Hong Kong man returns home after 26 years in Philippine prisons

Tang Lung-wai has returned to Hong Kong after spending 26 years in Philippine prisons following a drug-related arrest he has consistently said was the result of a frame-up. Tang was arrested in Manila in July 2000 for possession of methamphetamine, also known as Ice. He remained in custody for more than 11 years before being convicted in 2011 and sentenced to life imprisonment.

In the Philippines, such a sentence can mean up to 40 years. A Manila court commuted his sentence in July, citing his good conduct. He was subsequently deported and arrived back in Hong Kong on Tuesday, according to the South China Morning Post.

Tang told the newspaper that he had initially felt deep resentment about what he said had happened to him. Over time, however, he said he decided to adapt to prison and regarded the experience as a form of karma for the way he had treated family members, friends and former girlfriends. He maintains that he was not in the Philippines when surveillance connected with the crime was conducted on June 1, 2000.

Tang said he travelled to the country on June 19 and believed police attention turned to him after a co-defendant collected him from the airport. Tang also alleged that police beat him, demanded money for his release and staged a raid on a flat where drugs were found. He said he and others were forced to admit the offence at gunpoint.

These claims are presented as his account in the interview. He described severe overcrowding and hardship in Quezon City Jail, where he initially slept on the floor and lacked money for basic necessities. He later earned food by washing clothes and working in prison restaurants.

Tang eventually wrote about prison life on social media and published two books. He said the experience changed him and taught him how to become a better person.