from rich americans, so they kidnap americans and hold them for ransom. They will not hesitate to cut off their heads though.

Abu Sayaaf Group or ASG is just one of them. Another is MILF...lol it actually means Moro Islamic Liberation Front. I used to be a SME on SEA terrorist groups or South East Asia, and parts of the PI and Indonesia are the worst for these groups, although Indonesian groups are usually more actual Islamic terrorist groups as opposed to the organized crime thugs of the PI.

Jaden

p.s. I don't know that I'd be willing to visit some parts of the southern PI for this very reason. I'd be sure to get my head cut off for resisting, because these groups like to kidnap groups of Americans when they can find them and kill any resisters to serve as a warning to the rest of the captives and to show to those who would pay the ransoms that they are serious.
Click to expand...

How many Americans are kidnapped and/or beheaded each year in the PI?
 
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