AN EXPAT NIGHTMARE - TRUE STORY FROM THE PHILIPPINES - RETIRING IN PARADISE

[00:00:04]Okay, good morning everybody or whatever time it is in your country.

[00:00:09]Um in the background I got a lot of people sending me email and you know, and comment and on Facebook uh messenger as well, so nobody really knows all the correspondence I have and and and the type of it, but I had one lately that it really touched me and I would like to share with you.

[00:00:34]So, don't go away.

[00:00:37]>> [music] [music] >> Okay, one day was one day was walking in a street of Cebu.

[00:00:52]And I thought, oh, there's a gathering of people out there on the street. I don't know who they are and what's happening.

[00:00:59]So, I got a bit closer and closer and then I realized they were cops as well, police officer there with a guns and I was wondering what's going on and then as I look little bit further as I get close as I get closer and see a bit further what was going on, I saw someone on the floor with his hands tied up at the back with hand cap.

[00:01:29]That guy was arrested.

[00:01:32]And it happened that it was a foreigner.

[00:01:37]So, he had his his phone. He was on the on his belly and he has his phone just next to him on running.

[00:01:46]Probably for uh try to record what was happening to him.

[00:01:52]So, I had a bit of a concern with this guy and I just went over and said, "Mate, what's going on?

[00:01:58]What's happening to you?"

[00:02:01]And he start telling me what happened.

[00:02:07]Uh And uh he's been abused by a lady on the street.

[00:02:14]I want to say abused.

[00:02:15]That's what he was telling me.

[00:02:17]"I was walking on the street and then this lady come to me and asked me for money and uh wanted to have a relationship with me and blah blah blah and then I wasn't interested, so I refused her."

[00:02:29]Um And I say, "Okay, just why don't you just walk away?"

[00:02:35]"Oh, no, I couldn't. She start grabbing me and I couldn't uh get rid of her, so I guess so, what happened?"

[00:02:47]"Well, she start punching me."

[00:02:52]Wow.

[00:02:53]"So, what you do?"

[00:02:55]"I punched her back."

[00:02:56]>> [snorts] >> Big no-no.

[00:03:00]I thought straight away, "Ooh, you shouldn't have done that, mate."

[00:03:02]Uh There's a possibility um that they're going to remember your punch more than what she did.

[00:03:14]And that's probably why you are arrested and she's been now telling whoever, blah blah blah, you know, all the all the thing on her favor because that's how they do.

[00:03:24]Even if it's lie.

[00:03:28]You shouldn't have done that.

[00:03:31]I say, "Yeah, but she really pushed me and uh I just I just couldn't handle anymore."

[00:03:37]I say, "Well, that's a deja vu story, but anyway."

[00:03:43]Um I say, "Well, what's happening now?"

[00:03:49]I think they went for the barangay captain or something.

[00:03:54]Okay.

[00:03:58]So what I did, I said just give me 1 minute mate, I'm going to try to help you as as much as I can. So I want to see the police officer who was there standing next to watching this foreigner on the ground.

[00:04:11]Uh with his hand cuff on the back.

[00:04:16]And his face down.

[00:04:18]Not that pretty view but that can happen to any one of us or anyone indeed.

[00:04:24]And I asked the guy I said I'm sorry sir, why is he being arrested? May I know?

[00:04:30]He said yeah, that's he's he's been hitting somebody this lady there.

[00:04:37]Oh.

[00:04:38]Okay.

[00:04:42]So how can I help? You know?

[00:04:46]He said well you can't do nothing sir.

[00:04:49]You You just want to to get the barangay captain to sort that out if they can.

[00:04:55]I said okay, and if they can't sort it out what's going to happen?

[00:04:59]Well we have to take him with us in custody. We have no choice.

[00:05:03]Ah I see. Okay.

[00:05:06]So anyway I stayed with the guy and uh what I did is >> [cough and clears throat] >> I said mate if you want to help me I said mate if you want me to help you let me know. I will try to help you.

[00:05:22]And I'm a vlogger as well so you know I'm going to put a bit of weight behind it. He said no no no I don't want any help just just let it go.

[00:05:30]I said okay and his phone was on like this face up.

[00:05:34]Video running.

[00:05:36]So I got my phone with uh retired paradise and I put it on. I said look mate this is my contact.

[00:05:43]If you want to contact me and uh you need some help let me know.

[00:05:47]In the description box, there's my email and Facebook. You you can contact me there.

[00:05:52]Then no, no, I don't need any help.

[00:05:55]Okay.

[00:05:56]And that was about 2 months ago, 3 months ago. Yeah, something like that, 3 months ago. And I feel sorry for him.

[00:06:06]I said, "Man, are you sure you don't want me to help you?"

[00:06:08]No, it's fine. Go. So, I asked his name.

[00:06:12]He gave me his name, but first name only.

[00:06:16]But, I'm not going to tell here, of course, because he wants to keep his privacy, which is normal.

[00:06:22]And he came from New Zealand, a small town in New Zealand.

[00:06:26]>> [clears throat] >> Um There's a He signaled me there's a there's a bar area there, and that that's where the lady came from, and and follow me just after I walked past that bar, and uh she start giving me trouble.

