Filipino tourists continue to flock to HK

 

The Big Buddha in Lantau is a favorite tourist destination

Hong Kong has again boosted its tourist arrivals last month, with about 3.8 million visitors being recorded, for a 13 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

Among those who came in bigger numbers were Filipinos, whose number grew by 20 percent compared with the previous year, along with those from Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Indonesia.

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But Australia notched the biggest increase in tourist arrivals, with an additional 30 percent being recorded for April.

In sheer numbers, however, Taiwan, followed closely by South Korea and the Philippines, remain as the biggest sources of tourists to Hong Kong, after the mainland.

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Last month, a total of 370,421 visitors from Taiwan came in, while 338,364 flew in from South Korea, and 312,575 from the Philippines.

Last year, however, only Taiwan and the Philippines notched more than 1 million visitors each, while the United States and South Korea each had well over 800,000.

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For comparison, tourist arrivals from the Mainland numbered a staggering 34,043,127 last year. As of March this year, they have already breached the 9 million mark.

Between January and April this year, Hong Kong recorded a cumulative total of 16 million.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board noted that the rise in tourist arrivals has been sustained across various source countries and territories, with significant growth being recorded in several key regions. 

HK to expand public dental services from June

 

HK residents have to wait a long time to get treated at public dental clinics
(photo from Prince Phillip Dental Hospital)

Starting next month, the Hong Kong government will raise its service quota at nine of its dental clinics for the general public by around 30 percent, or up to 26,000.

This means that all Hong Kong ID holders including foreign domestic workers, will have a bigger chance of getting treated at public dental clinics.

Previously, people seeking dental treatment, including tooth extraction, had to queue up as early as 6am to get a slot. With the recent introduction of an online booking system for public dental services, all the clinics have been fully booked.

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At the same time, permanent residents receiving government aid such as the Old Age Living Allowance or are exempted from paying hospital fees, will benefit from an expanded government-subsidised dental program that will start on May 26.

Under the Community Dental Support Programme, the bookings for qualified residents will be increased to 40,000 a year, more than double the current government service quota.

The beneficiaries can have their teeth filled or removed for $50 a tooth, for a total of three teeth each time. They can apply for the service once every 180 days.

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The service will be offered at 80 clinics, with some people getting a total waiver of the minimal fee.

Recipients must hold a Hong Kong ID card and register for the government's eHealth system.

5-month imprisonment for lying to Immigration

 

The accused lied a second time to an immigration officer at the airport 

Lying twice to Immigration officers has resulted in a Filipina being jailed for five months.

Jo An Mantos, 39 years old, pleaded guilty today at Shatin Court to two counts of violating section 42 (1)(a) of the Immigration Ordinance.

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The first charge of “making a false statement to an Immigration Officer,” arose from her statement last March 20 when she was applying for an extension of stay, that she would work for a certain Choi Pu Kai as a domestic helper.

“… you did make (the) statement knowing the same to be false or not believing the same to be true,” the charge sheet accused Mantos.

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She repeated the offense last May 13 when she told the same lie to an Immigration officer at the departure area of the HK International Airport.

Acting Principal Magistrate Cheang Kei-hong meted on Mantos a six-month sentence for each of the two charges, but reduced both by one third to four months due to her guilty plea.

With three months of the second sentence running at the same time as the first, the resulting sentence was a total of five months.

 

 

Court shuts down bail review for Pinoy

 

Junction where Filipino was arrested (Google Maps photo)  

A Filipino arrested while holding an iron pipe in a street in Central on a Sunday, was refused bail review yesterday at Eastern Court, shutting down the process which would have allowed him to petition for temporary liberty every eight days.

With the ruling, Magistrate Kestrel Lam ordered that S.P. S., a 25-year-old bar tender, be returned to jail to await the next hearing scheduled for June 30.

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Magistrate Lam explained to the defendant that the offense he is charged with is serious in nature and that evidence, including CCTV footage, point to his guilt.

S.P.S. is charged with possession of an offensive weapon in public place, in violation of section 33(1) of the Public Order Ordinance, which sets a maximum penalty of up to three years’ imprisonment.

