Dear readers:
I have gone back to re edit this post. When I wrote it earlier, I was very upset.
I could not believe that what happened to me in Manila could be considered bribing.
The language used in the the original post was unnecessary but shows that even I get rattled.
I accept that. I apologize to the reader who sent the comment. I have revised the post.
My feelings are the same however.
I have just changed the delivery and language.
But you ALL know I swear in my posts.
But this time, you were correct.
It was too harsh.
Sorry.
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You know, what the hell
I received this comment today.
I just can't believe it.
I want to scream at this person.
Until I am blue in the face.
UHG!
I WAS BRIBED!
I have NEVER bribed a person in my life!
I AM clean.
I WAS BRIBED FOR Goodness sake!
Read the e mail you sent me.
Just read it please.
How am I supposed to feel after that?
You are turning the victim into the perpetrator?
So common in the Philippines.
Not new to me either.
That is truly fucked up!
This is totally messed up.
The police were SUPPOSED to be driving me back to my hotel.
It was pouring with rain.
They stopped at the ATM and told me what to do.
I WAS EXTORTED FROM.
What was I supposed to do in a truck with five cops.
Start screaming perhaps?
Kick out a window maybe?
And you dear reader, would have been so, so brave in the same situation.
If you were in a foreign country having your life snatched away from you, before your own eyes.
Oh yes reader, you would have been so very brave.
Well, I wanted to go home.
Ok?
Alright?
I was prepared at that point to do ANYTHING to get back to my room and be ALONE.
I was not well emotionally.
Or mentally.
Or physically.
You get me?
And then I cried for hours. Slumped on the floor.
Ok?
Alright?
You get me?
So please stop with your "we thought you were pure" garbage.
Who am I?
Britney Spears a la 1997.
I never said I was pure.
But I am good.
YOU said that.
Putting words in my mouth.
Stop that please.
DJ had already split from the station.
I was free to go home that night.
And attempted to at one point.
But it was pouring with rain and they insisted on taking me back to the hotel.
I was NEVER in serious trouble that night.
But I did not know that at that time.
I was never even cautioned let alone charged.
The whole thing was bogus as I have stated many times.
I would have been charged if I had done anything wrong.
I have stated that.
I did not bribe anyone.
I was led into that situation because I had to much fear to do otherwise.
Your idea of a bribe is wrong.
Sorry.
THEY bribed/extorted me.
I was free to go.
They worked me over like you know they do.
Don't pretend this is the first time this has happened to a foreigner in the Philippines.
Hello!
The police do it all the time.
The police told me they would drive me back to the hotel.
But apparently they wanted me to pay for some food and drinks and petrol first.
For a police car!
Yeah.
Blame me.
Yes, re read the e mail you sent me please reader.
Then read my blog again.
From start to finish before you say such things to me.
And don't write me again with your thoughtless gibber until you have read it.
I owe you nothing.
Because you got it all wrong.
I owe you NO explanation whatsoever.
You are not my judge and jury.
Only God can judge me.
You deserve nothing more from me at this point.
You don't deserve my honesty on this issue.
My truth.
Its wasted on you.
Or is it?
I WAS TERRIFIED that night for heavens sake.
Truly scared for my life.
I was surrounded by a so many cops.
Speaking Tagalog.
So spare me with your bribe claim against me please.
They TOLD ME TO PAY.
I had NO CHOICE.
I did NOT go to a party with them.
Thank you very much.
I was TAKEN to a bar.
You think I asked to pay for their petrol?
Or their beers and food?
Or the twenty thousand pesos I gave the Sargent?
No way.
This had never happened to me before.
I sat there terrified.
Wanting to go home.
Call my mom.
Sorry readers, but this letter really bothered me.
HELLO!
How can you accuse me of bribery?
I never said I was better then any Filipino.
I have NOT done what you say.
Get your facts straight before you speak please.
I have to!
Blame your system, not the victims of it.
And I print 99.9% of all comments. Thank you very much.
You say you are my supporter?
Your comment hurt me.
Its the first time a comment has really hurt me.
You have it so so wrong.
And please don't compare me to DJ and the GG.
That's all I need.
Sorry reader.
This comment upset me.
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brian, why don't you print my comments. i am your supporter, but i feel i need to express my thoughts on this. i also want to discuss with my fellow pinoys their thoughts on this.
brian, i know in the end, you are fair. don't do what dj, the montanos and the gucci gang do which is silence those who don't share their views! please post this.
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brian, i am very shocked to hear your admission that you bribed the police the night of your arrest. i thought you were pure and clean, and wouldn't succumb to filipino corruption like that.
so are you admitting that the police wouldn't have let you go if you didn't pay for taking them out for partying, and paying them cash in your hotel room?
i was 100% on your side, but now i'm not so sure. what you did is just as illegal and dishonest as anything you accused dj of doing. you really should not bribe any public official, not least the police, even if you think you are right.
think about the harm it causes us pinoys. so many innocent pinoys are arrested each day, month, week, year, but because we don't have any pesos, they arrest us anyway even if we are innocent. because they are used to people paying them off, like you did, guilty or innocent.
all this behavior does is make it worse for poor people, which is 99.99% of all pinoys.
brian, i hope you know you did a bad thing. bribing a police officer is not only a serious crime, but major moral offense.
i am so saddened to know you are not the clean brian we thought you were. i wish you get back your money, but please don't involve yourself with any more illegal and immoral activities to do so. two wrongs don't make a right.
