Philippine church used for illegal recruitment shut down

NBI agents shut down the Faithful Promise church on orders from DMW

The Department of Migrant Workers ordered the closure of a church in Rizal province on Apr 28, after verifying that it was being used for the illegal recruitment of workers for jobs in Japan, Korea, and Papua New Guinea.

Operatives from the National Bureau of Investigation led the entrapment operation at the church of the Faithful Promise Foundation Philippines at Santo Niño Compound, Sitio Paenaan, Baras, Rizal.

The church is also known as Faithful Promise of Jesus Christ the Greatest Master Phil., Inc and Faithful Promise Church in the Philippines.

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DMW Undersecretary Bernard P. Olalia said Pastora Esclarmonde Estrada Basalio was arrested during the entrapment which followed a series of surveillance operations.

The recruiter who was not a licensed agent, allegedly charged victims, mostly her own parishioners, Php50,000 each for visa processing and other fees.

Pastora Basalio preyed on her own parishioners, according to DMW and NBI

The recruiter promised overseas jobs such as factory workers, tea pickers, clerks, accountants, mechanical engineers and construction workers, with salaries ranging from Php36,000 to Php120,000.

The victims were issued tourist visas under the guise of missionary work, and were instructed to tell Immigration they were missionaries.

But the ploy didn’t always work as some of the jobseekers were offloaded, while those who managed to reach their destinations were disheartened to find out that no jobs awaited them. The rest were still awaiting deployment.

Neither the DMW or the NBI could immediately give the number of people who had been duped in the illegal operation.

Olalia said, “Ang una po nilang nabiktima ay mga kapuwa nila parishioners, yong mga miyembro mismo ang nagsumbong, at siyempre vinalidate natin. Meron mga na-offload, dahil may mga nagrereklamo at kasalukuyan din sinisingil kahit walang authority, based on the confirmation from the complainants.

(The first victims were their co-parishioners, their own members had complained against them, and of course we validated these. Some were offloaded so they complained, while others were are being charged fees even if they don’t have a license).

He added, “Kung aalis sila na hindi dokumentado, hindi tamang dokumentasyon, buhay ang kapalit po non kapag nagkamali. Yon po ang ating isinaalang-alang—pamilya at buhay ng OFW.”

(If they leave without documentation or their documents are not in order, their lives could be in danger. That’s what we’re after, to protect their families and the OFWs’ lives)

Cavite NBI Chief Eric Duque said they received information that very minute that there were victims who managed to get to their intended destination, only to find out that there were no jobs waiting for them there.

Assistant Secretary Jerome Alcantara added that most of the victims were bound for Japan for construction work or low-level jobs.

The closure operation was carried out by the DMW’s Migrant Workers Protection Bureau (MWPB) in coordination with the NBI.

Those who have been victimized by the religious group are encouraged to report their cases to the MWPB through the official hotline +63 2 8721-0619, email mwpb@dmw.gov.ph, or Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/dmwairtip) for assistance in filing complaints.

Consulate to close on May 1-3 & 5

 

The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong has announced that it will close on May 1, Labor Day and May 5, Buddha’s Birthday, both statutory holidays in the city, which are also when migrant domestic workers are given a day off.

Since May 1 falls on a Thursday and the Consulate is officially closed on Fridays and Saturdays, it will resume services on Sunday, May 4, but will close again on Monday, May 5.

This means that all consular offices of the Consulate as well as its attached agencies like the Migrant Workers Office, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Social Security Sytem and Pag-IBIg, will be closed on these days.

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However, the ongoing overseas voting will continue every day, including public holidays, 9am to 4pm, until the Philippine national election closes at 7pm on May 12, at the OFW Global Centre on the 18^th floor of United Center building in Admiralty.

According to the Consulate, the Department of Foreign Affairs as given them authority to close on selected Philippine and Hong Kong holidays.

The last time it had an extended holiday was last Apr 17, also called Maundy Thursday and is a Philippine holiday, until Apr 19, Easter Sunday. The Consulate opened the next day, however, even if it was Easter Monday, a Hong Kong holiday.

