DH denies sidewalk vending, 2 other charges

 

Chater Road

A Filipina domestic helper is to go on trial at Eastern Court after she denied hawking or selling clothes without a license on a sidewalk in Central last July 6, obstruction of a public place and violating a condition of her stay.

A defense lawyer for C. Mangandi, 44 years old, told a hearing Wednesday (Oct. 12) that no defense witness will be presented during her trial on Dec. 15 for violation of three laws: Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, Summary Offenses Ordinance and Immigration Ordinance.

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Principal Magistrate David Cheung extended her bail of $500.

The first charge, hawking without a license, arose after she was arrested on a pavement beside a lamp post on Chater Road while allegedly selling one scarf, two handkerchiefs, two underwear, three pairs of shoes, 21 dresses, 50 upper body clothes and 30 pants.

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The charge of obstruction, on the other hand, arose from Mangandi allegedly spreading out a cloth measuring 0.6 by 1.2 meters on which she displayed her merchandise, “which obstructed persons in the aforesaid public place,” the police complaint said.

The third charge stems from the fact that her DH visa prohibits her from “establish(ing) or join(ing) the hawkering business in Hong Kong without permission of the Immigration Department,” the complaint said.

DH accused of taking nude photo of employer

 

Offense allegedly took place in one of the flats here (Google Maps photo)

A Filipina domestic helper has found herself at Eastern Court, accused of voyeurism after a nude photograph of her former employer was allegedly found in the mobile phone she returned when she left her job.

G. A., 42 years old, was charged with violation of section 159AAB (1) (a) (i) and 3) of the Crimes Ordinance, which prescribes a jail term of up to five years upon conviction.

In a hearing Tueday (Oct. 21), Principal Magistrate David Cheung Chi-wai issued an anonymity and gag order to protect the identity of the victim, who was identified in court as Female X.

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He adjourned the case to Dec. 16 for plea, and freed the helper on bail of $2,000 with conditions, such as not to leave Hong Kong, not to go back to the place of the offense, report to a police station every Sunday and inform police of any change in address.

A police complaint said the offense took place in a flat in La Marina, on Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang, on an unknown date between Sept. 1, 2023 and Feb. 25, 2024.

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It alleged that G.A. “secretly recorded Female X in a place where said Female X could reasonably be expected to be naked, to reveal an intimate part, or to perform an intimate act, and said Female X was in circumstances that gave rise to a reasonable expectation of privacy.”

It added that G.A. “disregarded whether the said Female X consented to being recorded.”

Bethune House sees birth of youngest ‘clients’ amid launch of fundraising drive

 

Baby Noah and his mother Glendy at the shelter

Two baby boys born a month apart have become the latest residents of Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge, highlighting its valuable contribution to keeping distressed migrant workers in Hong Kong safe and sheltered.

The babies’ mothers, a Filipina and an Indonesian, both have pending court cases, and Bethune House has not only helped assure them that they can remain in Hong Kong and give birth while they sort out their legal problems, but to also be surrounded with many caring and loving people.

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The births, the latest of which happened only last week, coincided with this year’s launch of the 2025-2026 Coins for Bethune House, an annual fundraising project started 14 years ago.

Baby Noel is still at the hospital, as he was born through C-section

The aim is not just to raise much-needed money to help the 39-year-old shelter pay for the cost of providing food and accommodation to about two dozen migrant women at any given time, but also to raise awareness of its advocacies, especially among the migrant workers themselves.

Bethune House executive director Edwina Antonio explained part of what they do, during the fundraising launch on October 12: “May Cantonese lesson, computer lesson, first aid, basta lahat ng makakatulong sa inyo dito sa Hong Kong while may kaso kayo.”(anything that could help you stay in Hong Kong while you’re facing court cases)

She added, “Once na terminate kayo, di ba jobless at homeless kayo, wala kayong tutuluyan, at madalas hindi pa binayaran ng amo. At dahil hindi kayo pinapayagan ng HK government na magtrabaho, crucial ang shelter para sa pananatili ninyo at makamit ninyo ang justice dito sa Hong Kong. Kasi kung hindi, uuwi na lang kayo dahil hindi kayo makakatagal sa mahal ng gastusin dito.”

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(When your services are terminated, you become jobless and homeless. You have nowhere to go, and often, your employer did not pay you. The Hong Kong government does not allow you to work, so the shelter is crucial in allowing you to remain here while you fight for justice. If you don’t have a place to go, you’ll be forced to go home because it is expensive to remain here).

