Zhang Jiale’s foster parents: Please give her a second chance
TAHO-THROWER, A PANGASINAN RESIDENT
CALASIAO—“Our hearts are broken because of what happened. Please give her a second chance.”
The Filipino foster parents of Chinese student Zhang Jiale who threw a cup of taho at PO1 William Cristobal on Feb. 9 at the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 Boni Station in Mandaluyong City are appealing to authorities to forgive her.
Oscar Saplaco and his wife Rosalinda of Barangay Mancup here told The PUNCH in an interview that their hearts are broken whenever Zhang is ridiculed and shamed by Filipinos in the news because of that mistake. Zhang’s photograph with Cristobal whose police uniform was doused with taho went viral on Facebook.
Oscar said he and his wife didn’t immediately learn about what happened at the MRT between Zhang and Cristobal until one of their biological sons phoned them about it.
He said they were saddened on seeing their foster daughter Zhang in a mug shot photo wearing a yellow t-shirt for detainees.
“My wife kept on crying. We hurriedly proceeded to the (Mandaluyong) police station and there the mother and daughter cried together,” Oscar said.
He said they advised Zhang to apologize which she did in her media interviews.
Five years ago, Zhang and her biological parents were in Tondaligan Beach in Dagupan City and asked them if they knew where to go to a Christian Church for worship and a place where they could stay. They ended up playing gracious hosts to Zhang and her family in their home as they, too, are Christians, Saplaco said.
He said Zhang didn’t know about the ban on bringing liquid substances and other food items as a security measure against bomb threats and thought she was simply being harassed. “Her perennial breakfast is taho and at that time, she was in a hurry,” he said.
Urging authorities to conduct a deeper investigation into what and why it happened, he
said Zhang loves the Philippines and the Filipinos that’s why she chose to study fashion design and painting in a Makati school.
He recalled Zhang often telling them that she wants to stay in the Philippines because Filipinos are good, kind, hospitable and helpful. “Why do they treat her that way?,” he said, referring to the manner Zhang was re-arrested by Bureau of Immigration operatives.
He added that in the five years that they have known her, Zhang is friendly, kind, without any vices and is health-conscious. “She is respectful and often does not go out if she’s not with us,” he added.
The Saplacos have four sons and one daughter who is a policewoman in Hawaii. “In her absence, Zhang is like our own daughter”.
He said Zhang has adapted to the Filipino custom of bringing pasalubong for them whenever she returns from her home Shandong, China and they, in return, would buy gifts for her to bring to her loved ones in China.
Whenever her parents come to Pangasinan, they would stay in Saplacos residence. (PhilStar Wire Service)
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