Granny with fake check denied bail, gets new court date

By Vir B. Lumicao

A 75-year-old Filipina tourist accused of trying to cash a fake US$50 million check will appear in court again on May 16, this time with a lawyer.

 The District Court has put off for six weeks the hearing of Maria Ilao Gosilatar when she appeared in court on Mar 30 unrepresented by a lawyer.

Judge Eddie Yip also rejected a bail application by Maria Ilao Gosilatar, who has been in jail since she and a male Hong Kong accountant were arrested last Dec 9 during the botched transaction at the Hang Seng Bank headquarters in Central.

Gosilatar got a boost on her first appearance in District Court from the presence of two officers of the Consulate and two relatives from the Philippines.

In previous hearings in the Eastern Court, Gosilatar looked frail and had been coughing.

Gosilatar was scheduled to enter her plea to a charge of “using a false instrument”, but the defense lawyer for a previous case stood up and told the judge the woman had no representation.

“I am not her lawyer, your honor, but I can remember that she applied for legal aid on Mar 13 but withdrew it to engage a private lawyer,” the barrister said.

When Judge Yip asked Gosilatar why she withdrew her application, the defendant said: “Your honor, I really wanted to be represented by legal aid but they told me I can’t get free legal aid…”

The judge said it was highly unlikely that she could get legal aid without a contribution, but said she could always apply again, though that would take time.

He asked Gosilatar if she was on bail or in custody and the woman replied she was in Tai Lam Women’s Centre hospital.

The judge said he was scheduling the next hearing for mention on May 16 to give the defendant time to reapply for legal aid.

“If the legal aid position is not favorable to you, then you’ll have to find a private lawyer. It’s essential that you have legal aid because your case so demands and you won’t be able to defend yourself,” the judge said.

Asked if she had any bail application, Gosilatar said she did have but that her resources were limited. “I can only raise $300,000 and my friend can put up a $50,000 surety,” the woman said.

The prosecutor, however, stood up and opposed bail for the defendant, citing that she came from the Philippines, she had no local ties, the offense had international element and the evidence was strong.

Asked if she had anything else to say, Gosilatar said: “All I can say is the Philippine Consulate said they can help me, actually they are here.”

The judge looked at the gallery asking who the consulate representatives were and Vice Consul Alex Vallespin, head of the assistance to nationals section, stood up.

“Your honor, I don’t think I have something to say at the moment. We’ve been visiting her often. She just wants to be out on bail because of deteriorating health,” said Vallespin.

The judge turned to Gosilatar and said: “I refuse your bail application. You can apply at the Court of First Instance for bail.”

After the hearing, Vallespin and ATN officer Hermogenes Cayabyab Jr conferred with Gosilatar and her relatives before the defendant was led back to jail.

DH accused of theft comes back with claim against employer

By Vir B. Lumicao 

The Labour Tribunal has postponed hearing a wage dispute between a Filipina domestic worker and her employer while police investigates a theft case filed by the latter against the helper.

But the presiding officer asked the worker, Marieta Baggay, and her employer, Patricia Cheung, to settle their issues over pay and return air ticket.

Baggay filed a claim for wages in lieu of one month’s notice after Cheung accused her of theft and terminated their contract in early March.

The Filipina, a client of Bethune House, told The SUN she had worked for Cheung only for more than two months when she was arrested for allegedly stealing the employer’s Philip Stein watch worth $8,600.

Investigation is still under way and the Mission for Migrant Workers is helping Baggay both in the labor dispute and the police case.

The Filipina said this was her first time to work in Hong Kong, following six years in Dubai also as a domestic helper for an Arab family.

“I didn’t expect this will happen to me in Hong Kong. I got better treatment in Dubai,” Baggay told The SUN.

She said that the employer had treated her badly from the start, especially whenever Cheung had a spat with her husband.

On the day she was fired, Baggay said Cheung first asked her to take some rubbish to the refuse collection point downstairs. When she returned to the flat, she said she was surprised when a police officer opened the door to her and asked her to proceed to the room she shared with the employer’s two young children.

The helper said she saw the officer and her employer talking in the master bedroom before they came to her and showed her the watch which Cheung allegedly found in the drawer where Baggay kept her belongings.

She was arrested and taken by the officer to the Shatin police station. At the same time, she was fired by her employer. Baggay was released after initial investigation.

The Filipina sought to get one month’s pay in lieu of notice from the employer, but Cheung countered with a similar claim.

