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Seaman
finds Cuban bait costly
ABS
CBN News, Philippines.June
4, 2004.
Newton Vinteres, a seaman from Mandaluyong
City, spent five years in a Cuban prison
for attempting to consort with a prostitute,
who is a minor, and came back hoping that
his bitter lesson would serve as a warning
to other Filipino seamen like him.
Vinteres, 61, an engineer on an oil tanker
received a 10-year jail term, but was set
free after five years and six months "for
good behavior."
Like any lonely seaman who had been at
sea for a month, Vinteres, along with two
other Filipinos, Gonzalo Garcia and Vicente
Caro took fancy of three alluring girls
who were offered to them at the Havana harbor.
Their ship, Marine Transport Lacuna had
just dropped anchor after coming from Alaska
in June of 1998.
Probably not aware that they were being
set up, a stevedore approached them and
offered the girls, whose curvaceous and
voluptuous bodies belie their young age.
Once in their taxi with the intent on bringing
the girls to a nearby hotel, a team of policemen
appeared from nowhere and accused them of
"corrupcion des minores" a criminal
offense.
"Anong malay namin na bata 'yun eh
ang lalaki ng dibdib [How do we know that
they are minors when they have huge chest],"
Vinteres said.
The policemen were demanding hard cash
in exchange for their freedom but since
they have been employed for only a month,
the three could only show loose change.
The three were eventually sent to La Condesa
prison outside Havana, where all foreign
offenders are detained.
Another surprise greeted them when they
were served "balinghoy" (cassava)
as their Spanish speaking guards call the
root crops, which is "kamoteng kahoy"
in Luzon.
The root crop would be their common fare,
with an occasional fish or meat thrown in
from time to time.
Vinteres said he toiled very hard at whatever
was assigned to him, earning the confidence
of the warden. After a year, he was transferred
to a minimum-security cell and allowed to
repair electronic items like electric fan,
radio and "Walkman" transistors.
The seamen's plight apparently reached
the Philippine Embassy in New York so that
one day, the three have a visitor, Leticia
Ramos Shahani, who was then permanent Ambassador
to the United Nations, including Cuba.
She gave them clothes, and on subsequent
visits, which were quite frequent, "adobo"
which they shared with fellow inmates.
Ambassador Herminia Sarmiento, who succeeded
Shahani was equally kind and caring, visiting
and providing the three with food and clothing.
R. Mercene
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