Tourists and pinay snatched from Samal Island

[primdale]

this was on my list of places to visit january 2016.

http://www.ndbcnews.com.ph/news/arme...n-samal-island

[fred]

Seems that the Canadian guy was a mining executive.. Its possible that he was the target by NPA perhaps?? They dont like miners up there.
If it was Abu Sayyaf they probably would have taken as many hostages as possible.. A very risky prospect for them as many places at sea for them to be cut off by the coast guard..
I could be completely wrong however!

[Terpe]

This is a terrible happening and so far no explanations.
By all accounts the kidnappers spoke fluent English and Tagalog only.

I don't think NPA or AS

[primdale]

my partner spoke to her dad this morning and he told her the story going round is kidnappers could be
from the compostela valley.

[London_Manila]

I would imagine those members of this forum who like to preach on about how safe Mindanao and Davao is
Are probably crying into their cornflakes at the moment......
The British governments advice about avoiding Mindanao is there for a reason

"Safe as houses" pull the other one its got bells on it

[jonnijon]

Funny how we get these comments from people who dont live here.

[London_Manila]

Funny how we get these comments from people who dont live here.

Do i need to live in Iraq or Syria to know that they are not very safe places to live in

People living in Mindanao will naturally claim that it's as safe as anything but they are the ones who are providing this forum with misinformation.

A brief search of the internet will provide a much more truthful and realistic view on how safe Mindanao actually is......

The argument normally put forward by expats resident in Mindanao is that you have lived there for a number of years and nothing has ever happened to you = well you got lucky

I would feel sorry for any person reading this forum and then traveling to Mindanao thinking thats its a safe part of the Philippines to then ending up being kidnapped.........

[fred]

On CCTV.

https://youtu.be/j3whhfqbqzM

[jake]

The British governments advice about avoiding Mindanao is there for a reason

The advice they give on most countries is enough to give some folks the Heebie-jeebies.
For instance they say the chances of an act of Terrorism in Spain is highly likely and if that doesn't happen the chances are you might fall of a balcony Does it stop around 10 million Brits going there every year?
Am i more than likely to be kidnapped in Mindanao than London... Yes, however if you fear so many things you are never going to live life to the fullest IMO

[Arthur Little]

The advice they give on most countries is enough to give some folks the Heebie-jeebies.
For instance they say the chances of an act of Terrorism in Spain is highly likely and if that doesn't happen the chances are you might fall of a balcony Does it stop around 10 million Brits going there every year?
Am i more than likely to be kidnapped in Mindanao than London... Yes, however if you fear so many things you are never going to live life to the fullest IMO

Yep ... . Damned s, Jake. to the Silver Star brigade!

[Terpe]

I would imagine those members of this forum who like to preach on about how safe Mindanao and Davao is
Are probably crying into their cornflakes at the moment......
The British governments advice about avoiding Mindanao is there for a reason

"Safe as houses" pull the other one its got bells on it

What a truly discourteous and prejudicial post.

Instead on commenting on the subject it serves the poster better to leave insulting remarks which allows them to feel somehow victorious in the face of this tragic happening.

[Terpe]

Canadian kidnapped in Philippines has extensive security training

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/20...-training.html

[Terpe]

Quite an interesting read.
I do hope he can make best use of his training and knowledge to help the others cope with this terrible situation they find themselves in

[Iani]

I'm not going to comment on whether Mindanao is dangerous or not, I am not an expert on that and couldn't say.

Just a couple of things, first if the NPA are really what they claim to be, they shouldn't really care less about foreigners, unless they were involved in economic activity threatening to locals. Of course, things get twisted and perhaps they are.

The bigger thing - a bomb goes off in Istanbul, some tourists get stabbed in Marmaris, and Turkey becomes unsafe for tourists. Some separatists in a region of Turkey have a shoot-out - despite that region being further away than the UK is to Italy, then the beach resorts overlooking Greece become unsafe to tourists.
Demonstrations in Bangkok and the government advises against going to Thailand............all of Thailand.
Someone sets off a bomb in Mallorca - does the home office advise against all visits to Spain? Do they advise on avoiding Magaluf - do they hells like.

