Unemployed pinoy jailed 6 months for theft, failing to produce HKID

 

The case was heard at Tuen Mun Court

An unemployed, homeless Filipino was sentenced Thursday to two imprisonment terms that totaled six months for stealing a knapsack containing a laptop computer, and then failing to show his Hong Kong Identification Card when accosted by a police officer in Yuen Long later.

A. J. Delfino, 25 years old, who pleaded guilty during an earlier hearing at the Tuen Mun Court, will serve the sentence after he has finished an earlier prison term, details of which were not revealed.

Magistrate David Chum sentenced Delfino to six months in prison for stealing the bag inside a laundry shop on Sai Ching St., Yuen Long, last April 3. Inside the bag was a computer worth $5,000, for which Delfino was ordered to compensate the owner in full.

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Five days later, when accosted by a police officer on Kiu Tak St. in Yuen Long, Delfino was unable to produce his identity document, for which Magistrate Chum jailed him for another two months for violation of section 49 of the Public Order Ordinance.

Chum ordered the two sentences to run at the same time.

62-year-old OFW dies of heart attack, family appeals for help

 

Celia passed suddenly due to heart attack, after 17 years of working in HK (photo from Facebook)

The family of the late Celia Cusipag Tolentino, 62 years old and a native of Solana, Cagayan, is asking for help in raising funds to cover the cost of her funeral and other related expenses.

Celia passed away suddenly on June 13 at the Caritas Hospital, a day after being rushed there unconscious due to a heart attack. Her family said they knew Celia had hypertension, but it did not seem to concern her much.

Two of her three adult children rushed to Hong Kong in response to a call from Celia’s employer the day before, saying their mother was in critical condition. However, she had already passed when they got to Hong Kong.

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While here, they managed to get in touch with Social Welfare Attache Rem Marcelino who told them that apart from the Php120,000 burial assistance from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, they will get an additional P100,000 from the Aksyon Fund of the Department of Migrant Workers.

Her employer, on the other hand, will pay for the cost of repatriation, plus the air ticket of one of her children who came to Hong Kong.

However, it is still not clear whether the money will be disbursed in time for the expected repatriation of Celia’s remains in two weeks’ time. Her children said she will be buried in Solana after a short funeral.

Her older daughter, Maceng, said their mother had been with her current employer only since January this year after her previous contract was pre terminated in December last year.

She deferred her exit from Hong Kong to last April, when she managed to go home to Solana for two weeks.

Maceng said she and her siblings had asked their mother to just go home for good, but she decided to go back to her Hong Kong employer, as she wanted to save up for her retirement.

Celia had just started working in Hong Kong 17 years ago when she was already 45 years old, when her husband died, leaving her to raise their four children by herself.

In 2015, another tragedy occurred when her eldest son and Maceng's husband died in a traffic accident, leaving two young widows and six children betweem them, who Celia also tried to help support.

But her biggest expense, that of sending her twin youngest children to college, had just ended, with the two finishing courses in veterinary medicine and engineering only recently, and have now both started working.

Had she managed to hold on a bit longer, Celia could have retired with ease and in peace, knowing that her years of hard work in Hong Kong was about to bear fruit.

(The online OFW concern group, Social Justice for Migrant Workers, is helping raise funds for Celia’s family through one of its administrators, Divina Apostol, who also hails from Cagayan. Please check out their Facebook page for details. You may also contact Maceng directly through WhatsApp on +63 954 234 6434).

 

 

3 suspected human traffickers arrested at NAIA

 

NBI agents arrested the 2 alleged traffickers at NAIA Terminal 1

Two Filipinas, one bound for Thailand along with an alleged human trafficking victim; and another, who tried to intervene in the first woman’s detention, were recently arrested by operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation and charged with human trafficking and illegal recruitment.

Named suspects in a press release issued by the NBI yesterday, June 18, were Kaye Alfaro and Dahlia Mendez Batiller. The two are believed to be part of a bigger group involved in fake documentation to allow the trafficking of Filipino workers to scam hubs in Cambodia.

The arrests on June 12 came after a passenger, alias “Maria”, was stopped at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 as she was about to leave for Thailand.

