From AEGIS to Hinirang
Here's a little tidbit that may interest us Hinrang-oriented folk:

If you are interested in the origins of the Abu Sayyaf and the tradition of maritime raiding and kidnapping in the Southern Philippines, a great book to read would be "Iranun and Balangingi: Globalization, Maritime Raiding & the Birth of Ethnicity" by James Francis Warren. It traces the origins and activities of these feared raiders. Have you ever wondered why the Spaniards built medieval style watch-towers along our coasts all the way up to Northern Luzon? It was because of these guys. The Iranun, Ilanoon or I-Lanawen (people of Lanao) and the Samal-Balangingi conducted their slaving raids and were funded and organized by the Tausog datus of Sulu, and armed by the British (who wanted them to disrupt colonies of their business rivals, the Dutch and Spanish, and who depended on products gathered by the raiders' victims for trade with China), and Americans, who had nothing else to trade in the area. The Cagayan connection? The Balangingi were scattered after a ferocious assault by the Spaniards on their island stronghold in the 1850s. The survivors were deported to Cagayan to work in Spanish plantations, but many held on to their old traditions.

The book is available in National bookstore (about P700) in the Filipiniana section. The Singaporean edition has a drawing of a 19th century Iranun warrior with a banca and Abu Sayyaf-types with M-16s in the foreground.

Damn - now I'm gonna be tempted to buy this book. Hopefully, it is hardcover and too heavy to carry.