Help Bring Jason Home

My name is Carlye de Laney, and I’m asking for help to free my fiance, Jason Carl Niesen, who has been wrongfully detained in Manila since September 30th.

Jason and I are both from California and came to the Philippines to help develop a business partnership legally and transparently. We were living quietly in Cagayan de Oro with our newborn daughter, Kaiya, when everything changed.

What Happened

Jason’s former business partner also from the U.S., John, began a campaign of harassment after their professional fallout earlier this year. When he couldn’t remove Jason legally from their U.S. company, he turned to intimidation, false accusations, and misuse of connections in the Philippines.

On September 30, men arrived at our home claiming to be from the Homeowners Association. When Jason questioned them, several others got out of a vehicle with badges and cameras, identifying themselves as Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers. They told Jason he needed to come with them to “clarify” a complaint at the CDO Immigration Office and assured him he would be released afterward.

Jason went peacefully and cooperatively — He was brought to the Immigration office but never made it inside the building. Instead, he was taken away under false pretenses and transported to Manila, where he remains detained to this day at the BIWF in Muntinlupa.

Despite requests, we have never been given official documents or a valid reason for his continued detainment.

Why This Happened

This appears to be a retaliation orchestrated by his ex-business partner, using influence and false information to get Jason in trouble. The arresting officer, was later identified as the same man who had previously gone undercover, pretending to have "business to discuss" confirming the premeditated nature of this setup.

Jason has always respected the laws of the Philippines. He was in the process of legally securing his work visa and had already completed his TIN registration and AEP with the Department of Labor. He had no criminal activity, no immigration violations, and no reason to be detained.

Our Family’s Situation

Since Jason’s detention, I have been alone with our infant daughter, Kaiya, trying to stay safe and stable in a foreign country while fighting this uphill legal battle. The financial and emotional toll has been overwhelming. I cannot continue like this without him, and our daughter deserves her father home.

How You Can Help

We urgently need to raise $10,000 USD to hire an attorney who can file the proper legal actions to challenge Jason’s unlawful detention and secure his release. These funds will cover:

Legal fees and document preparation

Filing costs for his case

Any necessary travel or administrative expenses tied to the legal process

Every donation, no matter how small, brings us closer to justice and reunites our family.

If you can’t donate, please share this campaign — your support and voice matter deeply

From My Heart

Jason is not just my partner — he’s a loving father, a man of integrity, and the person who brings light to our lives. He has been wrongfully taken from us, and I am doing everything I can to bring him home while caring for our infant daughter alone.

Please help us fight this injustice and reunite our family.

With hope and gratitude,

Carlye de Laney

(on behalf of baby Kaiya Jade Niesen