Growing up and studying in Mindanao provided me with experiences on how to be safe. One must be good natured when befriending our Muslim brothers and susters, some of my close friends were from the Pendatun, Sinsuat, and Baraguir families – there were other who were more popular that I will not mention.
I must confess, I do have two Muslim lady friends, one from Lanao del Sur and one from Cotabato City. One brought me to their guarded home to show me their room of ammunition, while the other showed me a cabinet filled with bundles of paper bills.
They have brought me to cinemas with their sidearms in tow and, having witnessed it myself, when FPJ was about to be shot in the movie, somebody in the theater shot the movie screen – true story.
In terms of Martial Law in Mindanao, I agree with the president’s decision.
For the Negros Island Region, if we want our cities and provinces to be safe, the military must watch the western shores 24/7; while police check routes entering by land.
Sadly, our culture is purely reactionary. Checkpoints are put up after something has already happened, boarding houses are checked after a dormitory is burned down, we buy security equipment for our homes only after a robber has already infiltrated.
We must think ahead in order to avoid regrets. Having lived in Mindanao for nearly two decades, I learned it is better to prevent a war rather than stop a war.
People in Mindanao have been, generally, silent in regards to Martial Law, it is those in Manila who are complaining – most likely, they are non-law-abiding citizens who are afraid.

News blackout
The media should block out news about the Marawi incident. The enemies are monitoring government movement and, with everybody focused on Mindanao, they are forgetting other parts of the country.
Even last March, when I visited Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Ozamiz, and Oroquieta, the tour guide merely pointed out “Marawi is to the left” but avoided going there.
Take note, the enemy is listening, which makes the battlefield all the more serious.
The Mindanao experience has clearly given me a stronger thought on prevention rather than a cure. /WDJ