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When questioned by immigration officers, she disclosed that she had been promised a job as customer service representative in Thailand with a salary of Php60,000 and as a nude model in Cambodia, where the pay would be USD5,000.

Maria said Kaye told her to pay Php70,000 to an alleged “escort” at the Bureau of Immigration who would guarantee that she would pass scrutiny.

However, both women were offloaded by immigration officers who noticed inconsistencies in their accounts of their intended travel.

The second arrest was made after Dahlia visited the NBI office at the alleged instruction of a certain Hanna, to intervene in the investigation of Kaye and Maria.

Further investigation revealed a network of individuals involved in the alleged trafficking of Filipinos for work in Cambodia, where they are likely to end up being used to work as online scammers.

Apart from Kaye, Dahlia and Hannah, also named as part of the syndicate were a certain Ian and a Jemar Pajarito.

Kaye and Dahlia who were found not to be licensed recruitment agents were placed under arrest by agents of NBI-IAID while Maria was sent to a social worker with the Department of Social Work and Development for processing according to standard procedure for trafficking victims.

In what appears to be a related incident, a passenger identified only as Mary was arrested at NAIA Terminal 3 as she was about to fly to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

This was a day after another Filipina passenger bound for Malaysia was found to have a fake NBI border stamp and boarding pass, and she named Mary as the source.

In turn, Mary pointed to a certain Hayya Diane Molina as the source of the fake documents.

Molina, also known as Diane Fiona, reportedly introduced herself as an immigration officer who could help Mary’s illegal departure from the Philippines. She asked Mary to transfer USD1,920 (or Php110,000) for this help.

Following Mary’s arrest, Diane was picked up at NAIA Terminal 3 where it turned out she was not an immigration officer as she claimed, but a technical support staff of a private company maintaining card readers at the immigration counters.

Diane, Kaye and Dahlia were arrested on charges of illegal recruitment under section 6 of RA 8042 or the Migrant Workes and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995 as amended by RA10022, and of human trafficking under section 4 of RA 9208 or Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, as amended by RA 11862.

Hannah and her other alleged accomplices are still being sought.

Immigration says over 1k illegal workers prosecuted last year

This man was among those arrested for illegal work last year

Immigration crackdown on illegal work has intensified in the last two years, with the number of prosecutions last year almost doubling compared with 2022.

The figures were supplied by Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung, in the question and answer portion at the Legislative Council earlier today.

The arrests last year totaled 1,172 comprising 1,013 illegal workers and 169 employers. For 2023 it was 943 workers and 109 employers, while in 2022 it was only 539 workers and 138 workers.

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For the first quarter of 2025, there have already been a total of 301 prosecutions for illegal work, comprising 262 workers and 39 employers.

Secretary Tang said the government remains committed to crack down on illegal employment “with a view to protecting job opportunities for the local workforce.”

As such, he said the government will continue to actively combat illegal employment on various fronts, including stepping up inspections, “cyber patrols” and law enforcements, and strengthening publicity and education.

Hong Kong law considers illegal employment a serious offence, with not just illegal workers being prosecuted but also employers and middlemen or “aiders and abettors.”

Tang said that part of the deterrence effort was the move by government to raise the penalty for employers of illegal workers. The maximum fine was increased to $500,000 from $300,000 along with up to 10 years in prison.

“The directors, managers, secretaries, partners, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability,” said Tang.

Apart from this, the High Court has prescribed an immediate custodial sentence to anyone found employing illegal workers.

 

Pinay awaits verdict after money laundering trial ends

Photo for illustration only

A Filipina who has insisted at Eastern Court that she was not the one who opened accounts at two internet banks which were used to launder more than $2 million, will know the court's verdict on Jun 30.

Analiza Talay, 48 years old, said she was misled in an internet gaming promotion to provide a copy of her Hong Kong identity card, which was later used to open an account with MOX Bank and another with ZA Bank.

On cross examination yesterday, she tearfully insisted she was not the one who opened the MOX account in which crime money amounting to $1,746,610. 41 flowed in and out between March 19 to 28, 2023, and another with ZA Bank through which a total of  $478,1271.52 was laundered from March 19 to 27, 2023.

