Whatever happened to British detained?

[scott&ligaya]

Anyone heard anything more?

[Tawi2]

Ongoing...I have contacts in the Pinoy penal system, the last time I asked the case was still ongoing Its Pinas,money talks and...........

[fred]

Last update from Frank from the Yahoo site.
Im taking a back seat due to some emails I received some months back which I`d rather not go into but still watch with interest. Keep supporting and asking questions on...http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Help_Kevin_Taylor/
Update

It's been a while since writing to the group, but that does not mean we have
gone away or given up. Much of the time has been sitting waiting for news. Cases
have been heard and deferred and despite agreements when money has been sent to
cover the settlement 10k becomes 12 becomes 16 becomes 20 – surprise, surprise.

But we continue to support K & C as best we can, and visits to the jail have
continued (Thanks again Eden and Jim) (Both from FilipinoUK I believe)

They are both at the same jail now and although the regime is more strict and
access to phones etc is much harder their living conditions are improved.

Recently Gerald wrote to Sec De Lima directly and copied the Filipino
Ambassadoralong with his M.P. and the UK Foreign Secretary. The Swindon
Advertiser ran a follow up story:

http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/n...g_hope_for_so\
\
n_stuck_in_foreign_jail/?ref=mr

And the International Commission on Human Rights who are sending and envoy to
Sec De Lima about another case are being asked to raise this case too.

Thanks you all for staying with this for so long your support is invaluable and
when all seems lost to know there are kind caring people who just are here means
a lot.

Kind regards to all

Frank

A couple of extra pieces of news.

Firstly the hearing of the 6th: There were 2 cases to be heard. 1 the
prosecutor is asking to prosecute the non attending witnesses - who knows what
is behind that but case not completed. I don't know whether K & C's lawyer asked
for dismissal but that's the situation with case 1. Case 2 -farcical! The police
did not have the correct paperwork for the case and it was deferred to 1
September!!!!!!!!!. Gerald is now going to write to Sec De Lima and ask just
what is going on when repeatedley no witnesses attend and prosecution paperwork
is not prepared or they do not get K & C in court at the same time deferral
afetr deferral etc. The British Government say they cannot intervene in another
country's judicial system - understood - but Gerald can start to ask some pretty
pertinent questions about what is going on.

Secondly, Gerald was moved today to Marikina so he should be back with Charlene
again and at least they can start to organise the case between them again.

That's it for now

Regards

Frank


Looks like they were due in court yesterday... I wonder how that went?

[fred]

Just noticed that this thread has had very nearly 7.000 views!!

[Sim11UK]

Just noticed that this thread has had very nearly 7.000 views!!

Not surprising
Their story is sad & frustrating...Not forgotten though.

[grahamw48]

It also illustrates what a tightrope ALL expats are walking in the Philippines.

[scott&ligaya]

any more news?

[dontpushme]

The Yahoo!Group set up to help Kevin and Charlene has been inactive for a while now. I think it was a big turn-off for people that some old members personally attacked new members who suggested asking for help from people/organisations those old members didn't like. I actually quit replying to the groups' emails after I got tired of all the insult-slinging and sarcasm around the end of things.

Last I heard, K and C were still incarcerated and they were back in the San Mateo jail. I think that's good for them. I visited them in both the San Mateo and Marikina jails. The San Mateo jail is way more lax than the Marikina jail, which is a 5-storey building with lots of guards and tight security. Last time I visited, the couple were still in the Marikina jail. Kevin didn't seem to be in bad shape apart from his clinical depression (which he's had since he was in the UK) and age kicking in. The guards all liked him in both jails as he wasn't a troublemaker (the bruised knuckles I saw on my first visit was from him punching some inanimate object). As for Charlene, last time I visited, she was still in the guards' bad graces for "being a troublemaker". I don't know how the situation is these days, apart from them still being in there without trial.

[tiger31]

I still can,t believe they are still in jail after all this time. One of the reasons they are still in jail is because the Prosecution Witnesses keep failing to show up, so the judge keeps adjourning the case. So this will go on and on at the expense of K and C.

[joebloggs]

Why didn't Cameron ask Aquino why all this was taking so long when he visited number 10

[grahamw48]

Because it has no political value .