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According to the police complaint, he was arrested last May 4 at Theatre Lane, at the junction with Queen’s Road Central, while in possession of “an offensive weapon, namely iron tube” … “without lawful authority and reasonable excuse…”

He still has the right to file an appeal with the High Court to gain temporary freedom.

‘Duter10’ sweep OV vote in HK, but not in other overseas posts

 

Printout of the election results shown to watchers and media at the Voters Center

Senatorial candidates handpicked by detained former President Rodrigo R. Duterte swept the overseas election among Filipinos in Hong Kong and Macau, results published earlier today by the consulates in both special administrative regions of China show.

According to the advisory, the total number of registered voters for both cities was 94,295 (more than 83,000 of them are in Hong Kong). Of these, 31,637 voters cast their ballots, for a total turnout of 33.55%

The 10 candidates known to their followers as “Duter10” occupied the top slots in the ballot, with the remaining two going to former senators Gringo Honasan who ran as an independent; and Tito Sotto, who was in the administration ticket.

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Incumbent senator Bong Go led the winning candidates, followed closely by Bato dela Rosa and Rodante Marcoleta.

For the party-list vote, Duterte Youth, which was largely carried by Duterte supporters, was a runaway leader; followed by CIBAC, which is aligned with the Jesus is Lord Church which has a sizeable following in Hong Kong; then EPANAW Sambayanan, whose first nominee is Lorraine Badoy, a staunch Duterte ally.

Nearly the same result was obtained in several posts in the Middle East like Kuwait, where Go, Dela Rosa and Marcoleta emerged in the top three.

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But for their two additional choices, Filipinos in Kuwait went with Honasan and re-electionist Imee Marcos.

Filipinos in Singapore, however, dropped Quiboloy from the magic circle,  preferring to give the three last remaining spots to opposition candidates Bam Aquino and Francis Pangilinan, followed by Lacson.

The results showed a far different mix in places where there are fewer overseas contract workers, like in Los Angeles City, where Aquino and Pangilinan topped the list, followed by Heidi Mendoza, an independent candidate aligned with the two.

Go was on fourth slot, followed by Marcoleta, dela Rosa, another independent candidate Luke Espiritu, and then Lacson, Rodriguez, Bondoc, and Makabayan candidates Teddy Casino and France Castro.

In Australia, nearly the same names came out in the list of winners. The winning 12 candidates there were Aquino, Pangilinan, Mendoza, Go, dela Rosa, Espiritu, Marcoleta, Casino, Bondoc, Rodriguez, Lacson and Castro.

As as shown by the complete but unofficial results provided by the Commission on Elections, the overseas vote, which was done online for the first time, hardly reflected the national outcome.

This is due in large part to the low turnout for the historic vote. For example, out of the 4,557 registered voters in Southern California, which includes not just LA but also parts of Nevada and Arizona, only 1,131 voted online, for a dismal turnout of 3.27 percent.

Philippine Consul General for Macau Jun Israel and Macau CG Edna May Lazaro
made up the Special Board of Canvassers along with Vice Consul Gino Soriano 

Many voters have pointed to a lack of information about the new mode of voting, despite Comelec’s reported budget of at least P1.42 billion for making the transition as seamless as possible for the registered 1.3 million Filipino voters all over the world.

The technology used was also seen as far from user-friendly, as many voters complained of failing to even get past the initial stage of enrolling their credentials so they could be issued a ballot.

When they did manage to cast their ballots online, a number of voters expressed suspicion that their ballots had been replaced because the final page that showed up on their screen displayed a jumble of letters that seemed to form names of candidates they did not vote for.

Comelec and other officials tasked with administering the vote attributed this to birthing pains, and hope that the various experiences gained from the new technology would serve overseas voters in good stead when they get to vote in the more crucial presidential election in 2028.

 

 

Mixed results in Philippines’ mid-term election

 

More than 68m Filipinos voted across the country in yesterday's mid-term elections

A lot of surprises sprang from the results of the Philippines’ mid-term election, which is widely seen as a referendum on the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos and the looming showdown with his estranged vice-president Sara Duterte.

A mixed result came out of the elections which ended yesterday, March 12, both for Filipinos voting across the country and those who started voting overseas a month earlier.