Those who have urgent concerns may call the following hotlines: assistance to nationals section of the Consulate, 9155 4023; OWWA, 5529 1880 and the MWO, 6345 9324.

 

Fares on the Airport Express set to increase

 

Airport Express train (Cathay Pacific photo)

The MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) is expected to increase fares on the Airport Express (direct train service to the Hong Kong International Airport) within this year.

From the current $110 for a single journey from Central to HK airport, the fare will rise to no more than $120 under the proposed increase, the first in eight years.

This emerged after members of the Transport Advisory Committee (TAC) shared favorable views on the fare adjustment during a briefing conducted by representatives of the MTR Corporation Ltd. (MTRCL).

According to the Operating Agreement between the Government and the MTRCL, the company’s Board of Directors will set the new fares after consulting the TAC and the the Legislative Council (Transport Panel).

The fare increase will come at about the same time that the airport departure tax from Hong Kong will rise from the current $120 to $200 starting Oct. 1, 2025. The new rate will be added to all air tickets purchased on or after this date, and is expected to boost Hong Kong's revenue by $1.6 billion.

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It needs to announce the new fares no later than three weeks prior to its implementation.

"(TAC) Members noted that it has been eight years since the last fare adjustment of the Airport Express, and the fare adjustment rate proposed by the MTRCL is lower than the cumulative inflation rate for the same period,” TAC Chairman Professor Stephen Cheung said.

“Members noted that the proposed fare adjustment can facilitate the Airport Express in facing the constantly rising operating costs and the investment needs for railway asset renewal,” he added.

"Members also noted that after the new fares take effect, the MTRCL will continue its investments in upgrading Airport Express facilities and services, as well as the provision of multiple fare promotions, to provide passengers with a comprehensive airport railway service," he said.

CHP raises alarm after latest Mpox case

 

Rashes are a common symptom (CHP photo)

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) has urged people to be vigilant against Mpox (also known as Monkeypox) after reporting the latest case of the disease.

It has set up an Mpox telephone hotline (2125 2373), which operates from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, excluding public holiday to receive calls from those who suspect or are concerned that they may have had high-risk contact with confirmed cases, particularly men who have sex with men or with strangers.

“Persons who experience Mpox symptoms (including rashes, fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion, muscle pain, and severe headaches) or suspect themselves of being infected are advised to seek medical attention and receive treatment at once,” it said.

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HP reported that the latest Mpox case involves a 33-year-old male with good past health who developed rashes and lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph nodes) on April 22, and attended the Yau Ma Tei Male Social Hygiene Clinic of the DH on April 25. “He is in stable condition, and is being arranged for treatment and isolation at Princess Margaret Hospital,” it added.

A preliminary investigation revealed that he did not receive Mpox vaccination and had a history of high-risk exposure in Hong Kong.

“No epidemiological linkages have been established between this case and other confirmed cases previously recorded in Hong Kong. The CHP is continuing its epidemiological investigations of the case and will report the case to the World Health Organization,” CHP said.

CHP reminded high-risk target groups to receive Mpox vaccinations to lower the risk of infection or the possibility of having more severe symptoms.

“Members of the public should maintain good personal and hand hygiene to prevent virus transmission or infection through contact. They should also avoid close physical contact with persons or animals suspected of being infected,” CHP said.

The following high-risk target groups are eligible for Mpox vaccinations on a voluntary basis:

• Individuals with high-risk sexual practices, e.g. having multiple sexual partners, sex workers, or having a history of sexually transmitted infection within the past 12 months;
• Healthcare workers responsible for caring for patients with confirmed Mpox;
• Laboratory personnel working with zoonotic pox viruses; and
• Animal care personnel with high risk of exposure in case of Mpox occurrences in animals in Hong Kong.

