Home
It was a Saturday night when my husband went to drink with a few friends at a nearby village. He was on his way home with our friend Noel who was very drunk when trouble began. According to other friends, Noel and my husband were already walking when another ka tropa followed them saying that he would walk them home, however as they were walking a teen on a bike who was going out to buy beer crossed their path. The ka tropa nila by the name of "Yet" suddenly said something provocative and kicked the bike. That was when Noel and my husband realized that they were not alone. Then 'Yet' suddenly whistled to his brother and brother in law and that was when the fight began because the boy on the bike had called out for help from his group. According to my husband, the beginning of the fight was blurry but he had tried to keep two guys away from the fight. But when he was being hit, he hit back to prevent himself from getting hurt but didn't know who was hitting him or who he had hit. He tried to get other friends away and a few younger boys out, but he was being hit on the back. He then rushed over to 'yet's' brother in law who was holding onto one of the boys and beating his face up. When he got there, and the boy looked up, my husband saw the boy's face full of blood and that was when the brother in law also stopped and seemingly helped him get medical help.
When the fight died down, another friend took my husband and Noel inside his home to relax, but the next thing they knew, tanods came along with police. When the friend refused to let them in due to lack of warrant, the police left but the tanod were only around. Noel and my husband went out since the wife of the friend was crying because of the trouble she had seen and that was when the tanods took them in.
I received the calls and texts from friends and my sister and my husbands father went over to the village to see what had happened. Our group of friends and the 3 ka tropa who had started the fight were there and still drinking caring less of what happened to Noel and my husband. So when my sister, father in law and I went to the barangay, they were already in the process of bringing them to the police head quarters and the two were in handcuffs. I was shocked and angry, that I demanded an explanation from the police and I admit causing a scene when I said that it was a violation of their rights considering that their statements were not taken at the barangay. I was yelled at back by one of the superiors but I backed down before I could say anything else because I was angry to see my husband in cuffs.
When they took my husband and Noel to the police headquarters, they did not bring them in for a medical test (urine or breath test to test for alcohol level) but had only had their names registered nor did they allow me to ride with them. When we got to the station, they arrived quite late and then initial investigation was done upon their arrival. I had pleaded with the other party, but I was refused.
Since it was a Sunday, there was nothing I could do, but wait for Monday. On Monday the inquest started late and a case couldn't be filed as yet since the medical certificate that the other party provided was not available since they had first gone to a private hospital before a public one. However the prosecutor gave them a deadline to follow. On Tuesday after lunch, the prosecutor said that she was waiting for the complainants (3 of them) to provide her with a medical certificate especially since they were saying that the main complainant was vomiting and required a CT Scan. After an hour when we went back, we were informed that the medical certificate stated that healing time was 9 -12 days (I think), so the charges wouldn't be as grave as was assumed to be. However since they failed to provide a medical certificate stating that the injuries were severe, the case was then filed and processed so we could post bail. During the process of releasing, we had to endure police who kept dropping hints for pampadulas and treats. Nevertheless Noel's wife and I had been able to bring our husbands home on Wednesday afternoon.
However, during these days, I encountered police who knew the police superior I had confronted with at first and said that they were not please with me speaking in English and stating it was a violence of our rights. They didn't know that I was born and bred overseas so my first language is English and that they had treated me like an uneducated individual just because my husband was in trouble. Secondly, Noel's brother and I also discovered that after the inquest, the tanod escorting my husband and Noel was with the complainants and after digging in for information, it turned out that the complainants had used money to get their way... however this ended when the prosecutor spoke her mind and I to me, she was the best person I had come across with during thus ordeal since she was speaking reasonable and with facts.
My major problem here is that after reading the statements of the complainants, they are indicating that my husband was the one who started the fight and caused their injuries when my husband has no signs of struggle whatsoever or cuts on his hand if he had been the one to smash a glass on the complainants head. Nevertheless, I am worried, my husband only goes there to play basketball once a week and he had only gone there that night by invitation. The 3 men (tropa) who started it only got blotters. We fear for our lives and I lost my job as a business marketing writer since I had to tend to my husband, my kids couldn't go to school for days and we spent the last money we had that I was saving for the graduation of my kids. Now even my husband can't apply for decent work. I can't go out without fear and I worry about my husband because he still carries the experience being in jail.
