57 Alan Atkins’ Article

59 BROTHER WITH PRAYERS! Forget it and stay home. Give your money you are wasting to a good lawyer to speed up Michael’s release.

I understand Michael’s situation well. Let us make the best out of it. With your terror stories about the Philippines you will not gain anything. I am willing to help and I am willing to do it on my own expenses as I did in all the cases the accuser of Michael, this sick Irish Priest is involved. Let us do it, but agree, that your damn Mission is the wrong way. We had too much Religion involved in these cases, we do not need more. We need facts and action. More important, we do not need to insult my host country, as you are doing it. Come to your sense and all of us will help. If you are coming with accusations and uncalled prayer rallies, leave us alone. Please agree that my friends and I hear the word first hand over here. Don’t make a commercial gimmick out of your “DEAD MAN ALIVE”. I was sh-t on as our lawyer was too. We are not calling ourselves that cr-p.

If I do a work, I do it the legal way and respect the Philippine Law, the Philippine Culture and the Philippine Penal System. This system is not nice and needs review, according to the worldwide standard, which is changing all the time. Please respect in this connection the letter of Alan Atkins. I hope you understood me!

Regards

Harry E. Joost (A man alive because he understands and respects Philippine Laws, Culture and Mentality) 57 Alan Atkins’ Article

From: Alan Atkins

Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 16:35:49 +0800

To: David Clarke <david@dclarke49.fsnet.co.uk>

Cc: Harry Joost and Ian Sargeant (H.M Consul)

Subject: Re: FW: Michael John Clarke-Shay Cullen - Mission to the Philippines

This e-mail was published in June’s Issue of Immigration Today

Dear David

From your many messages, and reading your various publications, you seem a genuinely good person who has a genuine desire to help your brother to “get out of jail free.” I understand that you gave your life to preaching about Jesus, and giving advice to others. Then, David, I hope that you are as good at taking advice as giving it, because I must endorse what Harry Joost is advising you, and beg you to postpone your intended mission to the Philippines. Basically, it can do no good, and only do harm. You see, you are looking at the small picture of your brother Michael and his problems

60 caused by Cullen. You are looking at curing a patient while there are a growing number of people who are working at eliminating the disease. Your proposed timing could just not be worse. In fact, your proposal, should it go ahead, will ensure that at least one person washes his hands and vows to let every foreigner who gets into trouble in this country to go to hell. I think that Harry would join me. We will sometimes sit in his restaurant and enjoy a beer instead.

After many years of suffering abuse, insults, threats, lawsuits and worse from a vicious and cunning adversary. I believe that Harry is about to turn the tide. He hasn’t done this for money. It has cost him money and reputation. He hasn’t done this in the name of Jesus. He has done it as simply a good man who believes somebody has to do something. Just when he has something about to happen, that if won, would be justification to hold an inquiry into all cases brought about by Cullen, you intend to blow in and set public opinion firmly against foreigners at totally the wrong time for us here.

How do you think this will help Michael? Do you think the authorities will say, “Oh, dear. His brother has found Jesus. We must release him. “ Rubbish”. Please see if you can find an immigrant Filipino who speaks good English and get him to explain hiya and napihya to you. It is important that you fully understand this before you open your mouth even once in the Philippines. Your action may please the British press. They may even pay you for it. It is a good story - for them. It is tomorrow’s fish and chip wrapping. I will tell you what it will do for Michael. It will ensure that he never receives parole and serves out the full sentence. Ask Suny how we were punished just because one of his stupid foreigner mates upset the commander of the guards.

What are you hoping to get Cullen to do? Admit that he is a fraud? Confess to the authorities that he made false accusations? You know exactly what your visit will achieve - absolutely nothing positive, therefore only negative. You think you can convert some Filipinos to your brand of religion? Filipinos pray more than any other race. They have calluses on their knees from praying. What they need is not someone to tell them to pray more, they need someone to tell them to stop asking for more favours, just get off their knees, do some work, and earn it. This country is poor because of prayer. These people expect God to solve everything for them, not recognizing he has already given all the gifts they need.

In the Philippines, every year, a number of typhoons come through the country creating a great deal of damage. We clean up the mess and get on with our lives. I liken your intended visit as a typhoon. You will do a great

61 deal of damage, but damage we may not be prepared to clear up. Maybe we will say enough is enough. Why in heavens name, will you not trust those of us who have lived here, know the systems and how to work within them?

Why do you believe you know better?

Now, knowing you will show this to a man I spent nearly a year of my life worrying about, Suny, who childishly has adopted a silly name, Dead Man Alive, which I refuse to use. Why in heavens name does he want to return here? The least amount of damage he can do to you is attract a huge crowd from Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, who will not only howl for his blood, but yours and your brother’s. They alone will ensure that Michael receives no parole, ever. They still have a poster in their office, which says, Bring the Briton Back.

Although being played up for publicity, his life is only at risk if he returns to his old area in Valenzuela. Mind you, I think I could strangle him myself. Why do this after all the work to get him out of here? How, in three weeks, is he going to actually help his fellow convicts in Muntinlupa the reverse? If he were genuine, instead of wasting an airfare, he would donate the cost of it to these fellow convicts, as he is well aware of the importance of funds in that prison.

If N--- is not granted her visa to UK before he comes, or worse, if she is totally refused her visa, she then has nothing to lose. All other accusations she made against him can still stand. Just because evidence was listened to in court regarding other alleged rapes, he was not on trial for any one of them. This was pointed out in the decision handed down by the Supreme Court. He cannot therefore claim immunity from prosecution. Is he really confident that under great pressure from Gabriella, VACC and her own father, that she will not press these charges? Are you really sure, Suny? Because, I am not, and if it happens, I promise you, you are on your own this time, and I hope you are as competent as you projected to the UK press. Did you pay Ortega and Co? If not, you could face arrest on this outstanding bill. What are you going to achieve? Stand on the steps of DOJ with your reimbursement money, stating how disgusting it is, when it is the amount specified for Filipinos, by law. As a foreigner, do you think you qualify for more? In the current climate, there will be anti-foreign press, and what will you have achieved? Absolutely nothing but publicity for yourself and damage to those you promised to help. For goodness sake!

I, like Harry, want nothing to do now with your mission. I think it is detrimental to all the work we have achieved and had hoped to achieve in the future. You want to wreck it? On your conscious be it.

However, if it goes ahead, I will distance myself by sending this to all