필리핀 NBI 알라방 사건 전모 (영문판)

이글도 단순히 퍼온내용입니다.

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본 사건에 대해서 한국분들에게 알리는 것도 중요하지만 필리핀 현지인들이 아는 것도 중요하다고 생각합니다.
아무리 부정부패가 극에 달한 필리핀이라도 청렴하거나 적어도 지금보다는 깨끗해져야 한다고 생각하는
필리핀의 고위층 분들이 있을 것입니다. 저희가 겪은 일을 그분들에게 알리고 싶습니다.
교민 여러분 중 직간접적으로 그분들과 인맥이 있으신 분이 계시면 저희 메세지를 전달해주시면 감사하겠습니다.
짧은 영어 실력이지만 열심히 영문으로 작성해보았습니다.
본문에도 올리고 화일로도 첨부하였습니다.
저희는 곧 필리핀 야후 등 인터넷을 통해 필리핀 일반인들에게 알릴 예정입니다.
그럼 도움 부탁드립니다.
감사합니다.

April 12, 2010, around 3PM, almost 20 counts of NBI person rushed into our house. They showed us the search warrant for illegal gaming operation but the nature of our company is an online poker software developing company like Texas Hold’em and we are registered and legal. We have a plan to sell our software to the country that the online gaming is legal like in Europe and also have a plan to sell the software with play money service where the gaming service is not permitted like in Korea. But we are still developing and not completed yet. That’s why we could not sell until now and we don’t have income yet for the sales.

It is easy to misunderstand because our software is poker software and also a kind of gaming. But we are totally different from the company that is operating gambling service in the Philippines and some of their customers are Koreans in Korea.

Since we are making online poker software, there are many things used related to poker like poker table, playing chips, card, shoe, etc.  We frequently play poker game and share our idea about the software. But NBI said we were operating private gambling service with these things.

Anybody who has common sense will know that our house is not the place for illegal gaming operation. If it is really illegal gaming place, why there is only one poker table?  And there are only few visitors in our house which is recorded in village visitor’s list. But regardless with these things, they were very aggressive with their prepared scenario on what they will do in our house.  

First they confiscated my staff’s cell phone and disconnected our communication gadget. They didn’t allow us to move anywhere and always followed us wherever we go even in restroom.

They started to search through the house without particular explanation.  Like in desk drawer, closet, safe box, and in all area. Inside the big safe box, there was small safe box which had 25,000 dollars for the company operation fee.  When we took out small safe box upon their claim, they ordered us to put it over in round table and not to touch it. Suddenly someone shouted us “Here is a drug!” located in opposite side of the room. We were surprised and went there and asked him “what are you talking about?” and he answered “it’s kidding”. When we came back to previous position besides round table, we found out the small safe box was disappeared.  We asked them where is the safe box and they answered they are investigating it outside. We requested several times to bring it back and investigate it inside the room, they answered “yes” but we never saw that safe box after that moment.

That is the way that they stole all the cash, things and transfer it immediately to their car.  They explained those things are for evidence but they took not only the computer hard disk but also the monitor, mouse, keyboard, speaker.  We could understand if they took only the computer.  But they seize also the appliances like the printer, fax, beam projector, electronic dictionary, iPod, digital camera, usb hard disk, etc and even whisky, golf bag set, shoes, running shoes, wrist watch, necklace, ring, roll, weighing machine, and undetermined count of things. The things that they didn’t seize are furniture, books, food, old clothes, towel, and soap.

One of my Filipino staff complaint when he saw NBI agents took the shoes in the shoes rack, NBI agents shouted him “who is the thief? Can you point them? If not, keep your mouth shut”.  There were almost unknown 20 NBI agents inside the house and it was impossible to figure out who took the shoes.

We’ve never been investigated by them.  We’ve just met the robbery group with government power and gun. If the real thief came to our house, the thief could not take so many things like those. We could not endure this attack any longer and we suggested a negotiation to the captain. We knew that all they want is money. The person who looked like a captain asked us “what is your suggestion?”.  We suggested giving them $10,000 from the small safe box that they stole from the room, that person laughed at us and answered “do we look so cheap?”