[00:06:48]Okay, so, anyway, there's nothing I could do. I will try to I was trying to talk to the policeman and say, "Look, the the lady really attacked attacked him first. I can be witness if you want, or what he's saying." And uh "Would you like me to stay here and see if I can help any further?" He said, "No, sir, you can go.

[00:07:06]It's it's in the hand of the barangay captain now." Okay.

[00:07:11]So, that's what happened.

[00:07:15]A couple of days ago, I received an email from him.

[00:07:22]Okay, so, I open his email and say, "Hi Joe, this is John.

[00:07:32]Uh You were very kind to me when you found me on the floor up there in a street of Cebu, and um I owe you at least uh, the end of the story.

[00:07:47]And, uh, this is what happened.

[00:07:51]So, he told me his background, and, uh, small town of uh, from Auckland.

[00:07:59]And, uh, he's been here, um, oh, 12 years, not bad. He's been here 12 years, so much more than me.

[00:08:09]So, he probably knew what to do, I guess. Maybe he had more experience than than I have. Um, but, anyway.

[00:08:17]And, uh, uh, >> [clears throat] >> he said, "After you left, the barangay captain came, but he came about an hour after. This is crazy. I don't know.

[00:08:29]Maybe he had to wait he finishes dinner, or because it was night time. It was I forgot to tell you the time, but I think it was, um, around 9:00 p.m., something like that.

[00:08:39]8:00, 9:00 p.m. No more. No more, because by 9:00 I was at home, anyway.

[00:08:44]Um, yeah.

[00:08:46]So, he must probably having his dinner.

[00:08:49]>> [laughter] >> And then, um, he came around.

[00:08:54]He said, "John was saying, and, uh, >> [clears throat] >> he talked with the lady first.

[00:09:00]I could see them talking.

[00:09:03]My phone got a bit of it, but it's all in Bisaya, so I didn't bother much. I knew she would probably lie, and tell stories, and, you know, to justify her her action, like they all do.

[00:09:17]But, um, >> [clears throat] >> then the barangay captain came to me. He was very nice, very polite, and, uh, he said, "I'm sorry, sir, in the situation you are, and, um, I understand it's not easy.

[00:09:30]Uh, I just want to ask you a few questions, and see if we can resolve this on the spot, or whatever we need to do uh so everybody go away happy.

[00:09:42]It's never the case, but >> [laughter] >> anyway, so I said, "Okay." And um and then uh what happened he said he came to me and uh it's been so many question. I I just Joe, sorry I'm I can't remember all of them, but he's been asking a lot of questions.

[00:10:03]But the main thing he wanted me to to tell from from my service what happened.

[00:10:09]And I told him that the lady was abusing me and and chasing me in the street and holding me and and and punching me because I wasn't responding to her request of uh be her girlfriend and uh give her money and blah blah blah and go go to my apartment and blah blah blah.

[00:10:29]So I refused all that and I told the burger captain that uh she punched me really hard actually and um in some places that she should not and um I punched her back and she fell on the floor.

[00:10:43]He said, "Yes, sir, that kind of thing you should not do.

[00:10:46]But uh you got some valid um way of responding because of her continuous hassling and harassment which is uh punishable by law as well.

[00:11:01]So but both of you um could be in trouble if we don't come to an agreement because um she harass you and I believe that, but you punched her.

[00:11:14]So I said, "Joe, I was worried when when he told me that that I punched her." And you know what happened if you if you punch somebody even it's not even the Philippines, it's everywhere. In Australia, in New Zealand, I'm sure anyway.

[00:11:28]Uh he said the fact that punched her I knew I could be in trouble. And yeah, I agree with that.

[00:11:36]So, anyway, >> [clears throat] >> uh after he said to me, after he talked to me, he went back to the lady.

[00:11:44]And I could see they were chat chat chat chat chat chat.

[00:11:47]It took a while. Anyway, come back to me and asking me again the same question and uh I told him what happened and blah blah blah.

[00:11:57]So, he went back again to the lady and because I think it was something going on which I wasn't aware at the time, but uh he said they were talking money.

[00:12:07]Yeah, they were talking money.

[00:12:10]So, he went back to the lady.

[00:12:13]Chat chat chat, come back to me and and uh >> [clears throat] >> he said the lady's asking for a certain amount of money to to let go the case and and then you can go free and we we won't take charge against you and and that's it. So, it's a It's not going to be a big thing for you and um it it's the best for you, I guess.

[00:12:38]So, I thought, yeah, that's that's [laughter] the way things are. So, that sometimes in some places it's unfortunate, but sometimes you may have to do that.

[00:12:48]But um I wouldn't. I go to jail. I don't care.

[00:12:52]But anyway, he said >> [clears throat] >> uh the bottom guy said to me, she want to 100,000.

[00:13:01]I thought, well, that's not too bad.

[00:13:03]>> [laughter] >> I didn't say that to him, but I said, well, look, 200,000 is not a big uh amount in the sense to avoid you going to jail and uh So, he said, Joe, I think uh I just didn't want to stay here anymore. I just want to pay and get away.