Antonio explained that beyond giving shelter and legal and moral support advice to its clients, Bethune House also covers the cost of transportation for those who need to work on their cases, as well as their visa extension fee, which was recently raised from $230 to $330 each time.

About 100 people join Coins for Bethune 2025 launch at St John's Li Hall

Even in the middle of the night, she said Bethune House sends out volunteers or staff members to rescue workers who have been thrown out of their employers’ houses after being given notice of termination for whatever reason.

At no other time was this help shown to be most crucial than during the 2020-2023 Covid-19 pandemic, when dozens of migrant workers were driven out into the streets all throughout the day, after testing positive for the virus. Bethune House, together with other support groups for migrants, found places where they could stay and recover.

Edwina says BH helps distressed migrant women every step of the way

Through nearly four decades, Bethune House has stood as a beacon of hope for migrant women facing all sorts of challenges, not least the victims in some of the worst abuse cases ever recorded in Hong Kong. They were not only sheltered, but were also helped to attain justice and regain their self-worth.

They include Indonesian worker Erwiana, who was taken to the airport for her flight home, barely able to walk from the abuse inflicted on her by her employer. She was brought back by the Mission for  Migrant Workers, which helped put her employer in jail while she sheltered in Bethune House, and eventually went back to college and graduated with honors.

There was also Grace, who was made to sleep in the toilet and was rescued by Bethune House volunteers amid a Typhoon 8 signal; Marsha, a human trafficking victim who stayed at the shelter for three years while facing a case for breach of condition of stay; and many others, including rape victims who found in the shelter the ray of hope they needed in a time of despair.

Amazingly, Bethune House has done all these good works without funding support from any government, be it Hong Kong, the Philippines or Indonesia.

But it has not been without challenges. Every so often it would send out an SOS to private donors saying it was in danger of closing down because of a shortage of funds, and each time, lots of people would come together, from local artists to Disney performers and young professionals, and extend it a lifeline.

The Coins for Bethune House project is one of those constants, and perhaps most meaningful. For it is when migrant workers come together to support their own that Bethune House finds more reason to continue its advocacies.

(Donors may collect their official Coins for Bethune House stickers from Edwina at 9488 9044 or their hotline, 9338 0035. You may also donate directly by scanning the QR code in the poster above or by bank transfer to Alipay and EPS, using telephone number 93380035; or to Hang Seng Bank account no. 284-8-241309).

 

Stepped-up anti-illegal work crackdown nets 50 people

 

Construction sites are often checked for the presence of illegal workers

Hong Kong remains replete with illegal workers, as shown by last week’s joint operations between the Immigration and Labour Departments, when a total of 50 people were arrested.

A statement issued by the Immigration Department said the week-long raids from October 10 to 16, resulted in the arrest of 41 suspected illegal workers, eight employers and an aider and abettor.

As in previous operations, most of the premises targeted were construction sites, renovation premises and restaurants.

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The arrested workers comprised 11 men and 30 women, aged 24 to 58. One man was found to hold a recognizance form, signifying his intention to oppose repatriation, while another was in possession of a fake HK ID card.

Three men and five women, aged 32 to 62, were also arrested on suspicion of hiring the workers, along with a 62-year-old woman who is suspected of having abetted the illegal hiring.

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Immigration said further investigations is being carried out, and further arrests are not ruled out.

Apart from mounting the crackdown, Immigration officers went around newly inhabited housing estates to distribute leaflets among occupants and management staff warning people not to hire illegal workers.

Promotional vehicle used to warn residents against hiring illegal workers

The press statement warned that it is illegal for anyone to take up work in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, unless with explicit permission from the Director of Immigration.

The prohibition covers tourists, illegal immigrants, ovestayers, asylum seekers as well as foreign domestic workers and imported laborers who are allowed to work only for the specified job and location, and for their contractual employers.

Illegal workers are normally sentenced to 15 months in prison after conviction, although the prescribed maximum jail term is between two and three years, with a fine of $50,000.

Sentencing guidelines imposed by the High Court prescribe an immediate jail term for an employer of an illegal work, although they are often jailed for a shorter time than the worker. The maximum penalty for errant employers is 10 years in jail and a fine of up to $500,000.