We’ve begged them that that is all the money for the company operation and we need minimum wages for the company. But they didn’t care about our speaking and just answered “No” even though we suggested $20,000 and even $25,000. They didn’t answer their expecting amount and just repeat they are not cheap like that. 
We’ve never understood how on earth much money they want because $25,000 is never small amount.  We were very frustrated and angry suddenly and decided not to give them any single penny. So we said to them “OK. Go ahead as you wish. I will not negotiate with you guys.”

And then their face changed ugly and they started to move the things in their car. I hide the cellphone secretly and went to restroom. I thought I had to ask a help thru my friend. It was very urgent so I didn’t send a text, but I called.  When I was calling to my friend with very low voice, somebody hit the restroom door with leg and shouted to me. So I could not tell our situation and they took up my cellphone.  Someone checked the calling history and asked to me “who did you call?”, “what did you tell?” with bad manner.  I gave them an excuse that I just received my call because my friend called me. And they started to blame me starting with “putang” and drag me and handcuffed me. And their attitude turned into 180 degree.

They divided all the package into 4~5 cars and all employees including me also ride on the car.  4 male Koreans, 2 female Koreans, 1 Filipino, 2 Filipina – total 9 staffs were dragged around NBI office in Manila.  And they also drove our 2 cars inside the house. We thought they brought the car because we will need a car when we’ve been released but their purpose was totally different

After arriving NBI office, we’ve sit on the chair in meeting room.  And they started to conduct an examination to us. No matter how, they seemed to want to make a fake story that we were engaged in illegal gambling. But our assertion was very perfect and they don’t have any evidence to prove illegal gambling, and they could not insist anymore because Philippine employees already explained to them we are software developer. And then, they persist we’ve been used pirate windows software and that’s the evident of guilty and they threatened us that we have to go to jail for 8 years. Therefore we requested to call our lawyer but they repeated to tell us “wait. Later.”  So we requested again to call the interpreter and they called unknown person who is Korean and the Korean arrived after an hour.

We were so glad to meet him and we appreciated him to come to the office. We were so stuffed not to have a proper conversation almost for 6 hours and we thought we can deal with them thru him. We explained to him our situation and the history of negotiation and we requested him to deal with them with proper amount of the money.

Of course, we knew that we will be relieved without dealing with them because we are not guilty. But we were afraid that it will take very long time and we had a doubt if it is possible to follow normal lawful procedure in the Philippines. That’s why we wanted to deal with them even if we will have a big cash loss.

After the Korean has talked with them for 20 minutes, he came to us and told us to stay their office one more night because NBI people are almost the thief oneself. So I asked how much do they want, and the Korean answered they want $25,000 and additional 1 million pesos.

We were stifled and complaint to the Korean that how can we have that big amount of money. And the Korean answered they already knew there is 540,000 pesos inside our bag. At that time, there were a house rental fee that we withdrew from the bank to pay the owner.  They saw the money when they investigate the bag.
We begged to them how will we live if we gave the rental fee to them.  But they didn’t care about that.

The negotiation was cancelled and it passed midnight already. They were trying to let us be in jail. I could not endure the situation that the staffs were imprisoned. So I suggested that I will give all the money inside the bag, 540,000 pesos and let’s finish immediately. But they refused my suggestion and they said we must pay additional 1,000,000 pesos more. We protest it is all the money that we have and NBI attorney (Rosalles) said me to give them the van (GrandStarex). I lost my words. They were too vicious and greedy and brutal. The reason why they drove our car from the house was here. They wanted to get the car also and that’s why they kept our car key in their room. The grand starex price is around 1,000,000 pesos in second hand market. They thought our car as 500,000 pesos and they asked total 1,000,000 pesos including cash 540,000 pesos and 500,000 pesos. They’ve been decided their negotiation price since they’ve seen our cash and asset. They were very experienced and professional robbery.  We could not give them the car. As many people know, it is very hard to live in the Philippines without a car.

