I’m reading this news report in the Mindanao Times:

A day after the police denied the existence of motorcyle-riding hitmen, tagged as a death squad, a man was shot dead yesterday morning in Fatima Village, JP Laurel Avenue.

The perpetrator, according to a witness, fled on board a waiting motorcycle along the highway fronting the Victoria Plaza Department Store.

Now, I’ve just rented an apartment a few blocks away from this site, so I’m interested. The article goes on to mention

the investigators also recovered a Batangas knife and a Nokia 3210 cellular phone without sim card from the crime scene

Batangas knife? Now this turns out be be an interesting little item of Philippine lore.

A Batangas knife - also referred to as a Balisong, or a Butterfly knife.

There’s a barrio in Batangas, Philippines called Balisong. Batangas and Balisong in particular are known for their quality knife making. Batangas City’s professional basketball team’s name - the Batangas Blades.

The Balisong Collector has great pictures and material on the Balisong. Don writes about the “lure” of the Balisong knife.

But back to my original concern - the hit squads. A few days later this article turns up in Manila’s Philippine Daily Inquirer: Summary executions
continue in Davao City

Now I’m really intrigued. Davao City’s Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has been hugely popular and, in my impression, has been noted for cleaning up crime and corruption in Davao City. My wife says it’s widely understood that these vigilante groups are “Duterte’s men.”

Hmmmmm…..well, I suppose an American white guy staying in Bajada, Davao City doesn’t have to be too concerned then, right? ?