Anyone with information about illegal employment activities may call the dedicated hotline 3861 5000, by fax at 2824 1166, email to anti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit "Online Reporting of Immigration Offences" form at www.immd.gov.hk.

 

 

Filipina charged with stealing 5 watches worth $1.01M

 

Entrance of Deerhill Park, where the alleged theft happened (Wikimedia photo)

A Filipina domestic helper appeared in Fan Ling magistracy Friday, charged with stealing four Rolex watches from her employer’s house worth a total of $1 million plus a third branded Citizen,  valued at $10,000.

Jeanny V. Llarenas, 51 years old, is accused of stealing the watches from the detached house in Deerhill Bay, a luxury residential complex in Tai Po, between June 1 and October 15 this year, when the alleged theft was discovered.

The first charge is for the theft of two Rolex watches, each valued at $250,000; and the second is for the theft of two more Rolex watches with the same value, as well as a Citizen watch worth $10,000.

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No plea was taken and Llarenas was returned to jail until the next hearing of the case on December 12.

Media reports said Llarenas, mistakenly described earlier as an Indonesian, was arrested at around 9:50pm on Wednesday, Oct. 15, after a 35-year-old resident of the Deerhill house reported to the police that two luxury watches were missing.

Subsequent investigation revealed the loss of two more Rolex watches, plus a high-value Citizen watch. They were allegedly found inside her bag, about to be pawned.

More charges may follow, as Llarenas is still being investigated for 12 items of gold jewelry that were also reported as lost.

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Police who came to investigate subsequently arrested the defendant on suspicion of theft, under Section 9 of the Theft Ordinance.

She was charged in court after two days of investigation.

Employer of Indonesian illegal worker jailed 2 months

 

Both employer and illegal worker were sentenced at Shatin Court

A local grocery shop owner was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment on Friday after being found guilty of hiring an Indonesian illegal worker.

The Indonesian worker aged 51 years old was jailed for 15 months previously

The unnamed employer described as a male Hong Kong resident aged 57, was charged at Shatin Court or being an employer of a person who was not lawfully employable as he did not take adequate steps to ascertain the visa status of the worker.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge, but was convicted after trial.

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He was arrested on March 13 by Immigration officers who raided his grocery store and arrested him for hiring the Indonesian, who turned out to be a recognizance paper holder applying for asylum, as a shop assistant.

In a statement, Immigration reminded the public that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable.

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Under the Immigration Ordinance the maximum penalty for an employer of an illegal worker, for example, an illegal immigrant, a person subject to deportation or overstayer, is liable to prosecution and could be jailed for up to 10 years and fined up to $500,000. 

The High Court has also ruled that the employer should be jailed immediately.

 

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According to the sentencing guidelines, employers take all practicable steps to determine whether a jobseeker is lawfully employable.

Apart from inspecting the applicant’s identity card, the employers must also make enquiries about the person and ensure that the answers would not cast reasonable doubt as to the lawful employability of the person.

Failure to do this would not be accepted as a defence on the employer’s behalf

It is also an offence for the employer not to inspect the job seeker’s valid passport or travel document if no permanent HK ID card could be presented

To report suspected illegal employment activities, please call the dedicated hotline 3861 5000, by fax at 2824 1166, email to anti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit "Online Reporting of Immigration Offences" form at www.immd.gov.hk.

2 missing Filipinas found safe in Shatin

 

It's still unclear why Aleli and Imee decided to disappear

The two Filipina domestic helpers who had been reported missing for 12 days have been found unharmed, various reports quoting police said.

Consul General Romulo Israel, Jr. confirmed the reports in a text message to The SUN. 

The two, Imee Mahilum Pabuaya, 24 and Aleli Perez Tibay, 33, were reportedly found by police at a shopping mall on Sui Wo Road in Fo Tan at about 10pm on Thursday.

They were said to be well and safe, and police said there was nothing suspicious in their disappearance.

No statement was issued as to why the two who were reported to be in a relationship, had left their respective employers without word, or why they did not tell  friends and family members what they were planning to do.

If their employers decided to terminate their respective contracts as soon as they disappeared on October 4, they will only have until tomorrow to remain in Hong Kong under the 14-day rule for FDHs.

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The police first posted a bulletin about their disappearance shortly after receiving separate missing-person reports on them, on Oct 6 and 8.

A surveillance camera captured them walking on Yeung Uk Road in Tsuen Wan at about 4:30pm on Oct.4 just before they disappeared. 