The high-risk target groups can receive Mpox walk-in vaccinations at any of the DH's Social Hygiene Service Clinics (SocHS) (namely Chai Wan SocHS, Wan Chai Male SocHS, Wan Chai Female SocHS, Yau Ma Tei Male SocHS, Yau Ma Tei Female SocHS, Yung Fung Shee SocHS, Fanling SocHS and Tuen Mun SocHS) and the DH's Yau Ma Tei Integrated Treatment Centre.

Meantime, the DH's Kowloon Bay Integrated Treatment Centre and the Hospital Authority's Special Medical Clinics at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital also provide Mpox vaccination services for their clients.

For more details, please visit the CHP's page on Mpox (https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/105683.html) and Mpox Vaccination Programme (https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/106090.html).

2 Pinays charged with trying to export meds without license

 

Two Filipinas facing criminal charges filed by Customs and Excise Department for allegedly trying to export big quantities of medicines from Hong Kong without license, will have to wait in jail longer after their case was adjourned today at the Kowloon City Court.

Donna Flores, 46 years old, is facing three charges involving the export of medicines, while Rahima Singgon, 38 yeas old, is jointly charged with Flores in two of the cases, plus breach of condition of stay by overstaying.

Magistrate Philip Chan scheduled their next hearing for July 21.

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Flores, a tourist, is charged with attempting to export prohibited articles, namely 10,000 tablets of pharmaceutical products, from the Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office on Middle Road, TST East on June 15 last year.

She is also accused with Singgon of attempting to export, without licence, another 400,000 tablets of pharmaceutical products from a fourth floor room in Chiu Tat Factoy Bldg in San Po Kong on the same day.

The third charge against the two, possession of Part 1 poison, arose from 400,000 tablets containing poison, which were seized from them at the factoy building on the same day.

During the investigation, Singgon was later found to have overstayed for two years. She had been a domestic helper who was given until June 4, 2022 to leave Hong Kong, having been teminated two weeks earlier.

 

Phil transport officials look into ‘punit passport’ incidents’

 

An elderly Pinoy was denied boarding because of the hardly discernible tear in his passport

The Department of Transportation in the Philippines has ordered an investigation into a rash of complaints from Filipino travellers being denied boarding for overseas travel because of small tears in their passports.

In the latest such incident, a 71-year-old man was not allowed by Cebu Pacific Airways to board his flight to Bali, Indonesia, where he was supposed to spend the Easter holiday with his family, because of a slight tear in the binding of his passport.

The incident which happened on Apr 15 at terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport was recounted on Facebook by the passenger’s daughter Diana Natividad.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

But there were similar complaints earlier from overseas Filipino workers who hinted their passports might have been deliberately tampered with by airline or airport personnel to prevent them from boarding their flights. The intention behind this was, however, unclear.

Natividad said that in her father’s case, it was “power tripping” by a check-in staff of Cebu Pacific, who reportedly said a photo of the torn passport had been forwarded to Bali airport authorities, and they were the ones who said the passenger would not be allowed entry.

Acting on the complaints Transport Secretary Vince Dizon said at a press conference on Saturday, Apr 26, that the DOTr and the Civil Aeronautics Board were already conducting an investigation.

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Dizon said the inquiry will include a check with Bali airport authorities on whether it was true that they were the ones who told Cebu Pacific to deny boarding to the elderly passenger because he would not be allowed entry to the Indonesian island with his torn passport.

He also said the DOTr has summoned Cebu Pacific - along with other international carriers - to ensure that they strictly verify the condition of the passenger’s passport.

In an statement published earlier, the DOTr called on all airlines operating in the Philippines to ensure their staff do not abuse their authority when checking the validity and integrity of passengers’ passports.

In line with established protocols, airlines must coordinate with immigration authorities of the passenger’s destination country to verity if they will accept a passport that appears to be tampered or damaged.

In the Philippines, the Department of Foreign Affairs has stated in published advisories that under the country’s laws, a passport is considered damaged for travel purposes if its physical condition is altered due to wear and tear, aging, negligence, or other factors that render it mutilated or defective.

For the passport to be deemed mutilated, its data page must have become unreadable or an information is missing.

