In the Philippines, is money the 'class' even behind bars?

(This article is a non-fiction reconstruction based on interviews with local Korean residents and officials in the Philippines. Some details regarding privileges and gambling inside foreign detention facilities rely on local testimonies and may differ from official investigations or judicial findings. Editor's Note)

 

 December 14, 2023, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila, Philippines.

 

Security was tighter than usual around the special flight bound for Korea. Under the watchful eyes of police officers, handcuffed Koreans boarded the aircraft in a line.

 

There were 47 passengers in total.

 

They were voice phishing organization members, fraudsters, drug offenders, violent criminals, and thieves who had fled abroad and were eventually caught. This included 11 individuals on Interpol's Red Notice list.

 

Reminiscent of a prisoner transport plane from a movie, this special flight was immediately dubbed the ‘Korean version of Con-Air.’

 

Among the repatriated suspects, 39 were charged with fraud, with the total damages investigated reaching approximately 46 billion KRW. 21 members of a voice phishing ring based in the Philippines were also extradited to Korea all at once.

 

It was highly unusual for the Korean police to collectively repatriate overseas fugitives via a chartered flight.

 

However, the more shocking stories remained after the special flight left the Philippines.

 

Local residents testified that inside the foreign detention facility where they stayed before repatriation, an entirely different world unfolded depending on whether one had money.

 

They claim it is a prison for those without money, but an ‘alternative society’ where alcohol, meat, and even gambling are possible for those with money.

 

◇ Why criminals head to the Philippines

 

The Philippines, consisting of over 7,000 islands, is a tourism powerhouse with world-class resorts like Cebu, Boracay, and Palawan.

 

Emerald seas, white sand beaches, and luxury resorts attract countless tourists every year. With well-developed casinos, golf courses, and nightlife, it is a favorite overseas travel destination for Koreans.

 

However, behind the glamorous resorts coexist unstable public safety, gun crimes, kidnappings, murders, and corruption.

 

Criminal organizations have established bases in the Philippines, exploiting the relatively low cost of living, the English-speaking environment, and the geographical nature of having numerous islands. When investigation nets tighten around their voice phishing or illegal online gambling sites, they simply move to a different city or island.

 

According to police data, as of the end of November 2022, there were 144 Korean fugitives in the Philippines, accounting for 29.7% of the 485 total overseas fugitives at the time.

 

This means about 3 out of every 10 Korean overseas fugitives were hiding in the Philippines.

 

Because of this, the ‘Korean Desk,’ dispatched by the Korean National Police Agency, operates in the Philippines. The Korean Desk cooperates with local police to investigate crimes involving Koreans and tracks the whereabouts of fugitives.

 

The 47 people repatriated by the special flight in 2023 were the result of this cooperative investigation.

 

◇ Another prison waiting for repatriation

 

Foreign fugitives arrested in the Philippines stay in local correctional facilities or immigration detention centers until their trials and deportation procedures are completed.

 

It is known that foreigners of various nationalities, ranging from suspects of serious crimes like murder, robbery, and kidnapping to those charged with drugs, fraud, and illegal stay, are held here.

 

The detention period varies from person to person. If identity verification, local trials, deportation orders, and repatriation negotiations with the home country are delayed, some cases result in waiting for months or even years.

 

In places with poor facilities and medical environments, concerns about disease and human rights abuses are also raised. One of the reasons the Korean police collectively repatriated the 47 suspects was the potential health and human rights issues that could arise from long-term detention locally.

 

However, the appearance of the detention facility described by local residents was quite different from a typical prison.

 

While inmates without money must endure narrow and poor communal living, those with money and connections can enjoy relatively comfortable spaces and various conveniences.

 

It was a story where money determines class even behind bars.

 

◇ “If you have money, you live in a room like a condo”

 

Mr. A, a resident of the Philippines for 22 years, said he knows the internal situation of the foreign detention facility relatively well.

 

According to his explanation, there were separate accommodations inside the facility with an atmosphere completely different from the general detention area. He claims there are rooms decorated like condos in areas surrounded by forests or trees, and some inmates who can pay large sums of money live there.

 

“People without money live just like the general inmates. But I heard that those with money use separate rooms and can live much more freely. Even though they are within the same walls, their lives are completely different.”

 

There were rumors circulating locally that around 10 million KRW or more per month is needed to use such accommodations.

 

The exact amount and operating method have not been officially confirmed. However, stories that “wealthy foreign inmates receive special treatment” have been constant in the Korean community for a long time.

 

Mr. A explained that except for roll calls at specific times, rest and sleep are known to be relatively free.

 

“Some say that except for the fact that you can't go outside, it's not much different from a decent lodging facility. The power of money works even inside the prison.”

 

◇ Weekend parties with meat and alcohol

 

Even more shocking were the parties that take place on weekends.

 

According to Mr. A's testimony, some inmates with financial means contact the outside world to order beef, pork, and seafood. It is said that alcohol and cigarettes could also be obtained if you had the money.

 

While food ingredients and supplies for general inmates come in through designated channels, he explains that high-end ingredients and items for the special accommodations are delivered through separate routes.

 

“They say that on weekends, they order good cuts of meat, seafood, alcohol, and cigarettes. I heard that four or five people gather to have a party, and sometimes it costs over 1 million KRW in a single night.”

