Remember Finardo G Cabilao that was brutally murdered, tortured, found sprawled in a pool of blood just like a butchered animal in a pasar malam, with severe head injuries due to repeated hitting with a blunt object by several assaulters??
I speak of him as though he was a good friend. Our paths have never crossed in this lifetime, but I trust the words of the thousands of people whose hearts he has touched, and who speak ever so fondly of this great man.
Finardo Cabilao was a diplomat from Philippines, assigned to Malaysia with an important task at hand; to stop human trafficking.
As a fully qualified social worker, Cabilo headed counseling and many other social services for countless Filipino laborers working overseas, especially those who have fallen trap into slavery gangs in Malaysia. He, a 49 year old petite man, never took fear or hesitated to join the raids and rescue operations in scattered nightspots all over East Malaysia in look for the culprits of this nasty business that thrive on women and children.
Cabilao was, by all accounts, a dedicated public servant and a tireless defender of his fellow-Filipinos who were in trouble. He was constantly risking his own safety or his status as a diplomat to help Filipinos who were sold as meat to brothels, with barely any hope for redemption. Cabilo’s embrace was described by the victims as being a sanctuary from their tormentors. Sitting next to him, one would never guess that upon the shoulders of that frail man- rests the salvation of many trafficked victims.
Cabilo put his life on the line, knowing that he was messing with some of the biggest tycoons who were making money off these trafficked victims. However, after “in-depth investigations”, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said there was NO link between the Cabilo murder and human trafficking syndicates.
How does one rule out ALL possibiliies that the Cabilo, the Head of the social welfare department of Philippines Embassy had NOTHING to do with the fact that he was fighting against human trafficking??
Well, the authorities seem to have a perfectly reasonable and practical answer… “probably, the motive of the murder had to do with a homosexual relationship” said Musa.
Wow, who would have reckoned huh? After years of fearless fighting against some of the biggest gangsters in Malaysia, and after receiving several work-related death threats, he goes and gets himself butchered by a man that he was supposedly having a homosexual relationship with. Not only did he visit a sex worker, it was concluded that the motive of the murder was because the suspect was not paid for his service."
So here we have, a respectable 49 year old man who had devoted his life to fight against the trafficking of people, not to mention working in an embassy that has a reputation of paying their staff handsomely, married to a beautiful woman – murdered for not paying a male sex worker his worth.
According to The Star online, September 5th 2009- "Investigations are still ongoing to make a stronger case, including checking his DNA before sending it to the Attorney-General’s Chambers" (Musa, Sep 2009).
It seems to be that the purpose of the investigation was not to find enough evidence to rule out various motives to the murder. Rather, it is to find enough evidence to prove a preconceived motive of the murder.
Well, its just part of history repeating itself I guess. When there is a lack of evidence and the public is watching, let the gays get the blame for it!
As thousands of Philippians and victims of trafficking pine for the loss of a great soul, and await justice for Cabilo and those alike, the Malaysian authorities were reported to be still “working on the case.” Looks like the tycoons just found themselves some new BFF’s !!
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Just sum info that a friend had shared with me as i was writing this article; i thought might be interesting:
According to a pole done by the Malaysian Home Ministry:
* 76 % out of a 1600 sample size were angry at the local police.
* 70% out of a 1500 sample size had paid bribe to a police officer out of desperation.
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