This could be due to the passport chip being damaged or has become unreadable to the system, a page is torn out, the passport’s binding has unraveled, or the document is water-damaged, causing the visa stamps and printed information to run.

Nowhere is it stated in the advisory that a slight tear in the passport which does not make the information therein unreadable, considered damaged for travel purposes.

A passenger claims this tear in her passport appeared only after she handed it in for check-in

Dizon also said the investigation will look into allegations of deliberate tampering of passports by airline personnel, for whatever purpose it may serve them.

 “So they were told very, very clearly that they need to comply with that clear instruction, no way whatsoever to cause any harm to the documents or tamper with the documents of the passengers in the exercise of their function,” he said.

Dizon said the government agencies will look at CCTV footage and personal accounts of travellers to determine if the alleged deliberate tampering of passports did occur.

“Kasi kung meron tayong makitang gano'n and nahuli natin ang any airline personnel na may ginawa itong kalokohan na ganito, well, you know, sorry na lang, sanctions will be imposed on both the personnel and the airlines,” he said.

Among those who hinted at deliberate tampering by airport personnel was a female tourist bound for Hong Kong who said staff processing her travel tax payment pointed out to a tear in her passport, saying she and her husband may not be allowed to board their flight.

The passenger said she was shocked to see the small tear in the photo page of her passport as she had travelled just three days earlier, and she had checked their travel documents the night before, and was sure the tear was not there before she presented it to pay for travel tax.

Despite the warning, the passenger said she and her husband decided not to say anything about it when they checked in, and were relieved when staff at the counter made no mention about it, either.

 

Pinay jailed 1 year for lying to Immigration

 

Immigration Department

A Filipina has been jailed for 12 months after admitting that she lied to an Immigration officer when she renewed her employment visa as a domestic helper.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

Crischalyn Alban, 43 years old, pleaded guilty Thursday (April 24) at Shatin Court for “making a false representation to an Immigration officer lawfully acting in the due execution of Part III of Immigration Ordinance.”

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The offense is punishable under section 42 (1) (a) of the Immigration Ordinance with a maximum penalty of 14 years in jail and $150,000 fine.

According to the police information filed with the court last April 8, Alban lied when she told an Immigration officer on Aug, 20 last year that she would work for a local resident as a domestic helper, and presenting an employment contract to this effect. 

The contract turned out to be fake, and was submitted to allow the defendant to remain in Hong Kong under a foreign domestic helper visa.

With the guilty plea teminating the case, Magistrate Jeffrey Sze cancelled the previously scheduled next hearing on May 2.

DH gets 14 months’ jail for $237K theft

 

The theft was committed in a flat in this estate (Google Maps photo)

A domestic helper has been sentenced to 14 months in prison after she pleaded guilty at Shatin Court to stealing $237,242.32 in jewelry and cash from her employer.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

Acting Principal Magistrate Cheang Kei-hong handed the jail term to Nishel Narag, 43 years old, after she admitted committing the offense from Jan. 1, 2022 to Jan. 27, 2025 at her employer’s flat at Festival City in Shatin.

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She was earlier accused of stealing five gold bracelets, two diamond rings, two gold necklaces, one platinum bracelet, one diamond pendant necklace, three gold rings, 6,500 pound sterling, and 10,000 euros.

The offense is in violation of section 9 of the Theft Ordinance, for which the maximum penalty is 10 years in jail.

 

DMW-OWWA to set up hotline for distressed OFWs

OFW suicides in HK is one of the key concerns raised during the Senate committee hearing

Secretary Hans Cacdac of the Department of Migrant Workers has disclosed that a 24-hour hotline for overseas Filipino workers and their families will soon be launched  to provide them support and “ensure their well being.”

Secretary Cacdac made the statement during Wednesday’s hearing of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers headed by Senator Raffy Tulfo, in which the rise in suicide cases among OFWs was among the issues that were taken up.

“This is more than just a hotline. It’s a two-way line of care—our OFWs won’t only be calling us, but we’ll also be proactively reaching out to them,” said Cacdac.