Unofficial results put incumbent Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, a close aide of detained former President Rodrigo Duterte, a runaway leader in the senatorial race, something pre-election surveys had consistently forecast.

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But former Senator Bam Aquino placing second in the race came as a surprise to many, including himself. His political ally, Francis Pangilinan, also placed highly in the rankings, despite surveys showing both just beyond the winning circle of 12 senators.

Two other Duterte candidates finished strongly - incumbent Senator Ronaldo dela Rosa and Rep. Rodante Marcoleta.

While Marcos-backed candidates dominated the winners’ circle, taking seven of the 12 contested seats, two of them, Imee Marcos and Camille Villar, were also publicly endorsed by Vice President Duterte, so it is not likely they would vote to impeach her when the case comes before the Senate for trial.

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The other winning candidates who ran under the administration’s tickets were broadcaster Erwin Tulfo, former Senators Ping Lacson and Tito Sotto, and reelectionists Pia Cayetano and Lito Lapid.

With Aquino and Pangilinan easily securing slots in the winning circle, a number of supposed shoo-ins from the Marcos ticket failed to make it, including Tulfo’s brother Ben, Makati City Mayor Abby Binay, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos and incumbents Ramon “Bong” Revilla and Francis Tolentino.

The final unofficial tally shows 7 administration candidates landing in the magic circle

The Senate make-up will be crucial in determining whether President Marcos could push through with his political agenda, and hold sway on the fate of his jailed predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte and that of his embattled daughter, Sara.

Senators will act as jurors in an impeachment trial, and vote on the outcome. A 2/3 vote for impeachment would result to Sara Dutere being removed from office, and a lifetime ban.

Monday’s vote where 18,000  posts were contested, including mayors, governors and congressional representatives, yielded many other surprises.

Cynthia Villa's loss in Las Pinas is the first for her family since the 1990s

Among them, the defeat of outgoing Senator Cynthia Villar who ran as Congress representative for her hometown of Las Pinas, and of former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV who lost in his bid for the mayor’s post in Caloocan City.

As expected, former President Duterte was again elected as mayor of Davao City despite the uncertainty of his release from detention and return to the Philippines. He won alongside his son, Sebastian, who will slide down to the post of vice-mayor, and elder son Paolo, who retains his seat as Davao City representative.

Other runaway winners were Vico Sotto, who will serve his third and last term as mayor of Pasig City, and former Vice President Leni Robredo who will take up the post of Naga City mayor.

Akbayan, which leads the party-list vote, will have 3 Congress representatives

For the party-lists, Akbayan took most of the votes, winning more than 2.7 million votes, or nearly 6% of the total, which will ensure it of three seats in the House of Representatives. Its first nominee is human rights lawyer Chel Diokno.

The other sure winners are Duterte Youth, with 5.7% of the votes, Tingog with 3.96 %; 4Ps with 3.2%, Acts CIS with 2.67% and Ako Bicol with 2.4%

Permanent residents urged to register for HK elections

 

Filipinos who are permanent residents in Hong Kong and at least 18 years old are among the targets of this year’s voter registration campaign launched recently by the Registration and Electoral Office (REO) to prepare for the next Legislative Council election.

As geographical constituency electors, they will choose 20 of the the 90 Legislative Council seats during  the election to be held on Dec. 7. Of the other seats, 40 will be elected by the 1,500-member Election Committee, and 30 by trade-based indirectly elected functional constituencies (FCs).

The Ballot Box Family mascots, comprising the Blue Ballot, Red Ballot and Grandpa Ballot, have been used to generate interest, with an appeal for first-time voters to submit registration applications before the June 2 deadline so they can be included in the voter registry to be published this year.

Those who have moved to a new address also have until June 2 to update their information with the REO.

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"The REO encourages eligible persons to submit applications for new registration as GC electors or change of voter registration particulars through 'iAM Smart'. They may also provide/update their mobile phone number and email address, and check their voter registration status through 'iAM Smart'."

They must submit to the REO an address proof, as well as provide their phone number and email address to facilitate contact. Registered occupants of public rental housing under the Housing Department or subsidized housing under the Hong Kong Housing Society are not required to submit any address proof.

