Pinay jailed 4 months for hurting bedridden ward with stool

By Vir B. Lumicao

Rebustillo was tried in Eastern Court

A Filipina who was caught on video hitting her bedridden elderly ward with a plastic stool was jailed for four months today, Mar 8, after being found guilty of common assault.

But Ivy Rebustillo was acquitted on a second charge of indecent assault on the elderly man by Eastern magistrate Selma Masood.

The magistrate said in explaining the sentence that Rebustillo’s offense was aggravated by the condition of her ward, who was bedridden and couldn’t defend himself.

She said another aggravating factor was the element of breach of trust, as the helper was hired to take care of the partly paralyzed victim, identified only as "Mister X".

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The defense counsel pleaded for a "short but suspended sentence" on Rebustillo, citing her clear record, her having a 4-year-old son and elderly mother who depended on her for support. He said the helper is married to an Indian torture claimant.

But Masood ruled out a suspended sentence because of the aggravating factors.

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In her defense, Rebustillo told the court on Mar 1 that she had merely tapped her ward with the stool on Jun 30 to stop him from touching his feces.

But the prosecution pointed out that the knocking sound picked up by the camera from the impact showed that the accused had deliberately hurt the old man.

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The victim, the husband of her employer, died late last year.

A CCTV footage taken in the living room of the employer’s North Point flat showed Rebustillo picking up a pink stool, then hitting her ward’s hand with it.

When asked why she did not just use her hand to stop her ward, she said it was because she was already holding the stool.

Masood acquitted Rebustillo of the charge of indecent assault, saying that holding the victim's penis was an inevitable part of the helper's job to clean him up because feces smeared his private parts.

  

But the judge said she included the alleged indecent assault under the umbrella of common assault fo which she convicted the helper.

The defense had tried to discredit statements Rebustillo made during a police investigation, saying she was not fully informed about her rights because she had with her a Tagalog interpreter instead of a Bicolano one as she had requested.

Her lawyer said it was wrong for the police to make her sign the declaration when she did not fully understand its contents.

The magistrate excluded the video-recorded interview by the police with the defendant, but still convicted her of the assault charge based on what was shown on the CCTV footage from her employer’s flat.

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FDWs contribute US$12.6 billion to HK’s economy, study shows

Migrant domestic workers contributed HK$98 billion to Hong Kong's economy in 2018

A new study shows that foreign domestic workers contributed a staggering US$12.6 billion (HK$98.02billion) to Hong Kong’s economy in 2018, representing 3.6 of the city’s gross domestic product or GDP.

The breakthrough finding was contained in a report jointly released on Mar 6 by global information services company Experian and Hong Kong-based charity Enrich.

The report, “The Value of Care: Key Contributions of Migrant Domestic Workers to Economic Growth and Family Well-being in Asia”, calculated comprehensively for the first time the economic contribution of migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.

The study, commissioned by Experian and conducted by international market research firm Frost & Sullivan, showed that migrant workers’ contribution was the biggest in Hong Kong. In Singapore, the migrants’ contribution to the economy was US$8.2 billion (or 2.4% of the GDP); and in Malaysia, US$0.9 billion (0.3% of the GDP).

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Lucinda Pike, executive director of Enrich said: “Domestic work is, in many ways, invisible and undervalued work that disproportionately falls on women, often migrants. We are thrilled that this research shows how the presence of domestic workers unlocks extra economic potential.”

The report said the migrants’ final contribution figure was calculated according to the real value that they add based on the cost of domestic work if paid at local rates, the value of their own personal spending in Hong Kong and value of freed-up time. For example, migrant workers enable dual incomes in each household by freeing more women to join the workforce.

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In Hong Kong, it was found out that only 49% of women (at the prime working age of 25-54) with children would be able to join the labour force if they did not employ a FDW. But if they do, this labour force participation increases to 78%. 

By enabling more women to join the labour force, migrant workers indirectly add US$2.6 billion (HK$20.1 billion) to Hong Kong’s economy, US$2.6 billion (SG$3.5 billion) to Singapore’s economy and US$0.23 billion (MYR929 million) to Malaysia.