There are hundreds of Brits incarcerated all over the world in similar or worse circumstances.

Outside of this country you can forget having any kind of protection...unless you have friends in high places or a support group with lots of money.

[gWaPito]

It also illustrates what a tightrope ALL expats are walking in the Philippines.

A very sobering read, especially if you've been keeping up to speed on the new minimum wage requirements to bring in your partner to the UK from outside Europe.

If I were in a situation of falling short in wage requirements, I'd definitely try and improve my lot here first before leaving the security of these shores.

[fred]

Looks like good news may finally be on the way regards the Taylors..
Message below can be found on the yahoo group.

Dear all
> >
> > After months of hiatus, 4 cases were heard on Tuesday last week. There have
been so many hearings where the witnesses failed to attend and the judge has
repeatedly set the case back.
> >
> > However this time the judge finally enforced witnesses attendance, who,
having stated that it was to expensive to continue attending (no cash cow â€"
no cash!) backed down. The judge also ruled that there was insufficient evidence
and the cases were accordingly dismissed.
> >
> > For these cases only a requirement for an affidavit from each witness
remains (500php per signatory) as a final formality for the cases to be closed.
> >
> > Which leaves only 1 final case to be heard on 2nd august and it is believed
that this will go the same way.
> >
> > After over 3 years and hesitant but continuous steps in the right direction,
this is fantastic news. We will hold celebrations in check until after 2nd
August but the champagne is waiting on ice.
> >
> > Gerald and Mary again wish to thank everyone who has shared in this very
difficult journey and experience with them. As more news breaks we will of
course let you all know.
> >
> > Frank

[Terpe]

Thanks for the update Fred.

Yes it's better news, But what I would call a 'glad sad' day.

Everyone will be glad this whole sorry story may soon be ended. But also so sad that 3years has passed with the Taylors incarceration and the huge impacts on their lives and those of their children, family and friends.

Lets all hope and pray they will soon be freed from the nightmare.

[survivor]

I'm one of the religious providers to the jail and I came to know the Taylors...I pity Kevin as mentally, I can say he isn't stable due to his depression and that may be because of hunger and lack of foreign language around him (talking in English). Charlene is now working with her Wardina at the office but still can't see Kevin much. Both re-seeking mental help at National Center for Mental Health once a month and taking medicines for their depression. Help them please, before both lose their mental state!

[survivor]

Sometimes I speak with Charlene as she joins the bible study. Yet Kevin would not be able to join as he couldn't understand the lectures. But we tend to notice him often, as he just walks around the jail looking for nothing and sometimes stays at the library reading. He caught my attention one day when he was selling something ... could be chutney....I asked why he sells and he said to buy food...pity though really. I wish I could get more people to visit Kevin and Charlene AS I STARTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM. BOTH WELL-EDUCATED BUT END UP IN A PLACE THEY SHOULDN'T BELONG. I always visit now to speak to them both and at least give Kevin some bread, as he always asks me to bring him..

[fred]

Survivor. Lots of people from here and the Yahoo group have visited when they can and have offered as much in donations for food and clothes as they can. Thanks for your support too. Im sure your visits to K@C are invaluable.
Not long now.

[survivor]

Another case from lower was dismissed Monday. That's 3 cases out of 26 cases. All in all about 24 cases had been dismissed both from MTC and RTC. Only 18 dismissal orders are available as each dismissal order will cost Php 550 each... but as I spoke with them last Monday they are too shy to ask from their dad for payments of their disistances. Kevin is very ill at the moment suffering from LBM for 4 days now, I will visit them again tomorrow for meds

[survivor]

I came to know the couple a year ago...was visiting the jail to provide bible study to inmates then I came to notice Kevin...a white man in a Philippine jail. He was quiet and very observant about what was going on. One day I approached him and asked how he was, as I observed this man seemed to worry about something. Then I was surprised knowing that a foriegner can go hungry in a jail due to lack of food and supplies of his needs.
Charlene is a very strong-willed person, I admire her for being vocal about the needs and rights of Kevin. This is why I like the two. Day and night I tried to research about them and I'm glad I did, as I'm happy to know many are helping them