To enhance the accuracy and integrity of the voters’ information, the REO will continue to implement checking measures during this registration cycle and issue inquiry letters to electors. Printed on the envelopes will be the message, "Immediate action required. Your voting right is at stake."

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The REO may also contact the electors under inquiry through phone calls, SMS, email or fax.

Electors under inquiry must reply on or before June 2 by scanning the QR code on the letter to log on to the Voter Registration website (vr.gov.hk), or by email, post or fax, to maintain their voter registration status.

Members of the public who have doubts about their registration status may also check through "iAM Smart" or the Voter Registration website (https://www.vr.gov.hk/eng/), or by calling the REO's hotline (2891 1001).

Applications can also be submitted through forms which are available on the Voter Registration website for download, or may be obtained at the District Offices, the management offices of public housing estates and the REO. Completed forms can be sent by post to the REO, 29/F, Standard Chartered Tower, Millennium City 1, 388 Kwun Tong Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, by fax to 2891 1180, by email to form@reo.gov.hk or via the REO e-Form Upload Platform (www.reo-form.gov.hk).

Filipina jailed 14 months for laundering $1.3 million

Two Filipinas were sent to jail for money laundering a day apart at Fanling Court

Another Filipina domestic worker was jailed for 14 months after pleading guilty to laundering a total of $1,310,670.01 in dirty money through her account with Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank.

Perla Gergolingo, 40 years old, was sentenced at Fanling Magistracy on May 8, a month after admitting guilt.

She was charged, along with an unnamed person, of “dealing in property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offence,” with the use of her bank account, between July 6, 2020 and Sept. 9, 2020.

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A fellow Filipina domestic worker who was charged with her at the same time was jailed for eight months the previous day.

Marilyn Macanas, 36, was sentenced to eight months in prison after she admitted handling crime money amounting to $410,000 through an HSBC account.

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In a similar case heard at Kwun Tong court, Elle Cherel Gravera, 38, unemployed, was returned to jail until her next court appearance on June 24.

She is accused of dealing with dirty money “somewhere” in Hong Kong between Aug. 1, 2022 and Jan. 13, 2023.

Drivers’ group marks first year with fun and gift-giving

Vice Consul Alan Revote with OFDA President Elmer Orilla

By Ramon B. Dizon 

Dozens of people celebrated the first anniversary of the Overseas Filipino Drivers and Aspirants-Hong Kong (OFDAHK) atop Queensway Plaza in Admiralty on Apr 27 with dancing, singing, and sharing of festive food.

But it was also a time for sharing, as the group handed over a cash donation to fellow domestic worker, Margie Ledesma, who recently lost her husband in a fire at their home in General Trias, Cavite.

OFDAHK’s chairperson Chyrill Nadela decided to extend help to Ledesma after reading about her plight in The SUN online.

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"Doon lang din po namin siya nakilala,” said Nadela (That was how we first came to know her)

Guest speaker Vice Consul Alan Revote warmly praised the group’s generosity, and promised help in furthering its success and growth.

"Sana dumami pa ang mga organisasyong katulad n'yo na may aspetong pagtulong sa pag-angat ng kapwa Pilipino", Revote said. (I hope there’d be more groups like you that undertake to help raise the status of your fellow Filipinos).

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Also among the guests was Migrant Workers Office Officer-in-Charge Antonio Villafuerte, who  called on the group to keep supporting each other.

"Be an inspiration to each other", Villafuerte said, adding that this is one way to fortify the group and help prevent it from splitting up when it encounters rough patches.

Villafuerte urged the members to "be strong against challenges, (as) it will make you grow more mature to keep on going".

Association president Elmer Orilla echoed Nadela's call for OFWs to upgrade their skills by learning how to drive.

He hoped to help more Filipinos, male or female, acquire a driver’s licence in Hong Kong, which they can use to seek higher pay and other benefits.

"Ang pinaka-weapon lang naman sa mga bagay-bagay ay pagkakaisa at pagtutulungan", Orilla said. (The only weapon we have is our unity and willingness to cooperate).

Along with co-founder Susan Niduaza, Nadela and Orilla were the signatories when the group registered with the Societies Office of the Hong Kong Police Force last year.