We could not help but refuse their request and all the Koreans were imprisoned in the jail except 3 Filipino staffs.  3 of Filipino staffs came back to home before 10PM. How does it make a sense that all Filipino staffs were released and all Korean staffs were imprisoned? What is the difference with hostage situation in the movie?  There were two small jails in the end if aisle and it seemed they changed from the restroom.  We were imprisoned in their separated men and women. When they turned off the light, it was extremely dark. We could not recognize ourselves and we should place and find others with moving hand over the floor. Before we came into the jail, one of NBI staffs asked us if we need a water or beverage, he will buy it. So I gave him 500 pesos and told him to have changes. But he never came back over the night and we had no choice to eat the faucet water beside the toilet bowl.

4 of men squat over the floor because it was so small jail and we could not lay down. We felt something crawling over the feet and we found it was a cockroach next morning.  Among the darkness after an hour, suddenly we could hear a noise.  One drunken NBI staff opened the jail. It was double layered door and he opened the woman jail and hit old Filipina prisoner’s cheek with his slipper without any reason and cursed her like “PuTangeena!” repeatedly. And then the old woman was dragged out and he hit the old woman almost for 10 minutes more. There was no reason to hit and punish her and we knew that his goal of attitude is for making us afraid. And then it passed one hour again.  We nod off a little and suddenly heard screaming sound in woman’s jail. We shouted her what is going on there. She answered one masked robber brought a gun and pointed to her head and took out her bag with 540,000 pesos. A mask robber dragged the trigger for 3 times but it seemed there is no bullet.

How can it be possible in the world?  We were in the jail inside NBI office and mask robber appeared with a gun and stole the bag and the money.  Who is he?  We already knew they were very bad people but their attitude was beyond our imagination.  We felt that our life is threatened. We realized they can kill us thoroughly. They looked like that they will kill us and give an excuse to the world it was just a self-defense. There were no policy that we can think reasonably and we doubt if there is human right in here.  Nobody knew we were there in NBI jail. Nobody can know if we died there and they say we were missing.  We were isolated from the world in tiny jail in a foreign land and nobody could access and nobody could know our situation. We felt biggest panic.  That night was passed like that.

Someone opened the door on 7:30 AM and said to us “Good morning”.  The idea that we thought over the night was exactly same.  “We have to go out immediately. We should go out from here no matter what they request us.  Let’s think later for the future. “
We accepted all of their requests. Just have it.
Only then they were feel free to me. They called me “friend”.  But they said we cannot bring back our computer and other things because it is the evidence. We knew that it’s not the evidence, it’s but the spoils of war and they will make a money to sell it.  We begged to them and finally got a return only 3 computers.  It was highly appreciated. The appreciation when we lost 100 things and got back 1.

One NBI agent gave us a document and force us to sign.
It explained that NBI’s investigation was properly mannered and they explained to us everything and they didn’t steal anything and we cannot complain them in the future.  And he didn’t forget to give us last threatening.  “Do you know what will happen if you spread this thing outside?”  Arrest, detention, prohibition from the country, assassination, etc were popped up from our head. We could go out after finger printing.

It was on 13 April, 3PM 2010.
It was like a drama 24 by Jack Baur.
We didn’t say anything on the way to go back home.
We’ve arrived at home and we’ve eaten something in 28 hours. We’ve drank a beer. We’ve taken a shower our dirty body that were got dirty inside dirty jail and slept a while.

After we woke up and looked around inside the house, there were more things to be stolen than we thought.  The kind was over 140 counts except the equipment for the office and they also stole the money inside personal drawer and it costs $90 ~ $900. Nike bag that we gathered the money and bought for the staff’s birthday gift, swatch wrist watch that one staff received from their family for celebrating Philippine life, and incredibly they stole the underwear also. And even they stole all the DVD title inside DVD jacket.  The bigger thing is, we found they stole additional $10,000 and KRW1,200,000 inside safebox when they shouted and blackmailed us about the drug. Total damages like cash, things, and the car are over USD140,000. The bigger damage than the money is mental shock and trauma.

We want to fight for this illegal unreasonable government robbery group.  We want to take back all the stolen things and we want to punish them for their guilty.  Of course, we thought that it would be better to just forget.  But we could not forgive them and the nightmare is still with us as time goes by. If we didn’t fight for this corrupted government agency, they will certainly continue their brutality to the Koreans. 

We need your help.

Thank you for reading.
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- 이글의 한글판 보기 : [퍼온글] 필리핀 NBI 알라방 사건 전모

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