The money flows were used as basis for two charges of “dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offence,” in violation of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.

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Deputy Magistrate Chung Wing-sze adjourned the case to June 30 for verdict after Talay, a former domestic helper, testified on the third and final day of her trial.  Her bail of $5,000 was extended.

Meanwhile, trial was scheduled for July 21 at Eastern Court for a similar case against Imelda Maqueda, 54 years old, who earlier pleaded not guilty.

During pre-trial review today before Acting Principal Magistrate David Cheung, prosecution said it will present one witnesss while defence will present Maqueda as witness.

Maqueda is accused of dealing in $312,497.50 in illegal funds that were deposited and withdrawn between Dec. 17, 2020 and Jan. 8, 2021 in her Hang Seng Bank account.

She was remanded in jail after the hearing.

In still another money-laundering case at Tuen Mun Court, Reamae Davila, 40 years old, was returned to jail after Magistrate David Chum adjourned her case to June 26.

Her case arose from the infow and outflow of $934,596.60 in her Bank of China account between 13^th and 28^th of May, 2024.

Filipinos in HK asked to submit personal data in case of emergency

 

To take part in the survey, target respondents should click on the link above, or scan the QR code

All Filipinos in Hong Kong, whether working, studying or residing in the city, are being asked to submit some basic personal information to help the Philippine Consulate track them down “in times of emergencies, such as natural disasters and other crises.”

An advisory posted on the Consulate’s website today, Tuesday, said the collection of data is part of its  Mapping Survey for all Filipinos who are in Hong Kong.

Vice Consul George Soriano who is in charge of the assistance to nationals section of the Consulate, said the Filipino community should not be unduly alarmed by the survey as it is just a contingency measure “in view of the escalating security situation globally.”

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Although most Filipino domestic workers would have their personal data stored with the Migrant Workers Office as they are required to submit their employment contract there for verification, a small percentage, including permanent residents, asylum seekers and undocumented nationals would not be in the Consulate’s data base.

The survey, which has so far been filled out by about 100 Filipinos, asks for the full name of the respondent and contact details, as well as their contact persons in Hong Kong and in the Philippines.

Vice Consul Soriano assured the public that all information they would submit would be treated in strict confidence, and would be available only to the PCG.

However, this was immediately belied by an apparent glitch in their system, which showed much of the data submitted by the respondents to appear on screen after this writer had clicked on the button signifying consent at the end of the form.

The displayed data included such information as the number of respondents so far, where in Hong Kong or the Philippines they hail from, as well as the telephone numbers and email addresses of their emergency contacts.

Gender reveal: Not surprisingly, initial data from the survey show
nearly 90% of the respondents are females

Soriano said he would immediately alert the Consulate’s tech department so the glitch could be corrected.

A data base on all Filipinos living in Hong Kong would come in handy, not just in times of disasters but also to locate those who have been reported as missing – usually former migrant domestic workers who had gone underground after their visas had expired.

The very first time the Consulate had tried to track down Filipino nationals in earnest was when the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS rapidly spread across Hong Kong in early 2003.

Then Consul General Victoria Bataclan assembled a command post in the Consulate to try and keep track of all Filipinos, especially migrant workers, who were working in the infected areas.

A data base would have been as useful when the Covid-19 pandemic was wreaking havoc not just in Hong Kong, but in all parts of the world.

 

 

Philippine Alliance honors longtime migrant workers

 

Melita Garibay, who has worked for the same employer for 44 years,
receives her plaque from Consul General Romulo Israel 

More than 200 people turned out at one of the biggest Filipino community events of the year, the “Gawad Parangal 2025”  organized by the Philippine Alliance Hong Kong to honor Filipino domestic workers who have served in the city for no less than 12 years.

A total of 154 FDWs were feted at the event that lasted for more than six hours, and was attended by Philippine consulate officials led by Consul General Romulo M. Israel and representatives of various corporate donors.

Top officials of Cebu Pacific Air led by its president and chief commercial officer Xander Lao, also came to award return air tickets to any international destination to five top awardees.