[survivor]

there are times when I visit I spoke with Kevin and ask what else he needs…was told actually by some officer t speak with him as he seems to suffer severe clinical depression. I thought I was only him goes to mental hospital but what surprised me is that also Charlene suffers from panic depression. poor thing that both well educated individual was destroyed by being sent to jail that they should not be. From many problems such cases, jail condition especially going hungry all the time makes your mental state deteriorate. Now Cha is at the admin utilized her intelligence to get they needs. working as secretary and helper at the admin while Kevin stay at the library more times. I can only give help to them by giving some food and most especially spiritual advice. But what these two couple needs are family…family from you guys. Now they are almost going home, most probably by september, but same thing will the life that had been destroyed will be fixed AGAIN? Lets support them, help them and let their plight be a light for us so we can do our decisions in life better.

[fred]

Hello to everybody Hope you all keeping well. I have a update from Kevin / Charline today,they are waiting for a Proclamation date
to be set,this could be within the next two weeks.They wont know the precise day untill a day before the court hearing .If they are
released it will be on that day .
Then Kevin has to get to the British Embassy some how and pay for 5 years visas ect thats outstanding.He will have no where to go but out on the street.
This puts more pressure on us to find the funds for his Airfare to get back to the U/K.
Once again I dont like to ask but we need help with all the extra problems we have.
Sorry if we are at your hearts again for help.
Regards Gerald / Mary.

[tiger31]

Hello to everybody Hope you all keeping well. I have a update from Kevin / Charline today,they are waiting for a Proclamation date
to be set,this could be within the next two weeks.They wont know the precise day untill a day before the court hearing .If they are
released it will be on that day .
Then Kevin has to get to the British Embassy some how and pay for 5 years visas ect thats outstanding.He will have no where to go but out on the street.
This puts more pressure on us to find the funds for his Airfare to get back to the U/K.
Once again I dont like to ask but we need help with all the extra problems we have.
Sorry if we are at your hearts again for help.
Regards Gerald / Mary.

Jesus, 5 years' back fees! How can they justify that? Plus the airfare - that,s a lot of dosh to find.

Seems to me even after release he is still being punished.

[fred]

