The local Moros are feared by their neighbors as being wild, violent, and fearless. They have a long reputation of being incredibly brutal, amongs themselves and others, even before the introduction of Islam. Kidnapping women to serve as spouses has not been eradicated, although outright slavery has been. They think very little about killing for an offense, especially with machete like knives called 'kris'. They are known in the region as pirates, slavers, and thugs.
The Armed Forces of the Philippeans, composed mainly of the friendly, peaceful northerners, are outright terrified of them. Duty in the Sulu archipelago is dreaded and avoided. Their main concern is to stay alive, catching terrorists is a dim second.