In the Tribunal, Cheung insisted that she would not pay anything to Baggay. But
presiding officer W Y Ho reminded her that she was legally bound to at least pay for the maid’s return air ticket, a $100 food and travel allowance, and arrears in wages.

“If you don’t pay now, the interest will keep accumulating. I suggest that you deal with all items that you are contractually obligated to pay,” Ho said.

After Cheung agreed to pay Baggay's salary, Ho proceeded to another contentious issue, the air ticket. The employer insisted that she book and buy the ticket for the maid, while the maid wanted it in cash.

When the presiding officer said Cheung had to pay cash and let the maid choose which airline to take, the employer said she would pay Baggay only $1,300. The Filipina said a travel agency quoted a $2,900 fare to her hometown of Tuguegarao, Cagayan, but she did not bring the quotation to court. Eventually, she settled for $1,300.

DH in drug parcel case acquitted, allowed to look for new job

By Vir B. Lumicao 

A Fi­lipino maid jailed for six months after taking delivery of an air parcel containing cocaine was freed by a magistrate on Mar 31 after prosecution lawyers withdrew the charge against her for insufficiency of evidence.

Estrella G. Welba, a 39-year-old single mother, was ordered freed by Magistrate So Wai-Tak at West Kowloon court. She had pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking.

Freedom came unexpectedly for the Filipina, as she was due to return to court on Apr 10 before the transfer of her case to the High Court.

Welba told The SUN she was surprised when a correctional officer at Tai Lam Centre for Women in Tuen Mun told her to dress up and attend an urgent court hearing.

“I had been praying that I would be acquitted because I am innocent of the charge,” Welba said.

She said she drew strength from prison chaplain Father John Wotherspoon, an Australian priest who has been waging a campaign to gain freedom for women jailed for unwittingly carrying dangerous drugs for Nigerian drug syndicates operating in Hong Kong.

“Father John kept advising me to tell the truth and be consistent with my statements,” Welba said.

She told The SUN that she was allowed to look for a new employer following her acquittal, but the Immigration gave her only a two-day visa extension.

She left for Macau Apr 5, hoping to return to Hong Kong and process a new work contract.

Welba was arrested on Sept 23 last year by customs and police operatives right after she signed a delivery receipt for the air parcel that was delivered to her boarding house in North Point by an officer posing as a DHL staff.

Earlier reports said she was nabbed in her employer’s flat.

The package, found to contain a substance with 478 grams of cocaine, was sent from the Somali capital, Addis Ababa, by Welba’s former boyfriend, a Nigerian based in Chung King Mansion in Tsimshatsui.

Welba said her relationship with the Nigerian did not last long and that she met him only three times before she broke off because she discovered in his Facebook account that she had a wife, also a Filipina.

She initially told an officer that she had no idea who had sent it to her until she suddenly remembered that after she parted with the Nigerian last May, he asked her if she could receive a package from him that a friend would pick up later.

Welba said she agreed but did not realize she would be sent a dangerous drug.

When she appeared at West Kowloon Court on Mar 3, she said her duty lawyer told her that if she got convicted, she would be sentenced to 12-15 years in jail, so she prayed hard for an acquittal.

“I told myself that by telling the truth I will be acquitted, and I had been telling that to other inmates also awaiting trial for drug trafficking,” she said.

On Apr 2, Welba went to the Consulate to ask for help, particularly for temporary shelter and getting a visa extension from the Immigration Department, where she was to recover her passport.

She also asked for a plane ticket home from the social welfare office at the Consulate but was unsuccessful.

Magsanla-passport pa more

Isang Pilipina na naman ang lumapit sa Konsulado kamakailan matapos ma-terminate nang dahil sa pangungutang. Luhaan si Mary, isang Ilongga, habang kinukuwento sa assistance to nationals section noong Marso 23 kung paano siya pinababa ng kanyang amo dahil sa paulit-ulit na pagtawag sa kanilang bahay ng pinagsanlaan niya ng kanyang passport kapalit ang halagang $5k.

Pinangalandakan pa nung pinagsanlaan niya na isang Pilipina din na nasa kanya ang pasaporte ni Mary at hindi mababawi kung hindi siya magbabayad.

Ayon kay Mary, pinipilit ng nagpautang sa kanya na ihulog muna niya ang bayad sa account nito sa bangko bago ibalik ang kanyang pasaporte pero natural na hindi siya pumayag. Gusto niya ay kabilaan para siguradong mabalik ang kanyang dokumento.

