My secretary received a call from a friend in Charlotte, NC. The owner of a Day Care went to visit his financee in CDO. Upon arrival at the Manila airport, as his version of the story, he went to purchase cigarettes while in Manila and someone offered him a "Filipino cigarette" which he purchased or was given. He was immediately arrested for Pot possession. He was incarcerated and subsequently paid $4000 in bribes to the police. His passport was confiscated by the police. Upon release my relatives picked him up and took him to their resort. He had given the police all of his money and was broke. He made arrangements for his parents to come to Manila to help him. My relatives immediately cancelled scheduled reservations at their resort for his parents arranged stay.
He was given appropriate legal advise and was advised to go to the US Embassy before court. He ignored all the advise, went to court and was put on probation in the RP for 6 months. He never paid my relatives for the transportation, stay at the resort or for the cancellation of visitors to the resort so that his parents could stay there. His parents never went to Manila.
Despite my wife objections, I am going to contact his parents and ask them to pay my relatives for their time, expense and loss of income to help him. He did not even pay for transportation or food.
Visitors to the RP should be aware of police set up scams. Honest Filipinos should be aware of trusting broke Americans.
Alvin