This prompted speculation that they had gotten lost while hiking, though they did not look dressed for the activity.

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Police launched a massive search for them on the hiking trails around Tsuen Wan, but decided to give it up Wednesday after receiving reports that they had been spotted in a nearby town.

Prior to this, the Philippine Consulate had received information from the police that the two were still in Hong Kong, as there were no Immigration records of them departing the city.

The Consulate advised netizens against speculating on their disappearance, particularly those who had initially said they must have gone on to a third country to work, particularly Poland.

There were also reports that the two were beset with debt problems, which could have prompted them to run away.

According to Consulate records, Imee had worked in Hong Kong for only nine months, while Aleli had been here since 2017.

 

 

 

 

DC to hear Pinay’s theft, 6-count fraud case

 

District Court (Google Maps photo)

An unemployed Filipina has found that she will be taken to the District Court over charges of stealing a wallet, a Rolex watch and mobile phone from a local man inside a hotel; then using his credit cards to buy groceries from convenience stores and a snack.

Magistrate Tsang Hing-tung today formalized the transfer of the case of Mylene Navarro, 48, from the Kowloon City Court after the prosecutor said the documents required were ready for the next hearing at District Court on Nov 4.

He advised her to apply for legal aid and do so right away so she could prepare for her case.

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In the first charge Navarro is accused of stealing a mobile phone, a Rolex watch and a wallet from a Chinese man in a hotel room in Yau Ma Tei.

Yau Ma Tei Police alleged that Navarro took the three items, worth about $96,095.50 and owned by a certain Lau, from a room in Rainbow City Inn on Pitt St. in Yau Ma Tei on Nov. 23 last year.

The wallet contained, among other things, five credit cards that would lead her to allegedly commit six  fraud offenses by using them on a one-day shopping spree. 

Fraud is punishable with 14 years in prison under section 16A of the Theft Ordinance.

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The six fraud charges were originally labelled as “obtaining property by deception” for which section 17 of the Theft Ordinance prescribes a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

But apart from allegedly stealing the wallet, the police said Navarro went to a Seven-11 store on Bowring Street and ran up a bill for $2,292.50 which she paid by using a credit card issued by the Standard Chartered bank to Lau.

She then allegedly used Lau’s credit card issued by Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. in buying $204 worth of products at a Seven-11 store on Jordan Road.

Navarro then allegedly went to a Circle K store on Jordan Road and charged $1,204 worth of products to Lau’s Standard Chartered Bank Mastercard.

She again allegedly used the credit card in paying $138 for a meal at a McDonald’s restaurant on Yen Chow St. in Sham Shui Po.

Navarro allegedly used Lau’s HSBC Mastercard a fifth time when she bought $227 worth of items at another Seven-11 shop at the MTR Prince Edward station.

Finally she allegedly bought groceries at a Wellcome Store on Lai Chi Kok Road in Mong Kok, running up a bill for $2,214 which she charged to Lau’s American Express card.

2 missing Filipinas still in HK, says MWO

 

Aleli and Imee are shown in a photo shared on Facebook

The Migrant Workers Office has said that the two Filipina domestic helpers who went missing on October 4 are still in Hong Kong, according to records from the SAR’s Immigration Department.

This was according to MWO Officer-in-charge Antonio Villafuerte who told The SUN that the Consulate’s police attaché had received the information from the Hong Kong Police upon a request.

On being given this information, Villafuerte said the Consulate had proceeded to request Immigration to put the two Filipinas on the lookout list.

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The information puts to rest persistent, though unverified reports that 24-year-old Imee M. Pabuaya and 33-year-old Aleli P. Tibay, had left Hong Kong, and are already in another country abroad, particularly Poland. The two are said to be in a relationship.

“Mabuti nga sana kung nakaalis sila dahil it  means they’re safe, but this is not the case,” said Villafuerte, who added the Consulate as well as the Department of Migrant Workers in the Philippines remain concerned about the two’s whereabouts and safety.

He said DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac had contacted him directly after learning about the missing migrant workers.

Villafuerte confirmed that the two had valid employment visas when they were reported missing, and that the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration had been in touch with their employers, as well as their family members.

Imee had been in Hong Kong for just nine months, as only those aged 24 years old and above are allowed to work abroad as overseas Filipino workers (OFWs); while Aleli had worked here since 2017 (edited).

