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Saturday, November 05, 2005
Nalzaro: A Pakistani’s horrifying experience
By Bobby Nalzaro
Rashid Ashraf, a Pakistani who is married to a Cebuana and whose establishment was raided by enforcers of the business section of the Lapu-Lapu City Government and the city’s policemen last month, is in the state of shock after that horrifying experience.
This according to the information relayed to me by a university professor who is very close to the Pakistani and is concerned with his plight.
Last Oct. 24, a City Hall inspection team headed by Teodulo Ybañez backed by Lapu-Lapu City policemen raided and padlocked the residence/establishment of Ashraf located in Barangay Mactan for lack of business permit. The Pakistani is into soap manufacturing.
The team also confiscated chemicals and raw materials used to manufacture detergent bars in the belief that these were ingredients for explosives and drugs. Samples of the chemicals were sent to the PNP Crime Laboratory for examination. Until now, no official finding has been released.
Ashraf’s business is registered under his wife's name at the Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Trade and Industry. My informant vouched for the legitimacy of the business as the couple has complied with the requirements, except for a business permit that was, perhaps, overlooked.
The professor also lamented the way the local media handled the story. She said some media outlets exaggerated the incident and made the Pakistani look like a terrorist.
Ashraf was seen roaming around wearing the same clothes, underwear, pair of socks and shoes for one week as his family immediately left for Bohol after the raid. The family of my informant took him in their residence.
The professor said Ashraf’s dreams for his family have been shattered because of that experience. His business associates and friends are distancing themselves from him for fear they would be linked to his “questionable” business. His kids no longer want to go to school because their classmates teased them about their father being a “terrorist.”
Ashraf decided to live and set up a business in Lapu-Lapu with his wife because they felt it is an ideal place for them. But everything has become a nightmare after they were “harassed.” Ashraf is now seeking justice for what had happened to him. In the meantime, he needs more time to attend to some family concerns and erase the social stigma brought about by the sad experience.
Well, if Ashraf feels his rights were violated, then he should seek redress before our courts. Why won't he sue the concerned City Hall officials and policemen? Even if he is a foreigner, our laws still protect him.
(bgnalzaro@gmanetwork.com)
(November 5, 2005 issue)
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