 

Some residents also claimed that they pay to bring in outside women. However, as there is no official confirmation from facility authorities regarding the entry of women, it is difficult to conclude it as fact.

 

Nevertheless, local residents believe that the backdrop for these persistent rumors lies in the deep-rooted corruption and monetary transaction practices of Philippine society.

 

Mr. A said, “It’s rare to find things that can’t be done with money in general society, and it’s even harder to verify the reality of detention facilities where management and surveillance are conducted in a closed manner.”

 

◇ Gambling that doesn't stop even behind bars

 

The most bizarre aspect of the foreign detention facility is gambling.

 

It is said that people who have lost their freedom after being arrested for criminal charges gamble with money using cards and marbles even inside the detention facility.

 

It starts as a light game to relieve boredom. They start by betting cigarettes or food, and it gradually turns into gambling where cash is exchanged.

 

When the stakes get high, people who lend money appear.

 

Loan sharks who lend gambling money around casinos are commonly called ‘Kkongji.’ According to resident testimony, people who play this role also exist inside the foreign detention facility.

 

If an inmate who lost money borrows money to gamble again and cannot pay it back, they contact their family or outside acquaintances to demand a remittance.

 

“They say credit is life inside the detention facility. There are rumors that if you borrow money to gamble and don't pay it back by the promised date, you can be assaulted or threatened. It’s as if what happens in the casinos outside is repeated exactly the same way inside the walls.”

 

It is a staggering vicious cycle where a person arrested for gambling continues to gamble in the detention facility, and those who lose all their money use loan sharks again.

 

The explanation is that only the location has changed to a correctional facility, and it is not much different from the loan shark scene around casinos.

 

◇ Special outings allowed under the guise of illness

 

Testimony emerged that the power of money extends beyond the walls.

 

Mr. A conveyed that some inmates are allowed external medical treatment for illness, and rumors circulated locally that preferential outings using money are possible during this process.

 

When going out, they are accompanied by armed prison guards or security personnel and mostly return to the facility on the same day.

 

Normal external medical treatment is essential to guarantee the basic medical rights of inmates. However, it is claimed that there are cases where medical treatment is used as an excuse to meet people outside or handle personal business, rather than being genuinely sick.

 

“I heard that if you hand over a large sum of money, you can make an excuse that you are sick and go out to an external hospital. Of course, a prison guard accompanies you with a gun, but going outside the detention facility itself is a privilege unimaginable for general inmates.”

 

This also has not been confirmed by official investigations by the authorities. However, local testimonies that accommodation, food, living conveniences, and even outing opportunities change depending on money show a distrust in the Philippine judicial and correctional system.

 

◇ Another market created by criminals

 

If the privileges of the foreign detention facility are true, it is not the power of the inmate alone that makes this possible.

 

For high-end accommodations, outside food, alcohol, cigarettes, gambling, and loan sharking to exist, there must be managers, brokers, and outside suppliers who supply goods, deliver money, and condone entry.

 

In that process, a shadow market can be created where managers, brokers, and outside suppliers share the profits.

 

Wealthy foreign inmates are the best customers in this market.

 

This is because they spend money for months or years while waiting for repatriation or deportation. If someone can continuously procure money through family or criminal proceeds, they can buy special treatment even in a detention facility.

 

It means the facility that should be locking up criminals has instead become another business site targeting the criminals' money.

 

Mr. A summarized this in one sentence.

 

“It is hell for those without money, and an uncomfortable condo for those with money.”

 

◇ All are the same suspects on the special flight

 

However, privileges bought with money end in front of a repatriation decision.

 

The 47 Korean suspects who boarded the special flight on December 14, 2023, could no longer use condo-style accommodations, outside food, alcohol, or cigarettes.

 

From the moment they sat in their airplane seats, they were merely suspects under the surveillance of the Korean police.

 

Voice phishing organization members, fraudsters, and drug/violent crime suspects boarded the same aircraft. As the plane entered Korean airspace, police officers in charge of each case prepared to take custody.

 

No matter how long they had been hiding in the Philippines, and no matter how special the treatment they received in local facilities, they had to stand in court upon arriving in Korea.

 

As the special flight touched down on the runway, their life as fugitives in the Philippines also came to an end.

 

◇ A country where heaven and hell coexist

 

The Philippines is an attractive country with beautiful seas, islands, and a warm climate. Tourists from all over the world visit because they can enjoy casinos, golf, and relaxation together.

 

At the same time, a dark side of wealth inequality, corruption, gun crime, and organized crime exists.

 

The testimony that even in the same detention facility, those without money must endure narrow spaces and poor environments, while those with money enjoy relatively comfortable accommodations, food, and various conveniences, symbolizes the extreme duality of Philippine society.

 

People deprived of freedom gamble again behind bars, and if they lose money, they borrow from loan sharks. Those who became criminals because of money and gambling outside repeat the same behavior inside.

 

To them, prison may not be a space of correction preparing for a new life, but another society where money and desire continue to change forms.

 

And the rules governing that strange world are simple.

 

Even if you wear a prison uniform, if you have money, you are treated well; if you don't, you must endure the weight of the bars with your whole body.

 

This is also why stories surrounding Philippine foreign detention facilities continue endlessly between fact and rumor.

 

Because while the walls look equally high to everyone, life inside them is not fair.