This is on top of their contribution to family well-being.

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Despite their important contribution, the research also showed a significant lack of access for migrants to participate in Hong Kong’s vibrant economy. For example, only 18% of migrant workers were found to have bank accounts either because they lack funds or financial knowledge and awareness, and because of strict bank regulations.

Also noted was the alarmingly high level of debt among migrants in Hong Kong, with, 83% of them reporting being in debt.

In comparison, 51% of migrant domestic workers in Singapore and 86% of those in Malaysia have bank accounts. The number of those who are reported to be in debt is also lower in both places, at 34% and 65%, respectively.

Sisca Margaretta, chief marketing officer of Experian Asia Pacific, said it is important to equip migrants with financial information and access to help them move ahead in life.

“Building equal opportunities for inclusion across genders and socio-economic groups is key to developing thriving economies and communities in Asia Pacific. Only by arming all groups with financial knowledge and access will we be able to start addressing the financial difficulties they face and help resolve the region’s financial inclusion challenges,” Margaretta said.

In a statement, Enrich said that Hong Kong needs to make sure it remains an attractive city for migrants to work in by recognizing the economic value of the care and domestic work they provide.

This is particularly important with the rapidly ageing populations, lower fertility rates, and little or no affordable care services in countries across Asia and the Pacific, where over 21 million migrant domestic workers are now based.

“This demand is only set to grow in the future; in Hong Kong the government has projected a total need of 600,000 MDWs by 2047. As more doors open for migrant domestic workers across Asia, the future of care in Hong Kong depends on ensuring that it remains an attractive city to work in,” the  statement said.

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Pinay helper denies stealing $40 from co--worker

Basto is accused of taking $20 from her co-worker's jacket pocket

By Vir B. Lumicao

Two Filipina domestic workers faced each other in Kwun Tong court on Mar 6 over an alleged theft of $40.

The charge against 52-year-old Imelda Basto was originally for theft involving $141.50 but it was amended when the alleged victim, Catherine Cuadra, told the court that it was not what she had told police investigators.

Cuadra said what she told investigators was that the two $20 bills that the accused had taken were part of a total of $141.50 that she kept in the pocket of her jacket.

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But Basto denied the charge, and said the $40 was what she had lent Cuadra four days before the alleged theft took place last November. Cuadra had tricked her into taking the bills from her pocket on the pretext that she was in a hurry to leave the house.

Magistrate Philip Chan said he would reserve judgment until Mar 15 after listening to Basto’s lawyer, Yasmine Zahir, sum up the case for the defense. The prosecutor did not make a closing statement.

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Basto was terminated by a local couple in Saikung who employed her and Cuadra after the latter accused her of stealing her money. She sought shelter at Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge, whose executive director Edwina Antonio escorted her to the court.   

After first hearing from Cuadra, the magistrate called for a break in the trial so the charge could be clarified.

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The prosecution contacted the police unit that investigated the case and subsequently amended the charge by changing the amount to $40 when the trial resumed.

Cuadra alleged that earlier, money amounting to $2,000 that she had kept in her rucksack went missing and she suspected Basto to have taken it, but she had no proof.

The next time around, Cuadra said she took pictures of two $20 bills that formed part of a total of $141.50 cash that she put in her jacket’s pocket before she and their female employer went out to fetch the couple’s son from school.

Cuadra said when she checked her money later that evening, she found out that the two $20 bills were gone. She told their employer about the alleged theft next morning and the employers called the police.

Basto was arrested after the officers searched her belongings and found the two $20 bills in her wallet.

During cross-examination, Zahir asked Cuadra why she did not tell their employers when her $2,000 went missing from her rucksack, but reported to them and called police when she lost $40.

The accuser said she had no proof that Basto stole the $2,000, while this time, the missing $20 bills that she had photographed were found in the defendant’s possession.