I don't know what to do or where to start. Please tell me what I can do for my husband in this case. Please advice me on how to protect our rights and defend my husband who is innocent and falsely accused and what can I do about the way these police and tanod had treated us? We lead a quite life for the sake of our kids who are both so young. This is not what I want for them. Our youngest passed away last 2010 and I don't want to lose my husband too just because I don't know what to do. Please help me.
When the fight died down, another friend took my husband and Noel inside his home to relax, but the next thing they knew, tanods came along with police. When the friend refused to let them in due to lack of warrant, the police left but the tanod were only around. Noel and my husband went out since the wife of the friend was crying because of the trouble she had seen and that was when the tanods took them in.
I received the calls and texts from friends and my sister and my husbands father went over to the village to see what had happened. Our group of friends and the 3 ka tropa who had started the fight were there and still drinking caring less of what happened to Noel and my husband. So when my sister, father in law and I went to the barangay, they were already in the process of bringing them to the police head quarters and the two were in handcuffs. I was shocked and angry, that I demanded an explanation from the police and I admit causing a scene when I said that it was a violation of their rights considering that their statements were not taken at the barangay. I was yelled at back by one of the superiors but I backed down before I could say anything else because I was angry to see my husband in cuffs.
When they took my husband and Noel to the police headquarters, they did not bring them in for a medical test (urine or breath test to test for alcohol level) but had only had their names registered nor did they allow me to ride with them. When we got to the station, they arrived quite late and then initial investigation was done upon their arrival. I had pleaded with the other party, but I was refused.
Since it was a Sunday, there was nothing I could do, but wait for Monday. On Monday the inquest started late and a case couldn't be filed as yet since the medical certificate that the other party provided was not available since they had first gone to a private hospital before a public one. However the prosecutor gave them a deadline to follow. On Tuesday after lunch, the prosecutor said that she was waiting for the complainants (3 of them) to provide her with a medical certificate especially since they were saying that the main complainant was vomiting and required a CT Scan. After an hour when we went back, we were informed that the medical certificate stated that healing time was 9 -12 days (I think), so the charges wouldn't be as grave as was assumed to be. However since they failed to provide a medical certificate stating that the injuries were severe, the case was then filed and processed so we could post bail. During the process of releasing, we had to endure police who kept dropping hints for pampadulas and treats. Nevertheless Noel's wife and I had been able to bring our husbands home on Wednesday afternoon.
However, during these days, I encountered police who knew the police superior I had confronted with at first and said that they were not please with me speaking in English and stating it was a violence of our rights. They didn't know that I was born and bred overseas so my first language is English and that they had treated me like an uneducated individual just because my husband was in trouble. Secondly, Noel's brother and I also discovered that after the inquest, the tanod escorting my husband and Noel was with the complainants and after digging in for information, it turned out that the complainants had used money to get their way... however this ended when the prosecutor spoke her mind and I to me, she was the best person I had come across with during thus ordeal since she was speaking reasonable and with facts.
My major problem here is that after reading the statements of the complainants, they are indicating that my husband was the one who started the fight and caused their injuries when my husband has no signs of struggle whatsoever or cuts on his hand if he had been the one to smash a glass on the complainants head. Nevertheless, I am worried, my husband only goes there to play basketball once a week and he had only gone there that night by invitation. The 3 men (tropa) who started it only got blotters. We fear for our lives and I lost my job as a business marketing writer since I had to tend to my husband, my kids couldn't go to school for days and we spent the last money we had that I was saving for the graduation of my kids. Now even my husband can't apply for decent work. I can't go out without fear and I worry about my husband because he still carries the experience being in jail.
I don't know what to do or where to start. Please tell me what I can do for my husband in this case. Please advice me on how to protect our rights and defend my husband who is innocent and falsely accused and what can I do about the way these police and tanod had treated us? We lead a quite life for the sake of our kids who are both so young. This is not what I want for them. Our youngest passed away last 2010 and I don't want to lose my husband too just because I don't know what to do. Please help me.