Kevin Taylor’s Letter of 19^th August 2014-10-08

Dear Group,

Greetings and good day to you all and I hope you are all doing well. I thought I had better write to you all as you guys have been a great help and comfort to Cha and me over the past five years and its praise indeed to you all as supposedly us Westerners are cold and uncaring. So again I thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.
Now I will try to update you on our cases but I can’t say too much about what is happening to us at the jail as the letter may not pass the check at the gate oh.
We had a hearing on July 3 where the fiscal and defence attorney gave their formal offers and finally closed the case, with the judge setting the case for judges resolution which I have been told will take 90 days, so maybe the last week in September we will have a verdict. I have also been informed by several Bfmp (?) officers that we have a very good chance of acquittal.
If we are acquitted and have no pending cases we will leave the jail the same day and this is normally after visiting so around 6pm. Too late to get to the Consulate. Although we are very happy that we can leave the jail soon and end this nightmare we are also very apprehensive about the future because as we walk out that gate we will have nothing and be thrust straight into poverty with no money for accommodation, transport, food or clothing and all we have are the clothes on our back.
I got Cha to phone her father the other week to ask for immediate help from them for groceries and toiletries as we were completely out. She also asked him for help when we leave jail as we need accommodation, but he was cold to her and informed her that the family will not help us at all and if we want the children back we have to find an abode. We can’t really complain at this because the family have looked after the children for 5 years now. I have appraised my father of the situation that we will be in when we leave here but his hands are tied due to financial constraints after looking after us all these years and Prisoners Abroad will not help me until I get back to the UK. Dad did suggest that I go straight to the Consulate in Manila for help but Pro- Consul Mrs Victoria Buenaventura informed me last Friday 15^th (Aug) that all they will do is issue a list of hotels for us which confirms what consul Brendan Gill told me 3 months ago. But both parties do give some kind advice. Victoria suggested to me that I write to the UK Government and suggest how they can help us and Brendan did say that the British Government do repatriate families in exceptional circumstances such as flood and fire and where the family has lost everything and are in Danger with no income. Wouldn’t you agree that this is exactly what Charlene and I are facing now, right, so I’ve taken Victoria’s advice and started writing to the various Government agencies both UK and Philippines, such as MP for North Swindon, Justin Tomlinson, MP for South Swindon, UK Prime Minister, Philippines President, UK Home Secretary, UK FO Secretary, UK Visas Manila, and anyone else I can think of and what I am asking them for is immediate relief for when we leave jail, accommodation and dosh for food, clothing and transport while our papers are being fixed and I am also asking for repatriation for me, Charlene, Charlene Jnr, Charlotte and Caitlin. I’m asking that all the girls go back with me as that’s the only way we can stop complainants from extorting money from us, right, because I know that if I go back alone people will find Cha and the girls and I will get calls for dosh for them every week just to stop Cha going back to jail, oh.
Also I know that once I go back home I will never be allowed to come back here due to unpaid visa fees for 5 years, hmmm, so I really don’t want to lose Charlene and the three girls because of this and I hope you guys can understand me on this, please.
I’m really all that Cha has at this time and I won’t turn my back on her. So please if any of you guys know people in high office in the UK or even here can you please write, email, phone or contact them in some way and urge them to help me with the task in hand and maybe get us immediate relief on leaving here and repatriation for all of us please.
Well, this letter is 5 pages long now, so I will just tell you about our life in jail. We get very jealous to the guys in here on Sat and Sun as during the week they cry poverty to us then they have Adult visitors on these days and I really feel down as I see them eating good food, getting groceries and their basic needs and I know that it’s wasted on them coz all they do is come to the cells and promptly sell their goods cheaply for fags then claim poverty again so that they get grace from the Service providers when they come here, which I’m not entitled to as I’m a foreigner and so must be rich, oh. All the Credits in the cells have stopped for us now as we are near verdict and it’s only the co-op that will give me credit now as Sir Diaz pities me. So we are surviving on sardine, dried noodles, bread and coffee. The only drawback is the co-op is more expensive than the shop. ie an extra 3 or 4 pesos on top of shop prices and I have to credit some items in bulk, like coffee, 10 sachets for P100, 10 bread for P80, 1 tin sardines P18, noodles are P9, chips are P9 and soft drinks P20 a bottle if I do credit 1 bottle of soft drinks every Monday for when I see Cha for our weekly visits as a treat for us both.
Peter did notice my fat belly on his last visit but that’s from eating rice and noodles all the time (many carbs) and no exercise as most of the day we are lying on our backs, hmm. My BP and Cha’s BP is constantly high due to being stuck in the cells all the time. My last BP was 190/100 so I get a maintenance drug every day. They don’t have budget for my anti-depressants any more so I have asked PA if they can provide for me.
I finally got goggles with the right spec. the other month, yahay, but the other week I forgot where I placed them then sat on them due to lack of space in my terima, grrrr but luckily I just snapped both arms at the hinge so we temp glued them back on and all I need to get are two arms, yahay.
It is a struggle at the mo coz we don’t really have a variety in what we eat and the food provided is indescribable. So we are stuck for choice really, oh.
Well that’s all from us at the mo and I thank you all again for helping us and taking an interest in our well being.
Thank You All,
Yours faithfully,
Kevin and Charlene,

[irishman12]

Fred - was going to pm you but seems you don't accept Private Messages. Anyway, if you can contact me, I might be able to offer some assistance.

[fred]

Irishman..He will need all the assistance he can get once released..
What did you have in mind?
Whatever it is,I`ll post it on the Yahoo group for you if you like.. His father, Gerald will see it there.

Cheers,
Fred.

[irishman12]

H Fred - not sure what Yahoo group you are referring to but would like to contact you privately

[tiger31]

Hi Fred - not sure what yahoo group you are referring to but would like to contact you privately

Google it: 'Friends of Kevin Taylor Yahoo Group' - you should find the link

[fred]

H Fred - not sure what Yahoo group you are referring to but would like to contact you privately

I think its a closed group now.. Not sure.
If you look at my visitors messages you will see the second message contains an email address..
You can contact me there if you like.. I am not in contact with Kevin or Charlene but will be able to give your message to Kevins Father via the group.
Thanks.

[fred]

5 years!!

[London_Manila]

A disgusting way to treat any people
Cameron should get involved and summon the Philippine Ambassador here in London and demand answers
To sit rotting in one of their squalid jails for 5 years just waiting