PRESS RELEASE: Archbishop of Cebu assists forgotten Australian in Lapu Jail

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Update on Troy Birthisel, an Australian, who is locked up in Cebu City (Lapu) jail in the Philippines. He has been there now going on 9 years without a trial and been before the court over 50 times without a legal decision on his future as his case is adjourned each time on technicalities (no evidence or witnesses so he is still supposedly under police investigation).
I am working with his family in trying to secure his release and you can only imagine how hard it is in an eastern legal system that we just don’t understand as any sense of western justice doesn’t come into the picture. He is ignored at every level so far but I decided to email the Archbishop of Cebu as 85% of the country are Catholics and ask for his intervention on humanitarian grounds.
Jose S. Palma, the Archbishop, immediately replied and then visited Troy in Cebu City jail, much to Troy’s delight, and he reported to his family that His Excellency graciously took time to listen to his story (Troy is not Catholic) and offered the church’s lawyers to assist him in gaining his release. Troy told his family that the power was restored to the prison (they had been 2 months without it since a typhoon passed through) and the prisons guards were so overwhelmed by the visit they had photos taken with the good Archbishop. The family and I are very grateful for his intervention and wish him every success in his endeavours as any options from doing it from here have run out.
I have never met or talked to Troy as you have to be family to phone him in prison but from the moment I heard the story, I was taken by the injustice of it all and can not understand why he is still in there and the key has been basically thrown away. He has children one of whom he has never met as she was born after his arrest so we are hopeful His Excellency may finally end Troy’s nightmare.

Media Contacts:

Name: brian murphyCompany: Brian MurphyEmail: [email protected]Phone: 0435603183

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troy.jpg

February 21, 2022/by Reland Pigte

About Brian Murphy

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