Selective much?

[Terpe]

A very interesting couple of reads giving some insights in some of the people captured.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle26468651/

This gives an interesting account of what happened as reported by witnesses.
Seems the Canadian mining executive became involved after taking a decision to try to help others.

If the witness report is correct then he's a very brave guy. I'd go as far as to say hero.
Many other foreign tourists decided not to get involved after being threatened at gunpoint.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle26490312/

[irishman12]

I would imagine those members of this forum who like to preach on about how safe Mindanao and Davao is
Are probably crying into their cornflakes at the moment......
The British governments advice about avoiding Mindanao is there for a reason

"Safe as houses" pull the other one its got bells on it

im not checking forums as frequently over the last few months-so perhaps you could do me a favour and show me the posts where people were preaching how safe it is? i think most here know there are problems in mindanao but unless you can tell me manila or other parts of the world are safer than most of mindanao since you probably havent been there -then dont you think you should comment on other matters? so far i have been there at least 9 times -for weeks or more at a time from north to south incl some areas of cotobato etc and except for some dangerous roads/drivers -i think there is more chance id be hit by a car crossing the road in manila than being kidnapped in mindanao ,so my advice is to stay in your bed where its 100% safe.

[jonnijon]

im not checking forums as frequently over the last few months-so perhaps you could do me a favour and show me the posts where people were preaching how safe it is? i think most here know there are problems in mindanao but unless you can tell me manila or other parts of the world are safer than most of mindanao since you probably havent been there -then dont you think you should comment on other matters? so far i have been there at least 9 times -for weeks or more at a time from north to south incl some areas of cotobato etc and except for some dangerous roads/drivers -i think there is more chance id be hit by a car crossing the road in manila than being kidnapped in mindanao ,so my advice is to stay in your bed where its 100% safe.

Well said.

[London_Manila]

What a truly discourteous and prejudicial post.

Instead on commenting on the subject it serves the poster better to leave insulting remarks which allows them to feel somehow victorious in the face of this tragic happening.

I never knew a thread could not be expanded to include other subjects and as these kidnappings did occur in Mindanao so i feel my comments are both relevant and valid

I still maintain that Mindanao is not safe Island for British nationals to visit and my postings will continue to reflect that.
I am sure you will agree that a good forum welcomes all views and thoughts even if one does not agree with them.

[Steve.r]

I never knew a tread could not be expanded to include other subjects and as these kidnappings did occur in Mindanao so i feel my comments are both relevant and valid

I still maintain that Mindanao is not safe Island for British nationals to visit and my postings will continue to reflect that.
I am sure you will agree that a good forum welcomes all views and thoughts even if one does not agree with them.

Have any of your posts 'ever' been positive about the Philippines Sorry, but I can't remember one!

[London_Manila]

I'm not going to comment on whether Mindanao is dangerous or not, I am not an expert on that and couldn't say.

Just a couple of things, first if the NPA are really what they claim to be, they shouldn't really care less about foreigners, unless they were involved in economic activity threatening to locals. Of course, things get twisted and perhaps they are.

The bigger thing - a bomb goes off in Istanbul, some tourists get stabbed in Marmaris, and Turkey becomes unsafe for tourists. Some separatists in a region of Turkey have a shoot-out - despite that region being further away than the UK is to Italy, then the beach resorts overlooking Greece become unsafe to tourists.
Demonstrations in Bangkok and the government advises against going to Thailand............all of Thailand.
Someone sets off a bomb in Mallorca - does the home office advise against all visits to Spain? Do they advise on avoiding Magaluf - do they hells like.

Selective much?

Mindanao does have a long history of kidnappings bombings and shootings going back many years so i would say that the USA and Uk Governments advise about not going to Mindanao is based on hard facts and on how many attacks happen there on a yearly basis

Only last week on Mindanao an eleven year girl was killed in a bus bombing and 32 other people were injured

[London_Manila]

Have any of your posts 'ever' been positive about the Philippines Sorry, but I can't remember one!

And people accuse me of being off topic

[KeithD]

Certain parts of Mindanao should be avoided by tourists, but not the majority of it, as with most countries.