Pinatawag ng Konsulado ang nagpautang at nagharap sila noong Marso 28.

Nagtapat si Mary na wala siyang perang pantubos dahil ibinayad niya sa boarding house, sa pagkain at sa agency dahil naghanap siya ng bagong amo. Walang nagawa ang nagpautang kundi ibalik ang pasaporte ni Mary para siya makauwi.

Ganunpaman, hindi rin lubusang nakalusot si Mary dahil pinapirma siya ng kasunduan sa Konsulado na babayaran niya ang inutang, at hindi na niya ulit isasanla ang kanyang pasaporte dahil hindi na siya kailanman bibigyan ng kapalit kapag ginawa niya ito. – Merly Bunda

Food Trip: Turning the usual to something interesting

By Jo Campos

Since returning home for good in the Philippines, I have taken to cooking dinner for my big family of 10 and it is always a challenge deciding on what to serve everyday. I usually check the internet whenever I run out of ideas, or want to make my dishes look and taste more interesting. I adopt the same technique when we plan menus for clients when catering. It has always been fun trying to make something different out of the ordinary recipe.

A case in point is the all-time favorite, sweet-and-sour. This dish is usually done using either pork or chicken, and while these have remained the staple ingredients, there are healthier alternatives, like fish.

The recipe below has fish fillets as the main ingredient, but I further modified it a bit by adding some lychees, apple and mandarin segments for an Oriental refreshing fruity twist. Together, they have turned this dish into something healthier, tastier, and more appetizing.
Enjoy!

Fruity Sweet and Sour Fish Fillets

Ingredients:
2 lbs. tilapia, cod, halibut or any other whitefish (cut into 1" chunks)
1 large green pepper (cut into 1" chunks)
1 large tomato (cut into 1" chunks)
1 large onion (cut into 1" chunks)
1 can pineapple chunks (with juice)
1 small can lychees, drained
1 apple, diced
mandarin or orange segments
oil (for deep frying)

Breading:
¼ cup cornstarch
2 cups flour
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 cups water

Sweet and sour sauce:
½ cup vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup pineapple juice
¼ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: Toss fish with cornstarch in a bowl and coat well. In another bowl whisk together flour, 6 tablespoons of oil, baking powder, seasoning salt, and cayenne pepper. A little at a time, add 2 cups of water whisking until the batter has become smooth. Pour batter over the coated fish pieces and stir to coat.
Step 2: In a deep frying pan, fry fish pieces in batches for 4 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in the oven.
Step 3: In a wok heat about 1 tbsp of oil. Stir fry green pepper and onions for 3 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
Step 4: To make sweet and sour sauce – In the wok mix vinegar, sugar, salt, orange juice, pineapple juice and ketchup. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in 1/8 cup of juice, pour into the sauce and stir until sauce has thickened.  Add tomatoes, fruits and pineapple chunks to the sauce and heat.
Step 5: In a large serving dish mix fish pieces, sauce and green pepper and onions. Serve with white rice.

Hiram na passport

Na-terminate si Myla, isang Ilongga, nang dahil sa pagpapahiram niya ng passport.

Noong Sabado, Marso 25 ay sinabihan si Myla ng kanyang amo na isasama siya sa Macau. Hindi na nakaiwas si Myla na sabihin na isang buwan nang wala sa kanya ang kanyang passport.

Hiniram ito ng isang kaibigan para gamiting pansanla sa utang, pero ang sabi ay isang linggo lang at tutubusin na . Pero hindi natupad ang pangako dahil ang taong pinagsanlaan ng kanyang kaibigan ay nagpunta ng China at sa Abril pa ang balik.

Ngayon ay mas malaki ang problema ni Myla dahil may 14 araw lang siyang maaaring manatili ng Hong Kong ngunit wala pa rin ang may hawak ng kanyang pasaporte.

Kung kaya lang niyang kagatin ang kanyang siko sa galit ay ginawa na niya, ngunit wala siyang magawa. Kung hindi pa rin bumalik ang may kasalanan sa pagkakatanggal niya sa trabaho ay mapipilitan na siyang lumapit sa Konsulado para manghingi ng tulong nang siya ay makauwi.

Si Myla na taga Dingle, Iloilo ay mahigit tatlong taon na sa among Intsik. – Merly Bunda

Our Report, Our Service, Our Mission

By Cynthia Tellez

In place of giving ways of addressing specific concerns, do allow us to share with you some highlights of the Mission’s work in 2016 including the trend of cases we handled as reflected in our Service Report and our corresponding responses. At the end of this article are certain tips on the most common problems presented to us last year.