The hotline which will be set up in collaboration with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) will be manned by 30 trained former OFWs who will serve as customer care support agents at the DMW One-Stop Shop Action Center in Makati City.

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He was responding to queries from Senator Tulfo about the rash in suicides among OFWs in Hong Kong which he said he learned about during a recent visit to the city.

After following this up with a call to Cacdac, Tulfo learned that in 2023 alone, six OFWs had committed suicide in Hong Kong, five in 2024, and one as of April this year.

The latest case involved a 44-year-old OFW who slashed her wrists, then hanged herself with a cloth due to money problems. Her family members said the victim had borrowed money from a loan syndicate, and had been hounded by collectors after she failed to pay on time.

Debt was also what prompted another OFW to also slash her wrists and overdose on drugs just days earlier. Luckily, she was saved.

Cacdac says the high legal interest for loans in HK makes OFW vulnerable to debt problems

Cacdac said it was unfortunate that Hong Kong laws allow an interest rate of up to 48% for loans, although it is illegal for debt collectors to resort to harassment. Thus, he said the DMW is working with the Hong Kong police in running after the harassers.

He also expressed concern over OFWs being arrested and jailed for money laundering in Hong Kong after they allowed their bank accounts to be controlled by syndicates. He said the DMW has given them lawyers who have been quite successful in getting their sentences reduced.

The assurance is, however, contrary to recent pronouncements by both local prosecutors and the police that they are seeking to get the imprisonment terms increased for those found guilty of allowing their bank accounts to be used as funnels for illicit funds.

The police have often warned that the lending, sale or renting out of ATMs or bank accounts is illegal, and that allowing others to use such accounts as conduits for dirty money makes them equally liable for money laundering.

To date, no OFW has managed to get acquitted on such charges even if there is no evidence directly linking them to the illegal transactions. And in all these cases, it is a duty lawyer provided by the Hong Kong government that appears for them in court.

Those struggling with debt and other problems may seek help from the OFW Global Centre in Hong Kong, said Cacdac, where “at least” 12 volunteer psychologists could provide them with in-person counseling.

He also said the DMW is collaborating with the HK Police Financial Intelligence Unit in including warnings about multiple loans and scams in the post-arrival orientation seminars for newly-arrived OFWs.

 

 

Pinay accused of theft jailed for 12 months after sudden guilty plea

 

A two-day trial at Eastern Court ended just minutes after it started Wednesday when the defendant, a Filipina domestic helper, pleaded guilty to 12 counts of theft committed between May 14 to July 12 last year.

Maribel Bringas, 42 years old, was sentenced to 12 months in jail for each of the thefts, all committed at her employer’s flat on Tung Shan Terrace Road, Happy Valley.

Magistrate Kestrel Lam ordered all the sentences to run at the same tine, resulting in a total of 12 months.

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He also cancelled the pre-scheduled second day of the trial on Friday (April 25).

According to the case filed by Police last Jan. 17, the thefts were committed on the following dates, with the corresponding items stolen:

May 14: one gold pendant, one gold necklace and one gold bracelet.

May 19: one jade pendant and one ring.

May 20: one diamond bracelet.

May 23: two gold pendants, one gold bracelet and one gold necklace.

May 31: one diamond ring and one gold ring.

May 18: one gold necklace with gold pendant, one gold pendant, one gold bracelet and one gold ring.

 June 27: one gold bracelet and one gold pendant.

May 20: one gold ring and one gold bracelet.

June 3: one gold pendant.

June 24: two gold pendants and one gold bracelet.

July 12: two gold bracelets and one gold necklace.

June 7: two gold rings.

Meanwhile, in a separate courtroom at Eastern, another domestic helper was jailed for four months after she pleaded guilty to stealing a necklace and a bracelet of her employer at their flat in Aldrich Garden, Shau Kei Wan.

Principal Magistrate Don So handed the sentence to Laila Dolores, 36 years old, for the theft that happened between June 25 and Nov. 18 last year.