Vice President Charlie Caddawan closed the program with the assurance that lady drivers are not seen as a threat to the male-dominated field of family drivers, saying there is enough room for everyone.

But he reminded everyone to keep improving their skills and performance.

 

 

Hundreds of Filipinos turn out for last Sunday of overseas voting

 

The room where voters get help enrolling into the election system was packed today

For the first time since online voting for overseas Filipinos began on April 13, there was a continuous flow of voters on the 18^th floor of United Center building in Admiralty today, which was the last Sunday of the vote.

The designated enrolment and voting center opened as early as 8am today and yesterday, to accommodate the expected surge from last-minute voters.

Luckily, the deadline for self-enrolment for OV, an important pre-requisite for voting, was again moved to until tomorrow so those who turned out to seek help in casting their ballots did not go away empty-handed.

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The enrolment phase was originally set to end last May 7, but was postponed to May 10, until the Commission on Elections decided to move the deadline yet again to tomorrow, which will also mark the end of voting for all Filipinos, whether based abroad or in the Philippines.

Vice Consul Jose Angelo Manuel, who is in charge of administering the vote in Hong Kong, said at about 4pm today when the crowd had begun to thin out, that the day’s turnout looked like the biggest ever.

However, unlike in the past when the Consulate would freely give out information on each day’s turnout, VC Manuel said that Comelec had informed them that such is not allowed under the law, as it could lead to “trending” the election results.

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But he conceded Sunday had been particularly hectic that he had to help with the enrolment of voters himself.

“It’s all hands on deck for us today,” he said.

The lobby of United Centre's 18th floor  where the voting center is located

But if one were to compare the day’s turnout with those in previous elections, it would look like this year’s mid-term election would see the smallest number of Filipino voters casting their vote.

This could be attributed to a number of reasons, including Comelec’s failure to provide adequate information about the online voting system, which is being held for the first time at Philippine posts abroad, and was supposed to make voting easier for them.

Many voters also encountered difficulty in enrolling their credentials, often because their identity documents could not be read by the system. At least one longtime voter said it took her five hours to enroll and vote, even after seeking help at the voting center.

Not-so-techy voters are taught how to create passwords - and retain them

But the biggest turn-off could be the claims of early voters that the receipt for the ballots that they just cast contained the names of candidates they did not vote for.

Comelec has repeatedly debunked this claim, saying the ballot could no longer be read by the voter once it is cast as a security measure to prevent vote-buying. What appears as a jumble of letters after the vote is cast is a code that only Comelec could encrypt during the counting of ballots.

Overseas Filipinos voters could elect as many as 12 senators and one party-list, while those in the Philippines could also vote for local officials, including their district’s representatives in Congress.

The election will officially end at 7pm tomorrow, May 12.

 

Mabatid & Gamallo fail in bid to stop illegal recruitment charges

 

Mabatid and Gamallo are both running for public office in the upcoming Philippine elections

A Cebu-based businesswoman seeking to reclaim a seat as Cebu City councilor has lost her bid to get the Department of Justice reconsider its decision to charge her and five of her alleged accomplices with multiple counts of syndicated illegal recruitment and estafa.

In a decision promulgated last May 5, the DOJ denied a motion for reconsideration filed by respondent Prisca Nina Mabatid, who is running for a seat as councilor in Cebu City; along with her partner, Russ Mark Gamallo, who is seeking his first public post as mayor of Samboan, Cebu.

Both Mabatid and Gamallo are also subject of fraud complaints by around 20 overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong who claim the two had tricked them into paying Php132,000 each in February 2023 on the promise that they could enter Canada on a work-study program that did not exist. 

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The two were joined in the DOJ motion by their co-accused Clark M. Jueco, Vincent Adam Hechanova, Clint Victor A. Caingles and Noverna “Bernie” S. Uy.

All six were named respondents in the complaints filed by 11 Filipino jobseekers from across the Philippines, who claimed to have paid at least Php100,000 each, after being promised student visas that would allow them to work in Canada. 