The Mission conducts internal evaluation of its services to determine the quantity and the quality of the assistance extended to migrant workers. A review of our 2016 services showed a general increase across-the-board of case intake, inquiries, reach and recovered claims. This can be attributed to the implementation of the recommendations of the Impact Evaluation and the addition of a Chinese and Indonesian staff in our growing family.

True to our motto of “Serving Migrants Anytime, Anywhere”, we are now in four areas of the New Territories - once in two months, and more frequently in Causeway Bay.

We have also rationalized our empowerment program for migrants. Better and upgraded life and work skills are offered via partnerships with reputable and accredited skills providers like the HK Red Cross and the HK Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council.

Another significant development is the launch of our Happy Homes program. With the aim of fostering a more caring and inclusive society, we work towards building better relationships of employers’ families with migrant workers in the households. We have launched the “Stories of Harmony in the Household” featuring positive stories of mutual respect and care among household workers and families. Since we started our “Employer Awareness program” last November, five employers have come forward to our center or accessed our dedicated hotline.

In response to the awareness survey we did in 2015 which showed that 50% of migrants are newly-arrived, we increased our promotion and visibility in Central.  We distributed thousands of information cards at the HK airport and via our partner migrant associations. Know Your Rights and Responsibilities seminars were regularly held not only in indoor spaces but outdoor public venues to capture more spontaneous audience.

Special thanks definitely goes to the community media, especially to the SUN newspaper for continuing to host our Know Your Rights column and for its effective and real-life advocacy and support towards victims of overcharging, fraud and illegal recruitment. Beyond reporting the cases, it even referred clients to us or cooperated with us in case work.

This, we believe, also inspires and encourages more migrants, especially the newly arrived or newly victimized, to come forward and fight for what is right.

As mentioned above, the 2016 summary report of our services indicated a general increase of migrants seeking assistance from the Mission. In order to address it, we are developing the volunteer system that will be more organic to the Mission’s personnel. We are also regularizing training to upgrade the skills and knowledge of the welfare committees of the organizations of migrant workers.
Termination of contract, police cases and agency-related cases were the three categories that registered an increase in the cases the Mission handled and assisted. Below are some points to remember, especially for new arrivals.

1) Termination of contracts. The contract can be terminated anytime by either the domestic worker or the employer; either by issuing a month’s notice of termination or paying an equivalent amount of the worker’s one month’s salary by the terminating party. Do not sign any blank paper/document especially if that is in place of the payments due you. The safest is to leave the premises of your employer and seek assistance from service providers like the Mission. They will provide you an explanation of your rights and the computation of your claims before reporting to appropriate HK government agency like the Labour Relations Division (LRD). Once you sign any paper and someone else writes down anything there, it can be used as evidence against you. If the employer prevents you from leaving leave unless you signed the paper, dial 999 for police assistance. Explain to the police that you prefer that matters be resolved at the LRD. The police cannot also force you to sign and they should help facilitate your exit from your employer’s house.

2) Police case. If you are being accused of a crime, remember your basic right to remain silent and not to answer any questions by the investigator. This cannot be taken away from you. Before they even start questioning you, the investigator (through an interpreter) must tell you that anything you say may be used as evidence against you in Court. This means that if you agree to answer their questions, they will put it in writing and you will need to sign it together with the interpreter as proof that the contents were really your statement. The Court will accept that as evidence in hearing your case. It is thus better to invoke your right to silence. Seek the assistance of service providers that could refer you to a lawyer for legal advice.

3) Agency-related cases. If you apply to any recruitment/placement agency in Hong Kong, the law that will govern your dealings with the said agency is the law of Hong Kong. It says that the legal fee to pay the agency is only 10% of your first month’s salary. The payment according to the Code of Practice issued by the Labour Department should be done after a successful placement. Meaning that you are required to pay the placement fee only after you receive your first month’s salary. But even if you pay in advance, it should be an equivalent of 10% only of your first month’s salary. However, quite a number of excessive placement fees cases that the Mission handles at the moment are about applying in Hong Kong for jobs outside of Hong Kong, particularly Canada, the UK or other countries. The first thing to know in cases like this is whether or not the agency has a license issued by the  government of Hong Kong to send workers outside of Hong Kong. Another step is to seek assistance from service providers to determine the authenticity of the permit issued to the Hong Kong –based placement agencies to deploy workers (local or foreign) outside. Verification must also be done whether the said agency has a permit from the destination country to deploy workers wanting to work there and/or transact placement business in that country. It is important to secure the whereabouts of their so-called counterpart agency in the destination country and if such agency is also registered to legally deploy workers.