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Philippine-based broadcaster Ben Tulfo, who narrowly missed winning a Senate seat in the national election last month, was supposed to be a special guest, but was instead represented at the last minute by his son, Carl.

Feted for being not only the longest-serving FDW but also the most loyal, having worked for only one employer in the past 44 years, was 71-year-old Melita Garibay, who was nominated by the group Social Justice for Migrant Workers.

Garibay who is single and has been in the employ of an octogenarian Chinese couple, said that if her employers decide not to renew her contract anymore, she will settle back in the house that she has built in her Pangasinan hometown.

Cebu Pacific handed her its “service award,” for having toiled for nearly two-thirds of her life in Hong Kong.

The other recipients of the free return air tickets were Edna B. Fontanilla and Rita C. Blanchard, who have both worked in Hong Kong for a total of 43 years, Vilma Manganaan who has worked for the same employer for 41 years, and PA chairman Dante Berido, who was cited for his leadership.

In his speech, Congen Israel noted that the event was also billed as “Kalayaan Ball 2025,” which meant it was also held to celebrate the 127^th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence.

He reminded the audience to remember the sacrifices of the country’s heroes, particularly Dr. Jose P. Rizal who also lived and worked in Hong Kong, so Filipinos can have the freedom that they now enjoy.

“We are doing this commemoration to keep their memories alive,” said Congen Israel.

Congen offers toast to Philippine Independence

He also took the opportunity to greet Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers in the audience, as well as to the many FDW mothers who have been standing in place of their absent partners in raising their children.

PA president Leilani Campos said her group first decided to pay tribute to long-service FDWs in 2019, but only among members of their affiliate organizations.

Campos said the initial tribute was called  “Dakilang Ina,” in honor of FDW mothers who have worked away from their family for years, in hopes of providing a better future for their children.

“Naisip naming parangalan sila dahil nakikita naming na matatagal na sila dito sa Hong Kong, at gusto naming silang pasalamatan sa mga sakripisyo nila para sa kanilang pamilya,” said Campos.

(We thought of honoring them because we noticed that they had long served in Hong Kong and we wanted to thank them for their sacrifices for their families).

Campos recalled the tribute pleased many in the audience, including then Consul General Antonio Morales who was asked to hand out the awards.

Campos (middle, in orange) leads PA officers in dance number

The coronavirus pandemic halted all Filcom activities until 2023, when PA decided to restage the handing out of awards to long-staying FDWs.

“This time, open na sa lahat pero dapat may mag nominate sa kanila (na organisasyon) at ang title ay Gawad Parangal OFW Bayani Ka,” hanggang nagtuloy-tuloy na,”said Campos.

(This time, it was open to all but the participants should be nominated by an organization and the event was titled “Gawad Parangal, OFW Bayani Ka,” and it continued to this day).

Through social posts, especially from winners who proudly announced their awards, the PA’s annual tribute gained traction so that this year, a total of 47 organizations have taken part, either as endorsers of candidates, or as participants in the Kalayaan Ball.

Even sponsors like Cebu Pacific have been so impressed with the unique event that they doled out  more than they promised, and have indicated a willingness to continue their support each year.

 

FDHs send home bulk of their income, survey shows

Sending money home has become a bigger expense for foreign domestic helpers, according to a survey conducted recently by the Mission for Migrant Workers (MFMW) and the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM).

These remittances accounted for 63.98% of their total monthly budget, a significant increase from 31% in 2018, the survey found.

The survey was conducted in time for the celebration of International Domestic Workers Day today (June 16), “to update our understanding of the spending patterns of migrant workers since our last research in 2018,” the groups said.

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Among its findings was that 96.84% of respondents were sending money home.

The average remittance amount was $2,689, with 70% of respondents remitting between $2,000 and $5,000” per month, the two organizatons added.

The Minimum Allowable Wage for FDHs has been set at $4,990 per month since September 29, 2024, but 58% received the minimum allowable wage of $4,990 or below since many were still on contracts they signed when the minimum wage was $4,870 a month.

The survey showed that 14% of the respondents were underpaid.

Although 42 per cent received higher than minimum wage, the additional amount was not much higher as the average wage amounted to $5,099.24.

