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This is my dad, Jay. He spent his Christmas and New Year in a holding cell. Now, he's on his way to prison.
My dad is a loyal husband to his hard-working wife. He is a goofy, supportive and devoted father to his four children (including myself). He has numerous friends and family who have graciously lent their endless support through these times--but even that is not enough to free him.
Dad has always been the type of person who faces things with an optimistic disposition. It’s no surprise that, during the first time (and every time afterward, really) I visited him at his holding cell, he was the one comforting me while I slobbered and sobbed all over him.
He’s a devoted Catholic. One example of this is that, every morning -- really early in the morning, I’d like to add -- he blasts religious music. When my family and I get to visit him, he takes our hands through the thick rusting bars of his holding cell and leads us into prayer. Every time he does this, I’m awed at his relentless, unflinching loyalty to the Lord. How, despite everything he’s been going through, does he hold on to his faith?
He was charged with a violation of the Bouncing Checks law (B.P. 22 here in my country, the Philippines). These checks, long ago, were issued by my parents to old friends of theirs to fulfill a sizable debt for my parents’ old company’s projects. When this company tumbled down and fell into ruin (due to the lack of payment from three big clients), the checks became invalid. My parents didn't have the cash to cover them. They barely had the money to keep our family going.
Years later, my parents had begun to pick back up from the rubble. They were still working, day by day, morning to midnight, to pay off their debts and support their family. But they found a supportive community, jobs they enjoyed, and, bit by bit, they were working towards freeing themselves from the heap of debt on their shoulders. For once, we thought that maybe there was light at the end of the tunnel.
Until my parents were trapped in our home for a week under suspicious circumstances, with officers in civilian clothing watching our house for days on end. These officers waited several days before eventually trying to flush my parents out. First, they cut off the running water. Second, they tried to force the front door open after getting through the locked gate.
This is when my parents called the local police for assistance, (who later on stated they did not recognize the men who tried to break into our home). My dad allowed himself to be escorted to a police station where he was kept in a shared holding cell with around twenty to thirty other males.
It's rare to see my mom taking just a moment of rest for herself. She's been working even harder ever since my dad was taken in to get him out. As it turns out, the court has been sending letters to our previous address -- none of which we received. This failure to attend hearing led to my dad's arrest. Throughout Christmas and the New Year, my younger siblings (a 9-year old girl and an 8-year old boy) would question the fact that this was the only time we did not spend the holidays as an entire family. 'Didn't they say they would be back by Christmas?'
It was hard to answer them. How do you explain to two kids why we can’t go home? Why we’re spending Christmas apart from our Dad?
My dad will soon be transferred to a city prison for a debt I know he's been working towards paying off. The Quezon City Jail, made worse by the ongoing war on drugs, is overcrowded and jammed with inmates. Built for 800, it now holds 3800 inmates (according to Wikipedia ). There’s a good chance he’ll be transferred to this jail, unless we cover the ₱800K the court is fining him. We don’t nearly have that kind of money, especially considering the bail for the warrants of arrest my mom’s had to cover.
I’m asking for at least ₱1,200,000 to cover the ₱800K pesos, the lawyer's fees, and the money required for bail. I know that’s a lot to ask for, but I don’t know how else to raise this kind of money. We’ve had so much support from friends and family already, which I am eternally grateful for, but it hasn’t been enough.
At the very least, I thank you for reading through this entire situation, and I hope you can share this campaign with those you know. In the coming week, my dad will be transferred to undesirable conditions unless we free him. Please spread the word.
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