But the best advice to anyone is to seek help from service providers. Do not feel embarrassed or hesitate because it is your life.

There are ways and alternatives to take where you can avoid ruining your future and the future of your family.
---
This is the monthly column from the Mission for Migrant Workers, an institution that has been serving the needs of migrant workers in Hong Kong for over 31 years. The Mission, headed by its general manager, Cynthia Tellez, assists migrant workers who are in distress, and  focuses its efforts on crisis intervention and prevention through migrant empowerment. Mission has its offices at St John’s Cathedral on Garden Road, Central, and may be reached through tel. no. 2522 8264.

Tulong ng mga DH laban sa krimen, dapat noon pa

Ni Vir B. Lumicao

Pinulong kamakailan ng Hong Kong Police ang mga lider ng iba’t ibang grupo ng mga OFW upang hingiin ang kanilang tulong sa pagpigil sa krimen, lalo na yaong mga Pinoy na katulong ang siyang nabibiktima.

Positibo ang dating ng binabalak ng pulisya na “Crime Prevention Program”. Sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon simula nang dumating noong Dekada 70 ang mga katulong na Pinoy ay ngayon lang naisipan ng mga alagad ng batas ang ganitong programa.

Binigyan-diin ng mga opisyal sa pagpupulong sa Central District headquarters sa Sheung wan na ang nasabing programa ay nakatuon sa mga kasambahay na Pinoy dahil sa laki ng kanilang bilang dito sa Hong Kong.

Ayon sa pinakakuling estadistika ng Immigration Department, umabot na ang bilang ng mga Pilipinong kasambahay sa Hong Kong sa 189,105.

Kung susumahin, ayon kay Leung, ganito kadami ang bilang ng mga tahanan na pinaglilingkuran ng mga DH na Pinay. Kung may tig-apat na katao ang bawat tirahan, lalabas na malaking bahagi ng 7 milyong populasyon ng Hong Kong ang masasaklaw nila kapag nakatulong ang mga kasambahay sa kampanya laban sa krimen.

Napapanahon ang bagong programa ng pulisya dahil nitong mga nakalipas na buwan ay may malalaking kasong kinasasangkutan ng mga katulong na Pinoy at sila mismo ang mga biktima.

Sa isang malaking kaso ng panlilinlang ng isang ahensiya sa empleo, ilang daang Pinoy na katulong ang nabiktima, bagamat nalaman ng pulisya na nabiktima rin ng panloloko ang ahensiyang iyon, ayon kay Leung.

Ang pinakahuling kasong kinasasangkutan ng mga katulong na Pinoy ay ang “loan sharking” o pagpapautang na labis-labis ang patubo, na nilansag ng pulisya kamakailan. Ang sindikato ay binubuo ng mag-asawang Intsik na “financier”, ang katulong nilang Pinay na “assistant” nila, at pito pang DH na tagakontak at tagapasa ng prendang pasaporte o kontrata ng mga nangungutang.

Maraming iba pang krimen na ang inaasinta ay mga Pinay na katulong dahil marunong silang mag-Ingles, tulad ng telephone scams, mga pyramid at iba pang panlilinlang at ang paglulunad sa programang nakatuon sa mga Pinoy DH ay para na rin sa kaligtasan nila, ayon sa pulisya.

Noong nakalipas na taon, halimbawa, sa 5,024 na biktima ng “assault and wounding’ o pananakit at panunugat ay 19 ang katulong na Pinay at ang may kagagawan ay ang mga amo nila, ayon sa estadistikang tinukoy ni Leung.

Bahagi ng nasabing programa ang pagbuo ng iba’t ibang lupon mula sa 58 kataong dumalo sa pulong na dadaan sa iba’t ibang pagsasanay tungkol sa mga batas ng Hong Kong, pagpapakilala sa kanila sa mga gawaing pulisya, at pagsasagawa ng mga pinagsanib na serbisyo sa komunidad.

Pagkatapos ng ilang pagsasanay ay magkakaroon ng pagtatapos ang mga miyembro ng programa kung saan sila ay gagawaran ng mga katibayan bilang mga “adult crime ambassador”, isang tanda na sila ay mga ganap na katuwang ng mga alagad ng batas kontra sa krimen sa komunidad ng mga Pinoy dito sa Hong Kong.