The student visas,  offered through the companies PinoyCare Visa Center (PCVC) and Opportunities Abroad Visa Processing Services, never materialised  

One of the advertisements posted online by Opportunities Abroad 

Reacting to DOJ's decision to reject the motion for reconsideration, United Filipinos - Migrante Hong Kong posted a statement online calling for the immediate issuance of a warrant of arrest against Mabatid and her co-accused.

The group mentioned in particular the fraud complaints filed against Mabatid and Gamallo by the OFWs in Hong Kong who were "misleadingly promised jobs in Canada using student visas during a recruitment activity on February 19, 2023."

"It has been two years since the victims from Hong Kong and the Philippines and other countries filed cases against Mabatid and her co-perpetrators. This issue has gained significant attention and even prompted a Senate hearing. However, the case has progressed at a sluggish pace," said Unifil-Migrante.

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The group calked on the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to act on the case immediately.

"We demand that Nina Mabatid and (her) co-perpetrators be held accountable and face imprisonment for their crimes immediately," said the statement.

(Unifil-Migrante’s post is here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16GKJAiLep/?mibextid=wwXIfr)

Acting on complaints filed by the Department of Migrant Workers on behalf of the 11 jobseekers, the DOJ on Nov. 11 last year indicted Mabatid for 4 counts of syndicated illegal recruitment and 4 counts of estafa, while Gamallo was indicted for 7 counts of each offence.

Hechanova was charged with 7 counts of illegal recruitment, 1 count of simple illegal recruitment, and 8 counts of estafa, while Caingles faces 8 counts of syndicated illegal recruitment, 2 counts of simple illegal recruitment and 10 counts of estafa.

Uy was charged with 8 counts of syndicated illegal recruitment, 1 for simple illegal recruitment, plus 9 counts of estafa;  while Jueco who admitted signing the MOAs that the complainants were made to sign, faces 8 counts each of syndicated illegal recruitment and estafa.

Migrante Intl has helped the complainants pursue claims against Mabatid and company

Migrante International, which has assisted the 11 complainants in seeking help from the DOJ and the DMW, lauded the DOJ’s decision, but rued that it has taken long for the case to move ahead.

“It’s been almost a year since the PCVC victims filed a case of large-scale illegal recruitment against Mabatid, et. al with the Department of Justice,” said Vicky Casia, coordinator of the Migrante’s international rights and welfare assistance program.

“We welcome the DOJ decision because for so long, Mabatid has evaded accountability for her action. There is still hope that the victims will finally get justice, and that is when Mabatid is finally arrested and prosecuted.”

The DOJ resolution charged the six of using PCVC and Opportunities Abroad, which are not licensed with the Department of Migrant Workers, of offering jobs to the applicants, in the guise of student visas.

Mabatid and her co-respondents sought through a motion dated Dec 2, 2024 to get the resolution revoked on the ground that it was not supported by “prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction”.

They reiterated that Opportunities Abroad and Pinoy Care Visa Center, another company used to enlist the applicants, were not in the business of recruiting Filipinos for work abroad.

They argued that as visa assistance companies, they merely helped applicants with visa processing and related processes, and did not directly offer employment or recruitment services. There was no offer of employment as the complainants had applied for student visas.

The DOJ reiterated in the resolution that there is prima facie evidence against the accused

But in denying the motion for reconsideration, the DOJ through Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Amanda Felipe, said that no new matter was raised by the respondents “that would support a different outcome of the preliminary investigation of the above-entitled complaint.”

When the respondents offered their services to deploy the applicants to Canada through its study visa program, “they made it appear that they will also provide them with work upon arrival in Canada to help them pay for tuition fees and the cost of living there,” said the resolution.

“The promising or advertising for employment abroad, whether for profit or not, when undertaken by a non-licensee or non-holder of authority, is considered illegal recruitment.”

Large-scale illegal recruitment is a non-bailable offence punished with life imprisonment under Sec 6 of RA 8042 or the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995, as amended by R.A. No 110022.

Estafa under Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code is punishable with imprisonment ranging from a few months to several years, depending on the gravity of the offence and the amount involved.

The resolution was recommended for approval by Senior State Prosecutor Herbert Calvin B. Abugan and approved by Prosecutor General Richard Anthony D. Fadullon.