Zahir also asked the alleged victim if she did not find it unreasonable that Basto took only $40 and not the whole $141.50, and Cuadra said maybe it was all that the defendant needed.

The defense lawyer suggested to Cuadra that she made up the theft story because she wanted to get rid of Basto, with whom she had had arguments over the division of work in the household. Cuadra disagreed, saying she and Basto were in good terms.

At Basto’s turn at the witness stand, she said she lent $40 to Cuadra on Nov. 3 because the latter had not yet collected her salary.

When Basto asked for her money back on Nov 7, Cuadra allegedly told her to take it from the pocket of her jacket because she was in a rush to leave the house with their employer.

In summing up, Zahir said intent was missing from the charge. She said her client’s evidence was clear and consistent while the accuser had been inconsistent and unclear.

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Ang iyong kapalaran

BABOY. Isinilang noong 1923/35/47/59/71/83/95/07
Alam mo ang kakayahan mo para umasenso at kumita sa maayos na paraan. Mapapawi rin ang hiya at pag-aalinlangan kaya mas madali mong mahahanap ang iyong gusto. May kaunting kaguluhan sa tahanan na sanhi ng paglilipat, pagpapaayos ng bahay o pagkakaroon ng mga bisitang kaanak at kaibigan na magpapabago sa iyong mga plano. Lucky numbers: 7, 15, 26 at 45.

DAGA. Isinilang noong 1924/36/48/60/72/84/96/08
Mas gagamitin mo ang iyong intuisyon kaysa hanapan ng dahilan ang lahat ng bagay; ito ay magbubukas ng bagong pagkakataon para sa iyo. Madali kang magpadala sa iyong galit, piliting ma-kontrol ito upang hindi maapektuhan ang relasyon sa malalapit sa iyo. Kung may masayahing mga kaibigan, bakit hindi ka sumama sa kanila? Kung may mga problema, ituring itong mga pagsubok at hindi kabiguan. Lucky numbers: 11, 22, 31 at 40.

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BAKA. Isinilang noong 1925/37/49/61/73/85/97/09
Makakaranas ng problema sa pag-ihi at pananakit ng katawan, mag-relax at dagdagan ang pahinga. Saglit kang kakawala sa realidad at mangangarap. Mababawasan din ang tapang at tibay ng loob. Sa kabila ng mga problema, gumawa ng paraan na malampasan ito ng maayos at lakasan ang loob. Ang mga problema ay bahagi ng buhay na kailangang harapin. Lucky numbers: 21, 23, 33 at 42.

TIGRE Isinilang noong 1926/38/50/62/74/86 at 98/10
Ang malikhaing pag-iisip ay aktibo ngayon kaya may mabubuong plano na magiging kawili-wili. Ang matagal nang magkarelasyon ay magkakaroon ng mga pagdududa na maaaring sumira sa pagsasama. Sa mga single, huwag magmadali at bawasan ang pagiging mapang-angkin, kahit alam mong panalo ka na. Matutukso kang gumastos kaya mamili ng bawat magustuhan, kahit mabaon sa utang. Lucky numbers: 13, 14, 25 at 29.

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KUNEHO Isinilang noong 1927/39/51/63/75/87/99
Mababawi mo ang kumpiyansa sa sarili at babalik sa dati ang sigla, na hindi ikakatutuwa ng ibang nasa paligid mo. Ang trabaho na matagal nang iniatang sa iyo ay unti-unti nang magbubunga ng maganda. Huwag umiwas sa mga usapin sa trabaho dahil makakatulong ito upang mapabilis ang gawain. Marami pa ring problemang dapat lutasin, lalo na sa pinansyal na kalagayan, pero hindi ka magpapaapekto dito. Lucky numbers: 24, 30, 35 at 41.

