No need to be afraid
It was a surreal Maundy Thursday afternoon.
Me and three relatives were enjoying ice-cold beer inside one of the watering holes near the centuries-old church and plaza in Argao when, out of the blue, two military choppers passed over Cebu Strait.
From our window, we could see the mountains behind the town of Loon in Bohol. (Yes, our neighboring province is that close.) Several kilometers to the north is Inabanga, where government troops clashed with suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group last Tuesday morning.
Ten people were killed during the encounter: three soldiers, one policeman, four members of the Jihadist terror group and two civilians.
Eight men got away, including Joselito Melloria, the native of Sitio Ylaya, Barangay Napo, Inabanga, who converted to Islam after marrying a woman from Zamboanga, who reportedly has links to the Maute group.
They are still at large. And heavily-armed. Hence, the aerial patrols.
Several colleagues had planned to spend the long weekend in the beaches of southern Cebu. They had a change of heart.
On my way to Argao Thursday morning, I sat between a French couple and their two young sons in the bus.
They were headed to Oslob to swim with the whale sharks. The day before they were in Bohol.
Yes, they heard the news, but they didn’t fly all the way out here from Dijon to let terrorists spoil their vacation.
Like people who come from countries where terror attacks have taken place, they’ve learned to be pragmatic. Of course, they were aware of the risks involved, but it was too late to change their itinerary. Plus, their two rambunctious sons had been looking forward to it.
I, too, wanted to throw caution to the wind since I refused to be held captive by fear.
Before heading out to the beach last Friday, I asked a relative to drive me to Ronda on the Argao-Ronda Access Road via Taloot on his motorcycle.
I heard the 33-kilometer national road that cuts through the spine of the island is picturesque.
I have to admit, I almost regretted the decision as soon as we hit the road. Mind you, my relative is an experienced driver. But averaging 75 kilometers on long stretches and only slowing down at 50 kph on sharp bends, without a helmet, made my nose run and thighs hurt as they gripped, vice-like, the sides of the seat.
But hey, the view did not disappoint. And it made me realize that Cebu has so much more to offer.
We emerged on the highway in Ronda, next to the public market and a stone’s throw from the town church and plaza. We stayed five minutes, long enough to stretch the legs and drink water.
The island across the Tañon Strait is Negros, where sightings of armed men had been reported.
I pushed these uncomfortable thoughts to the back of my mind, and silently recited my favorite Black Adder mantra: “I do rather laugh in the face of danger and tweak the nose of terror.”
And we headed back to Argao, where the rest of the gang were waiting in Mahayahay beach.
On my way to Argao Thursday morning, I sat between a French couple and their two young sons in the bus