2 Pinays admit money laundering; sentencing put off

 

File photo from HK Monetary Authority

Two Filipinas pleaded guilty on Tuesday to money laundering by allowing their bank accounts to be used to “clean” money from crimes, but their sentencing was put off pending backgound reports to find out how they got entangled in the illicit scheme.

Marilyn Macanas and Perla Gerbolingo, both domestic helpers, admitted their roles in the crime when they appeared at the Fanling Court before Magistrate Chan Ping-chau,  who adjourned their cases to May 7 and 8, respectively.

Macanas' account showed more than $400,000 had passed through in three months, while it took only two months for $1.3 million to flow through Gerbolingo's.

As a result, both were charged with “dealing in property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offense,” in violation of the Organised and Serious Crimes Ordinance.

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The charge against Macanas, 39 years old, arose from the $401,000 in deposits and withdrawals that appeared in her account with the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. from Aug. 15 to Nov. 16, 2020.

Gebolingo, on the other hand, was accused of handling crime money with the help of an unknown female, through the inflow and outflow of a total of $1,319,670.01 between July 6 and Sept. 9, 2020 in her HSBC account.

Magistrate Chan remanded them in jail until the next hearing.

Pinay whose HKID was used for money laundering set to contest charges

 

This February 2025 post by the Consulate warns about a supposed online game where FDWs
are asked to pose for photos and present their HKIDs in exchange for cash

In what could set a precedent for cases where HK ID cards are slyly obtained by crime syndicates, then used them to open bank accounts for money laundering, a Filipina former domestic helper is set to stand trial over charges that she let $2.2 million in crime money to flow through her two bank accounts.

Analiza Talay, 48 years old, appeared in Eastern Court earlier today, when she was told that her trial for two counts of money laundering has been set for Jun 2 and 3.

Both charges accused Talay of “dealing with property known or believed to be proceeds of indictable offense,” in violation of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance, or what is more commonly known as money laundering.

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Prosecutors said that 25 witnesses will be called during the trial, and transcripts of two video recorded interviews will be submitted.

Magistrate Don So extended Talay’s $5,000 bail until then.

In her interview with the police Talay said she was approached by unknown individuals in a mall and offered $500 in exchange for allowing a picture of her HKID card to be taken.

She complied, not realizing that her ID card would then be used by unknown individuals to open accounts in her name in two different online banks, Mox and ZA, through which a total of $2.2 million from illegal transactions had flowed in March 2023.

In the first charge, she is accused of dealing, together with an unknown person, with $1,746,610.41 “representing the proceeds of an indictable offense” that flowed in and out of her Mox Bank account between 19 and 28 of March 2023.

In the second charge, she is also accused of conspiring with an unknown person in using her ZA Bank account to deal with $478,121.52 in crime proceeds between 19 and 27 March 2023.

This is not the first time that Filipina domestic helpers had found themselves facing similar charges after unknowingly sharing their HKID cards with unknown people, either in person, or via social media, in exchange for cash.

The problem had gotten so rampant that the Philippine Consulate General has repeatedly posted advisories warning Filipinos against selling, lending or renting out their HKID cards in exchange for cash.

In the latest warning posted on Facebook only last February, the PCG said syndicates had been using a supposed online game to entice Filipinos to join using their HKID cards and personal photos, for which a reward of at least $500 was offered.

“Unfortunately, the supposed online game is actually a virtual bank app (e.g., Mox Bank, ZA, ets) and the syndicates would use the Hong Kong ID and photograph taken from the target FDW to open a bank account,” said the PCG in its advisory.

In December last year, the PCG also posted a warning a day after Hong Kong Police announced the arrest of 14 domestic workers – 13 Filipinos and one Indonesian, along with two local men, as part of anti-money laundering operaton.

Police said a syndicate had offered the helpers between $200 and $500 to FDWs to “rent” out their bank accounts so they could use them for money laundering.

The Police called on all employers to remind their helpers that money laundering is a serious offence and that anyone who provides personal information to anyone to open a bank account for money laundering purposes in their name, may be breaking the law.

Under Hong Kong laws, money laundering is punishable by up to 14 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5 million.