 DRAGON Isinilang noong 1928/40/52/64/76/88/00
Mataas ang enerhiya at puno ng sigla at kumpiyansa sa sarili ngayon. Ito ang iyong magsisilbing alas mo sa lahat ng yugto ng iyong buhay. Ang malalapit sa iyo ay kailangan ang iyong payo dahil maalam ka at magagamit nila ito. Pero dahil may mga maramdamin, mag-ingat din sa pananalita. Ang relasyon sa kapartner ay lalong nagiging kumplikado, kaya napipilitan ka na magsinungaling kung minsan. Mag-ingat na hindi masanay rito, at baka lumaki pa ang problema. Lucky numbers: 8, 13, 24 at 40.

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AHAS Isinilang noong 1929/41/53/65/77/89/01
May hindi maiisawang pagbabago sa pamilya o trabaho na magaganap. Ilahad ang problema sa mga nakakaalam, at sundin ang kanilang payo. Mag-ingat sa pagmamaneho, huwag masyadong mabilis. Sa trabaho, kailangang manindigan ka, at huwag lang basta manahimik kung gusto mong mapansin at masabi ang iyong panig, lalo na kung alam mong nasa katwiran ka. Lucky numbers: 15, 18, 27 at 44.

KABAYO. Isinilang noong 1930/42/54/66/78/90/02
Pakiramdam mo ay pinagtakluban ka na ng langit at lupa dahil sa mga sunod-sunod na problema. May hidwaan sa mga kasamahan sa trabaho at magulo rin ang lagay ng pamilya. Magkakaroon ng mainit na pagtatalo sa karelasyon at wala kang magagawa upang humupa ang tensyon, kaya pakiramdaman mo na lang. Kung may anak, magpakita ng interes sa ginagawang pag-aaral nito at matutuwa ka sa resulta. Mahalaga rin sa kanila ang positibong komento at papuri kung karapat-dapat ito. Lucky numbers: 20, 28, 32 at 37.



KAMBING. Isinilang noong 1919/31/43/55/67/79/91/03
Mag-ingat kung saan ka patutungo; mas mabuti nang huwag magtiwala agad kesa magkamali. Kung susubok ka, pag-aralang mabuti ang gagawin, at paghandaan ang mangyayari kung hindi ka magtagumpay upang mabawasan ang sakit ng pagkatalo. Magiging masaya ka kung mas mapapalapit ka sa mga taong mahal mo. May tsansa kang mapaganda ang kalagayan sa pakikipag-ugnayan sa mga banyaga. Lucky numbers: 3, 7, 15 at 26.

UNGGOY. Isinilang noong 1920/32/44/56/68/80/92/04
Sa gitna ng pagiging abala sa trabaho, magiging masaya ang love life. Hindi ka mahihirapag mahanap ang isang pambihirang nilalang. Mas magiging hayag ka at bukas ang isip sa mga personal na ambisyon, kaya magkakaroon ka ng mga bago at orihinal na mga ideya na magpapabago sa iyong intuisyon at magbubukas ng mga oportunidad. Maganda ang pinansyal na kalagayan. Lucky numbers: 14, 18, 30 at 39.

TANDANG. Isinilang noong 1921/33/45/57/69/81/93/05
Sa mga walang karelasyon, ito na ang iyong pagkakataon, lumabas at makihalubilo. Maswerte ka kung makatagpo ang soul mate na nakatakda para sa iyo kahit hindi mo ito hinahanap. Sa mga may asawa, may mga away at pagtatalong magaganap. Ang pagiging wala sa sarili ay sasamantalahin ng mga nagbebenta at papipirmahin ka ng kontrata; alamin kung paano malulusutan ito kung hindi mo talaga gusto ang nabili mo. Lucky numbers: 11, 24, 28 at 31.

ASO. Isinilang noong 1922/34/46/58/70/82/94/06
Masidhi ang pinagdaraanan mo ngayon, pero walang katiyakan kung magiging masaya ka sa piling ng karelasyon mo o magkakasundo kayo sa maraming bagay. Kung kaya mong maging organisado sa iyong trabaho, maaayos mo rin ang sarili at maging ang love life. Dapat mo ring gawan ng paraan ang problema sa mga kasamahan. Mag-ingat sa mga iniinom na gamot para pumayat. Lucky numbers: 16, 32, 37 at 47.

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