Bohol Philippines 2006
We had just completed a jungle crusade where we witnessed the hand of God move in mighty ways and we were heading for the city of Tagbilaran which was about a three to four hour trip by car. We were going there to meet up with Pastor Ben Tagud (Pastor Ken's dad) and also with Pastor Kevin Holland so we could continue our trip to Valencia Bohol to visit a church there.
Most of the trip was pretty much uneventful except for the fact the driver was driving down this two lane road at over eighty miles per hour and my understanding that many people were killed on these roads because the car would come around a corner and there would be a water buffalo in the road, and most of the time the car lost. So, I did a lot of praying, hoping that all of the buffalos were asleep and not out on the road. It was like 1 AM and we had a long way to go.
After about three hours or so we were about fifteen miles outside of Tagbilaran when the car came to a sudden stop. The driver slammed on the brakes and we slid to a stop. I was in the back seat and Pastor Ken and the driver seemed to be just a little worried. A man came to the passenger side and Pastor Ken was talking to the man and all of a sudden the back door opened and the barrel of a rifle was pointed in the car directly at me. I really did not have time to be scared because the size of the barrel looked like a cannon when it was pointed at my head. The man holding the gun had the driver turn on the dome light and he then looked at me and quickly pulled back and apologized for the inconvenience and shut the door. The driver pulled away and as I looked back there were about five or six men standing there with guns.
When we got a little way down the road I asked Pastor Ken what had just happened. He told me that the men were military men and they wanted to take our car for themselves so they did not have to walk. I asked him why they didn't and he told me that he had told them that I was an American morals and accountability teacher. Ken then told me that he told the man that I was a pastor and that according to Philippine rules I was automatically a Captain in the Philippine army. He said with them only being enlisted men they checked and when they found out that I was indeed an American they panicked and hurried to let us go so they would not be in trouble.
The story may not have been the complete truth but I am glad it worked because of the size of that gun barrel I saw pointed right at my head. The rest of our trip was a lot less dramatic and we made it to the hotel and got a couple of hours sleep before going to the docks to meet Pastor Ben and Pastor Kevin. Just think I was worried about driving so fast down the road and maybe a water buffalo and then ran into a rifle pointing at me in the face. Now when I travel I expect the unexpected and I don't discount any potential stop or event.
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Most of the trip was pretty much uneventful except for the fact the driver was driving down this two lane road at over eighty miles per hour and my understanding that many people were killed on these roads because the car would come around a corner and there would be a water buffalo in the road, and most of the time the car lost. So, I did a lot of praying, hoping that all of the buffalos were asleep and not out on the road. It was like 1 AM and we had a long way to go.
After about three hours or so we were about fifteen miles outside of Tagbilaran when the car came to a sudden stop. The driver slammed on the brakes and we slid to a stop. I was in the back seat and Pastor Ken and the driver seemed to be just a little worried. A man came to the passenger side and Pastor Ken was talking to the man and all of a sudden the back door opened and the barrel of a rifle was pointed in the car directly at me. I really did not have time to be scared because the size of the barrel looked like a cannon when it was pointed at my head. The man holding the gun had the driver turn on the dome light and he then looked at me and quickly pulled back and apologized for the inconvenience and shut the door. The driver pulled away and as I looked back there were about five or six men standing there with guns.
When we got a little way down the road I asked Pastor Ken what had just happened. He told me that the men were military men and they wanted to take our car for themselves so they did not have to walk. I asked him why they didn't and he told me that he had told them that I was an American morals and accountability teacher. Ken then told me that he told the man that I was a pastor and that according to Philippine rules I was automatically a Captain in the Philippine army. He said with them only being enlisted men they checked and when they found out that I was indeed an American they panicked and hurried to let us go so they would not be in trouble.
The story may not have been the complete truth but I am glad it worked because of the size of that gun barrel I saw pointed right at my head. The rest of our trip was a lot less dramatic and we made it to the hotel and got a couple of hours sleep before going to the docks to meet Pastor Ben and Pastor Kevin. Just think I was worried about driving so fast down the road and maybe a water buffalo and then ran into a rifle pointing at me in the face. Now when I travel I expect the unexpected and I don't discount any potential stop or event.
Back to Stories To Intrigue