Families of Hongkongers facing life in Philippine prison over alleged floating meth lab tell of drawn-out ordeal
‘I do not see the end of the road,’ says sister of one of the four fishermen
“They fear they will never come back home,” said Lo Shu-ho, the sister of Lo Wing-fai, who has been locked up in Manila with three others since July.
“The inmates sandwich each other when they sleep. It’s impossible for my brother to turn around and go out for a walk. I am very disheartened as I do not see the end of the road.”
Lo Wing-fai, 28, together with Chan Kwok-tung, 42, Kwok Kam-wah, 47, and Leung Shu-fook, 49, denies manufacturing illegal substances and possessing half a kilogram of the powerful stimulant methamphetamine, also known as “Ice”.
Lo Shu-ho joined other families in the Philippines for the fourth time on Friday to see the men in court, a four-hour journey from Manila.
“Kwok has lost 25 pounds. My brother is younger than me, but he now appears much older,” she said after the hearing. More than 80 male prisoners were stuffed in a 400 sq ft cell, she said, describing the hygiene conditions as “awful”.
The men yet again couldn’t apply for bail as the court was still verifying witness testimony.
“Our lawyer told us this kind of case often drags on so there won’t be an imminent result. I do not know how long they will have to stay in the Philippines,” Lo Shu-ho said, adding the four families had so far spent more than HK$100,000 on legal fees.
The men were arrested aboard a 50m fishing boat two miles off the coast of Zambales province, northwest of Manila, in a high-profile operation led by the country’s police chief Ronald dela Rosa in July.
Police seized equipment for making crystal meth – known as “shabu” in the Philippines.
Prosecutors allege the men were part of a racket moving drugs from the vessel onto land.
The arrests were given prominence in the Philippine media and came at a time of high tension – between China and the Philippines, among others – over territorial claims in the South China Sea, and a pledge by the country’s new president Rodrigo Duterte to wage a “relentless and sustained” war on drugs and crime.
Democratic Party lawmaker James To Kun-sun, enlisted by the families, also flew to the Philippines in July to assist the four men and referred them to a legal representative through Bernardito Ang, a member of Manila City Council.