The second biggest expense is loan payments, which were made by 23% of migrant domestic workers. Over half of them spent $1,000 to $3,999 monthly on these loans.

Additionally, 5% of respondents incurred monthly agency fees, primarily new arrivals in Hong Kong for less than one year.

When other expenditures were counted, 26% of the respondents reported that their income was short by an average of 9%, the survey found.

“These findings highlight the financial challenges faced by migrant domestic workers and the need for continued advocacy and support. We call upon the community to join us in supporting migrant domestic workers' campaign for a living wage and address the financial challenges faced by migrant domestic workers,” the two rganizations dded

For its part, the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body Hong Kong (AMCB-IMA HKM) re-launched its 3Ws campaign to fight for Living Wage, Regulate Working Hours and Workers’ Rights of the 30,000 migrant workers in the territory.

“From January to June 2025, the Indonesian Migrant Workers’ Union (IMWU), Filipino Migrant Workers’ Union (FMWU) and Mission for Migrant Workers Union (MFMW) have received complaints from more than 916 MDW” the group said. “The common complaints are long working hours, no regular day off, termination and accommodation problems.”

According to the AMCB-IMA HKM, 376 out of 916 (41%) work 11 to 16 hours a day, with 11% working for more than 16 hours.

In addition, more than 11% do not have a regular rest day and still work even on their day off before leaving their employers’ house.

“The large number of terminations, at least 4% of which are employer-initiated, is also worrying” the group said.

“In the past six months, there have been at least 349 cases of termination along with malicious ‘job-hopping’ accusations. Due to the worst working conditions MDWs were forced to terminate their contract but It seems like MDWs have no right to change employers even if they are struggling, while employers can change helpers anytime they want,” it added.

In celebration of International Domestic Workers Day, it is only right to recognize the contribution of Migrant Domestic Workers to our society, it said.

The AMCB-IMA HKM reiterated the demands to create jobs back home to address the root cause of migrations so families will no longer be separated, give MDWs a living wage of HK$6,172, regulate the ILO Domestic Workers Convention (ILO C189) to acknowledge domestic workers as equal to any other wage earners with an acceptable minimum standard for working conditions, create clear guidelines in the employment contract on what is suitable accommodation and uphold rights and dignity for all MDWs.

DAB lawmaker urges cap on FDH loans

DAB proposes capping the monthly loan repayment at no more than 30% of the FDW's salary
(File photo) 

A lawmaker from the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong has called on the government to put a limit on the amount of loan that a foreign domestic worker can obtain from financial institutions, ahead of a public consultation on over-borrowing by helpers.

Edward Leung is proposing that the loan should be based on the remaining period of a FDW’s two-year contract, and that the monthly payment for it should not exceed 30 percent of her/his income.

"For example, they have six more months left in their contract, and their monthly income is HK$5,000, then HK$1,500 times six months will be the total amount that they could borrow,” said Leung at a press conference Sunday.

PINDUTIN DITO

This means that a FDH earning the minimum allowable wage, and with six months left in her contract could borrow a maximum of $9,000, or $18,000 for those who still have a year to go. In either case, the monthly repayment should not be more than $1,500.

Leung said many employers and employment agencies that the group had consulted support this proposal.

Apart from legislating the amount that FDWs can borrow from lending companies, the government should also step up publicity and education to better protect employers and the workers, said Leung.

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The government consultation on FDW borrowings set for the end of June was prompted by complaints from a number of employers that they had been harassed and hounded by collectors for loans obtained by their helpers, or previous helpers.

Leung said the government should also require FDWs to attend a seminar on the issue within eight weeks of their arrival in Hong Kong, to acquaint them about their rights and the city’s laws.

FDWs from the Philippines are required to attend a post-arrival orientation seminar shortly after their arrival in Hong Kong but the dire consequences of over borrowing is just one of the topics on the agenda. 

Excessive borrowing has often been cited as the reason for many of the suicides or criminal entanglements of migrant workers, including thefts and money laundering.

 

 

15 people arrested in anti-illegal work operations

 

Some of those arrested are led away for questioning

Four consecutive days of anti-illegal work operations by the Immigration Department and the Hong Kong Police have resulted in 15 people being arrested.