[00:13:25]And I will never come back because that taught me a lesson that um I know you call your channel Retirement Paradise.

[00:13:34]>> [laughter] >> That's coming to question again.

[00:13:38]But uh >> [clears throat] >> that's been a hell time for me, sad, and uh you know, I was really humiliated and unfairly treated.

[00:13:48]I do not she do not deserve anything, any money, or anything, or any advantage.

[00:13:54]What she deserve is uh is go to jail for lying for false allegation.

[00:14:01]Uh for you know, because she start she punch me first. And I think there's a there's a right of self-defense. I'm sure there is. I'm sure there is.

[00:14:11]I went through that and there is.

[00:14:13]Anyway. So he say So I had to pay the 200,000.

[00:14:20]I say, "Well, how you do that?"

[00:14:23]Well, we went to a lawyer the following day.

[00:14:27]And uh they wrote a letter that um and um he signed [clears throat] there as well and uh like an affidavit if you like.

[00:14:35]That's what he told me is a piece of paper. I think it's an affidavit that uh she will not pursue uh any further.

[00:14:43]But didn't mention the money.

[00:14:47]But the lady was there waiting in another room.

[00:14:50]And uh he went and give the money. Then she come and sign the affidavit as well that uh everything was okay and blah blah blah.

[00:15:02]So that's how the story finished. Um and I'm glad that he contact me a few days ago to tell me what what happened because I think we should know. We should We expats should know those things.

[00:15:16]Um There's a There's a When I was talking about this story, there was another one that I remember, something similar.

[00:15:23]Um But anyway, uh you need to be very very careful, very mindful of what you do. First thing, do not do the wrong thing, or at least do not punch back. Do not, you know, don't do that. It's going to make things much harder for you, even if you're in the right.

[00:15:42]Don't do that.

[00:15:43]Um because the policeman will be on your side, or barangay captain, he may not believe you, and you could be charged for that.

[00:15:51]Yeah, but if the the barangay captain or the police agree, and um and they say something to the prosecutor, then the charge will be dismissed. But if they say nothing, they shut up, like um uh in this case, John didn't know anyone, any police officer, anybody, any judge, he didn't know anybody. So, it would have been hard for him to get away from that, and to be believed.

[00:16:24]>> [clears throat] >> But he he came already to the other side, because he knew he had to pay.

[00:16:31]So, he paid, he got his letter.

[00:16:33]There was nothing on the Bureau of Immigration, and he said to me, "I checked, I got a NBI um thing from the Bureau of Immigration, it was all clear, thanks God.

[00:16:47]I jump on the plane, I went to New Zealand, back home, and never come back.

[00:16:54]Now, I'm planning to go to uh Cambodia, he said.

[00:16:59]Uh he says he's got a friend there that's really really nice.

[00:17:03]Uh but anyway, we don't we don't know. Uh I mean, I've been there.

[00:17:08]It's nice, yes, but you know, you you need to keep a a low profile. You need to respect the locals.

[00:17:14]You need to even if you get abused, and you need to do the right thing to stay on one line of the of the law the right side of the law.

[00:17:27]And uh >> [clears throat] >> if you haven't done anything wrong, you always uh get away from those uh position what people can put you in unjustly, unfortunately.

[00:17:42]But it can happen to anybody. Yeah, so keep uh keep honest.

[00:17:51]Keep respect. That's the main thing. If you come to any country and you got your thinking mind that you need to respect the country and its people uh that's already a good step to stay away from trouble. Yeah.

[00:18:08]So uh unfortunately, I know that a lot of you probably be on this kind of situation as well. Maybe you want to comment and let me know.

[00:18:18]Um I'm sure I'm sure that you've been sort of a taken for a ride and uh they ask for money and or something else, you know, which is got values.

[00:18:32]Uh I'm sure that happened to a lot of you. So, if you got happen contact me, let me know your story and um if you really want me to put that on air uh I'm happy to do that because that can only do one thing is to help the expat and to help the Filipino as well that, you know, you need to act correctly as well and uh you know, you need to people respect you, you need to respect them as well.

[00:18:58]Yeah.

[00:18:59]Uh lot of foreigner doing a lot of hard work and things for their partner um I think they they deserve a bit of a you know, respect and and treat them properly.

[00:19:13]Not like a piece of crap and and give them every day. It's not It's not nice. It's not the right thing to do. God is watching. God is watching.

[00:19:23]I go to mass. I pray almost every day.

[00:19:26]And I know he's protecting me.

[00:19:29]But those who you know, do nasty things, they they won't be protected. They won't do God won't do nothing bad to you. God loves everybody, but he won't protect you. May I forget to protect you and things start happening to you. That's what we call karma.

[00:19:45]So guys, uh I hope you you you take note of this story and um uh take care always and you know, because you need to be very mindful when you're not especially when you're not in your country.

[00:20:03]So that's it. Uh I hope you enjoyed the story. Thank you for listening.

[00:20:10]And uh take care.

[00:20:12]And God bless you all.

[00:20:14]Bye-bye.

[00:20:17]>> [music] [music]