SAFETY IN THE PHILIPPINES

This is the most recent thread of any substance that I saw, although I recall responding to one last year. Will look for it.

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=493923

EDIT: here is the one from last year, not as in-depth:

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=914806

Where are you Fortune? Mindanao?

What is going on there? That would make me nervous.

Are you in Mindano? I spent 23 years in the military and went to war 6 times. Personally I wouldn't go to Mindinao alone and unarmed out of fear of the pattern of kidnapping for ransom in that region.

Thank you pnwcyclist. Good threads. The NPA situation was on Bohol. The corrupt extorting cops were in Marikina. As odd as it may sound, the cops were worse than the NPA. The entire police station was involved and they can do just about whatever they want to do.

carlisom78 ~

No, the situation with the militants (NPA) was on Bohol. They are everywhere, except for in cities.

FortuneFavorsTheBold wrote:

Thank you pnwcyclist. Good threads. The NPA situation was on Bohol. The corrupt extorting cops were in Marikina. As odd as it may sound, the cops were worse than the NPA. The entire police station was involved and they can do just about whatever they want to do.

Not long on YouTube I saw an interview where a Police Officer who said he was honest and most are not. He only took the money so he would not upset the other officers. (Like being a little bit Pregnant.)

FortuneFavorsTheBold wrote:

the situation with the militants (NPA) was on Bohol. They are everywhere, except for in cities.

Well. It can be big regional differences by they have different regional leaders. 
I stay away from muslim guerilas, but I'm NOT afraid of NPA.  SOME  NPA expect to get "revolutionary tax" but beside that they don't bother civilians except if working for government or big mining companies.  Big mining companies and their private armies are much worse than NPA in my oppinion.

An American told he LIKE NPA because they had scared his very bad behaving father-in-law to stop missbehaving        Not sure ifhe talked about Cebu or Negros.
'An other American live rural close to NPA at Palawan. He say NPA don't bother nice people.  And he is nice 

At NPA controlled space north of Manila some years ago NPA just told people coming to wrong place to turn back.

At Samar NPA is much LIKED, doing much better work than the police and made huge unfairness after Yolanda became a bit less unfair.

It's some funny them being scared of NPA are almost allways city people, who  never have had contact with NPA   

carlisom78 wrote:

Personally I wouldn't go to Mindinao alone and unarmed out of fear of the pattern of kidnapping for ransom in that region.

Well. That's MUSLIM guerila and at PARTS of Mindanao,  so it's odd some count whole Mindanao as same risk.

Correct. NPA can be helpful if you take care of them.

FortuneFavorsTheBold wrote:

Correct. NPA can be helpful if you take care of them.

Well. The American living rather close to NPA, don't take care of NPA      not been asked for any "revolution tax".  They seem satisfied with this American is a nice guy, who try to add some earning to poor locals.

(Some similar to what I'm starting doing, but his are more diversified both concerning location and different products, while mine are concentrated closer to each other and few product types.)