The official travel advice from the Australian government is enough to put people off coming here, but if you live here you would say it is safe:

*We advise you to a exercise normal safety precautions in the United Kingdom (UK). You should exercise common sense and look out for suspicious behaviour.
*We assess there is a heightened threat of terrorist attack in a number of European countries, including the UK.

[fred]

Samal kidnap victims brought to Sulu - military source

Manila, Philippines - An intelligence source in the military indicated on Thursday that the three foreigners and Filipino woman who were abducted from a resort on Samal Island, Davao del Norte appear to have been taken straight to Sulu by their kidnappers.

http://www.interaksy...military-source


Looks like the military were warned but didn't take necessary action?

Meanwhile, an intelligence officer disclosed that the military received information on the first week of September about the plan of the ASG to kidnap foreigners in Davao.
“We have a single source who said the Abu Sayyaf have plans to kidnap foreign nationals in Davao,” the official, speaking on condition of anonymity said.

http://www.mb.com.ph...4oo0shklVdvZ.99


FCO issues new warning after kidnapping at Filipino holiday resort


http://www.travelmole.com/news_featu...ews_id=2018592

[London_Manila]

Certain parts of Mindanao should be avoided by tourists, but not the majority of it, as with most countries.

The official travel advice from the Australian government is enough to put people off coming here, but if you live here you would say it is safe:

*We advise you to a exercise normal safety precautions in the United Kingdom (UK). You should exercise common sense and look out for suspicious behaviour.
*We assess there is a heightened threat of terrorist attack in a number of European countries, including the UK.

For the record i maintain that London is not safe at all and its only a matter of time before we get another attack here in London from Muslim extremists

I cant do anything about it because i live here but i can certainly avoid parts of the Philippines like Mindanao for obvious reasons

[jake]

For the record i maintain that London is not safe at all and its only a matter of time before we get another attack here in London from Muslim extremists

I agree, although I sincerely hope we are both wrong.
The only difference is I will get zero satisfaction from being right and I certainly won’t mock people who live in London or happen to be visiting. Diba?

[gm47]

I think you have to evaluate your safety by yourself, some will be more cautious than others. I have took some risks before that others thought I was mad but I believed at the time the risks were minimal. I was in Manila when the peninsula hotel was under siege by the army after a so called coup, there was shooting but I was interested and walked up there from Glorietta, very slim chances of danger IMO. Got pulled off a bus at gunpoint in Mindanao, luckily it was the Phils army. On the other hand this year I decided to cancel my boat trip to Dapitan after the beheading there.

Ive lived in London most of my adult life but would never consider the risks of danger very high, even if a terrorist group said tonight that they will plant a bomb in London tomorrow I wouldn't change my plans to go. My reasoning would be is that London is such a big city that the chances of me being in the wrong place at the wrong time would be very slim.

Personal safety is how you yourself evaluate the risks.

[Tawi2]

I chatted to someone on samal about this yesterday,speculation its a kidnap for randsom because of the foreigners relatively high profile,wouldnt put me off visiting samal again despite the fact that lightening can and does strike twice at times.

[irishman12]

Mindanao does have a long history of kidnappings bombings and shootings going back many years so i would say that the USA and Uk Governments advise about not going to Mindanao is based on hard facts and on how many attacks happen there on a yearly basis

Only last week on Mindanao an eleven year girl was killed in a bus bombing and 32 other people were injured

only last week there were probably lots of car crashes in england and people hurt or killed but that doesnt stop people travelling in cars? as i said stay in bed if you want to be safe

[irishman12]

For the record i maintain that London is not safe at all and its only a matter of time before we get another attack here in London from Muslim extremists

I cant do anything about it because i live here but i can certainly avoid parts of the Philippines like Mindanao for obvious reasons

you could move but pls dont move to mindanao .

[London_Manila]

I agree, although I sincerely hope we are both wrong.
The only difference is I will get zero satisfaction from being right and I certainly won’t mock people who live in London or happen to be visiting. Diba?

Not mocking i take umbrage with people who live in Mindanao and try and paint a picture that Mindanao is as safe as houses