David, I agree with everything you said.
And occasionally, government and Moro rebel troops sometimes surprise each other in the middle of the jungle, such that instead of a firefight the encounter becomes a disorganized melee.
In those instances, blades would come in handy.
Recently, a friend (who knows the legendary Col. Ariel Querubin of the Phil. Marines) told me about such typical melee that happened in Mindanao, involving the troops of the said colonel.
The govt. troops were resting in the middle of the jungle while on patrol. Then they and some other guys (resting, too, on a nearby spot) realized very quickly that they were enemies, and so a melee ensued, with no firearms involved!
I'm sure aside from bare fists, rocks, and tree branches, blades were used, too.
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