Surveillance photo from Oct 4 showed the two did not seem dressed for hiking

Villafuerte also doused speculation that the two had gotten lost while hiking, saying the photo taken by a surveillance camera in the afternoon of Oct 4 while they were standing on Yeung Uk Road in Tsuen Wan indicated they were not dressed for this activity.

Imee was shown wearing a dark blue denim top, matching denim shorts, and white shoes while Aleli was wearing a light blue long-sleeved shirt, light blue jeans and white shoes.

The police had also reportedly called off searching for the two Filipinas along the Lung Min hiking trail in Tsuen Wan, which started on Saturday afternoon, amid concerns they had lost their way and were stranded in the area.

The force is now said to be assessing their next step in searching for the two.

“We remain concerned about their safety and are coordinating with the police as they continue to investigate the case,” said Villafuerte.

He reiterated an earlier advice from the Philippine Consulate about posting unverified information about the two as these could derail the efforts to locate them.

 

 

 

Filipina DH guilty of neglect in scalding of year-old boy

 

Photo of the scalded baby posted by his father in an employers' chat group

A Filipina domestic helper was convicted of ill-treatment or neglect of a baby boy under her care, after a two-day trial at the Shatin Court ended Monday.

Deputy Magistrate Charlotte Kong postponed the sentencing of Nora Navarro, 44 years old, to Oct. 28 to await a background report she ordered to help determine the appropriate penalty.

Navarro was accused of ill-treatment or neglect in taking proper steps to prevent the scalding X, the one-year-old boy under her care, in the kitchen of the family flat in Siu Lek Yuen North, Sha Tin on March 3 this year. 

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According to his male employer the incident happened shortly after he scolded the helper for not cleaning properly.

The Filipina denied the allegation, saying X was splashed with hot water when he yanked the plug of the rice cooker where she had been boiling potates, after she put had put him down to check on her cooking.

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However, the female employer who testified in court said she had clear instructions that the helper should not bring the baby to the kitchen for whatever reason, to which the defendant agreed.

But Navarro said that day was unusual as the employer who was looking after X initially, had begun chanting Buddhist prayers, and the boy started crying. As this was distracting the employer Navarro said she decided to take the boy away from her.

What happened next was in dispute. Navarro said she had gone to the kitchen quickly to turn off the cooker and as a precaution had put the baby down and given him plastic to play with. 

But the employer disputed this, saying the helper must have held the baby in her arms while tending to her cooking, contrary to her repeated instructions never to take the baby into the kitchen. 

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The male employer had earlier posted a photo of the scalded arm of the baby in an employers' chat group, and claimed that the helper had deliberately put his son at risk after he gave her a scolding.

He said his son was taken to Prince of Wales Hospital with second-degree burns to his torso and right arm. The boy was discharged after two days.

During questioning, the female employer conceded that she did not see exactly what had happened in the kitchen as her eyes were closed in prayer at the time. All she saw was Navarro dousing the baby with cold water after he was scalded.

Navarro was supposed to stand trial for two days, but the magistrate gave extra time for both sides to sum up their arguments before handing down her verdict.

The charge alleges that the defendant, "being a person over 16 years of age who had the custody, care, or attention of boy X, intentionally abused or neglected the  boy in a manner likely to cause unnecessary injury to his health”, in violation of section 27(1) of the Offenses Against the Person Ordinance."

The crime is committed if the defendant fails to take steps to protect the victim. It is not necessary for the prosecution to prove that the defendant was the perpetrator of the "unlawful act or neglect."

The maximum penalty for the offence is 10 years in prison on indictment, and three years' jail in summary proceedings.

Pinay jailed 6 months for almost $1m that passed through her bank account

 

File photo posted by another Filipina who was earlier convicted of money laundering

A Filipina domestic helper will spend the next six months in jail for allowing the use of her bank account in money laundering.

In a hearing at Kwun Tong Court Monday (Oct. 13), Acting Principal Magistrate Leung Ka-kie handed the sentence to Lea Callo, 32 years old, who pleaded guilty to the offense in an earlier hearing.

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Callo was convicted of “dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offence,” in violation of sections 25(1) and 25(3) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.

The charge arose from the $937,789.50 in crime proceeds that flowed in and out of her Bank of China account between May 24 and Oct. 26, 2022.

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The police had accused her of dealing in property that “in whole or in part, directly or indirectly represented any person’s proceeds of an indictable offence.”