12 Oct 01

Incident in the Philippines, from a friend there:

"As you know, we have our own militant religious groups here, and they have no aversion to violence. Two murders occurred here (Manila) last week. Both victims were Filipino businessmen of Chinese descent. Both were shot to death in their cars.

The first victim was dropping off his child at school early in the morning, about 0720H. A lone gunman approached his car from behind. Curiously, as the victim was backing up, his car hit the gunman's gun hand, causing him to drop his pistol. Without missing a beat, the gunman picked up his pistol.

The driver of the car behind the victim's saw the gunman and started honking his horn as a warning. The victim was completely oblivious to the goings on. The gunman then approached the driver's side window and fired eight shots into the businessman, through the driver's side window.

All shots (45 ACP) went through the glass and seven of the eight struck the victim's head. He never knew what hit him. The businessman's wife, who was also in the front seat, was not harmed.

According to witnesses, the gunman then calmly reloaded, reconcealed his pistol, and briskly walked away. He boarded a nearby motorcycle, manned by an accomplice, and the two left the scene.

There have been no arrests, nor are there likely to be any.

Information indicates that the victim had been the object of death threats. He thus normally carried his pistol with him, but he was apparently very casual about being armed, and that particular day he did not have a gun with him.

In addition, he was apparently used to being honked at, so the attempted warning from the car behind his was ignored."

Lessons:

>Don't be naive enough to think that you are too insignificant to be selected as a victim. In this world, human life is still cheap in the eyes of many, and using death to "send a message" is a common form or communication in many cultures.

>Carrying a gun is a good habit, but it is also a useless one if it is not combined with a constant state of alertness and a genuine commitment to personal victory in all circumstances. Personal security is a way of life, not just a trendy topic of idle conversation at parties!

/John