According to a statement from Immigration, the 15 comprised 12 suspected illegal workers, two employers and one abettor. They were arrested during raids on 81 target locations including restaurants and other commercial establishments between June 9 and June 12.

The suspected illegal workers comprised five men and seven women, aged 21 to 57.

PINDUTIN DITO

Three of them, two men and one woman, held recognizance forms that allow them to stay pending the outcome of their application for non-refoulement or deportation but prohibits them from taking up any kind of work. 

Two others, a man and a woman, had forged Hong Kong identity cards in their possession.

One man aged 30 and a woman aged 63, were suspected of employing the workers while another woman aged 32, was arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting a person to breach the condition of stay.

Immigration warns that anyone who contravenes a condition of stay in Hong Kong, like tourists and foreign domestic workers found to have taken illegal work, faces a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years’ imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are likewise liable to prosecution and penalties.

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Overstayers and asylum seekers or those on recognizance face a higher maximum penalty of three years imprisonment and $50,000 fine.

Those found in possession of forged HKID cards face a more severe penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $100,000.

Employers could be held most culpable for illegal work, with a prescribed maximum fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for up to 10 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expect rain on Independence Day parade, says Observatory

 

Those attending the Philippine Independence Day parade and show tomorrow (Sunday) on Chater road in Central will need to bring umbrellas as rains are expected to be brought by tropical cyclone Wutip as it nears west of Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Observatory expects to keep Signal No. 1 for most of Saturday as Wutip is not expected to go nearer than 500 kilometers and is weakening from friction with the mountains of southern Guangdong.

PINDUTIN DITO

But the Observatory said it may raise Signal No. 3 by Sunday, depending on Wutip’s movements.

What is more certain is that clouds that have been accumulated by the storm are expected to dump rains on most of southern Guangdong, with gusty rainshowers expected by Sunday over the Pearl River area, which includes Hong Kong. 

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"The weather will remain unsettled in the following couple of days," the Observatory added.

President's call for unity highlight Filcom’s Independence Day ‘almusal’

 

CG Israel (middle, with glasses) and Consulate officers pose for photos with Filcom leaders

The traditional ‘almusal’ of members of the Filipino community in Hong Kong to mark Philippine Independence Day on Thursday, June 12, was, as before, highlighted by the reading of messages from the country’s top officials.

In his message, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr said independence day must be marked not just by honoring the heroic deeds of the past, but by continuing the work of nation-building.

PINDUTIN DITO

“For the forces that have once enslaved us – ignorance, inequality, injustice, do not vanish,” he said.

“Our task now is to free ourselves not from empires but from erosion within, to liberate our people from hatred, divisiveness and apathy that threatens to undo the union that our forefathers bled, fought and died for.”

President Marcos calls for end to divisiveness on Independence Day

In her own message, Vice President Sara Duterte whose impeachment for alleged graft and threats on the life of the president is at the centre of a political struggle between the two houses of Congress, called for Filipinos to speak out against poverty and corruption.

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“Kabilang sa hamon ng ating kalayaan ang pagmamalabis at katiwalian sa gobyerno, laganap na droga, problema sa edukasyon, kahirapan at gutom,” she said. (Among the challenges to our freedom is abuse of power and corruption in government, widespread drug abuse, educational challenges, poverty and hunger).

“Hindi tayo lumaya para masadlak lang sa pagdurusa ang ating bansa. (We didn’t win our freedom, only to leave our country mired in helplessness).

VP Duterte hits out at corruption, poverty and drug use in her message

Among the other government officials who either recorded their own messages or had their top representative at the Consulate read it out for them were outgoing Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac, Overseas Workers Welfare Administrator PY Caunan and Trade and Industry Secretary Maria Cristina Roque.

First Lady, Louise Araneta-Marcos, was a surprise addition to the list of official well-wishers featured in the traditional breakfast that kicks off Philippine Independence Day celebrations in Hong Kong.

The all-Filipino gathering hosted by the Consulate was held for the first time this year at the OFW Global Centre on the 18^th floor of United Centre Building in Admiralty.