Tiniyak ni Leung na sa mga darating na panahon ay papalawakin nila ang bilang ng mga isasama sa programa sa kagustuhan ng pulisya na maisangkot ang bawat Pinoy na katulong sa kampanya laban sa krimen.

Sa bandang huli, aniya, ang ibubunga nga programang ito ay para sa kabutihan ng lipunan sa Hong Kong.

Sa aming pananaw at malaon nang dapat isinangkot ng pulisya ang mga OFW sa ganitong proyekto upang madama ng mga katulong na mayroon silang halaga sa lipunang ginagalawan nila, hindi lamang bilang mga kasambahay kundi mga tagapangalaga rin ng kaligtasan ng bawat isa.      

Fate knocks out rivals in annual softball fest

Fate and Red Castle members strike a friendly pose after the game.

By Emz Frial

All-Filipino softball team, Fate, has blasted its way through the first two Sundays of competition in the 2017 Festival of Sports (FOS), an annual contest organized by the Hong Kong Softball Association.

The rules provide for all softball teams to play against each other, and the only team left standing will be declared as this year’s champion. Fate trounced all of its three opponents in the knock-out games held on Mar 26 and April 2.

On opening day, Fate finished off CUHK Phoenix, 8-1, after an initial hiccup.

The game started with Fate as the away team. Unfortunately for the team, none of its first three batters managed to reach home base.

First batter Ynez Badajos was caught with a fly ball by Phoenix’s third baseman, while Myra Japitana was put out on second base, and team captain Don Gaborno, on third base.

When the locals took their turn to bat, it was immediately clear they were determined to take the upper hand. Wong Ka Wing did not disappoint when she managed to reach home base safely, giving Phoenix the chance to score first. But the momentum was soon lost when the team suffered three successive outs.

Fate walked into the second inning determined to again prove that they are the team to beat. And prove they did, with seven players all contributing a point each. Those who scored were Ma. Eva Mendez, Lyka Algonez, Cherry Octaviano, Romela Osabel, Emily Mabaquioa, Rubielibe Ondayang and Badajos.

Phoenix did not lose heart, showing their best form in the third inning, while trying their best to keep Fate from scoring again. On the fourth inning, Ondayang managed to break free to make the score 8-1 in favor of Fate.

It was stalemate once again on the fifth, so the match ended with the score still at 8-1, for Fate.
The competition at Shek Kip Mei field became more intense on Apr 2, when Fate had to knock out two more opponents to surge ahead.

In the first game played at 10:30am, Fate again showed its brand of resilience when it knocked out another local team, Red Castle, 7-2, in six innings.

Fate scored three points in the second inning, courtesy of Badajos, Percy Jayme and May Amar Ledesma. They added two more in the second inning, through Ondayang and Katherine Gerpacio. On the fifth inning, Myra Japitana added one more point, while Badajos completed the scoring in the sixth inning.

Red Castle’s two points were made in the first and third innings by Chan Tsz Yan.
At 2:30pm of the same day, Fate faced another local rival, Celsius. The game proved to be an easy one for Fate, as it piled score after score, with Celsius failing to respond. Gaborno’s fast balls, helped by the tight defense of the team’s basemen and fielders, led to most of the rival’s batters being called standing out.

After four innings, the score was at 10-0 in favor of Fate. Umpires had to stop the game then because of regulation.

Those who scored in the first inning were: Japitana, Mendez, and Gaborno. In the second inning, Ondayang, Hidalgo, Badajos, and Japitana added a point each. In third inning, Ondayang again scored, while two more points were added by Mendez and Gaborno in the fourth inning.

Lending support to Fate’s usual cheerers at the games were some members of  Philippine Sluggers, an all-Filipino baseball team. As always, Fate’s manager Law Wai-ho was grinning ear to ear as he witnessed his team sail home from one victory to another.

Fate is now poised to play in FOS’ championship round.

‘Kalbaryo’ urges peace, end to poverty

By Vir B. Lumicao

There is no peace where poverty is widespread, where farmers don’t own the land they till, and where workers have no job security. There is no peace, too, if environmental destruction and violation of human rights continue.

In solemn Lenten fashion, about 100 progressive members of the Filipino community and their Hong Kong supporters ushered in the Holy Week on Apr 9 with a four-stage Station of the Cross in Central that highlighted the basic problems of Philippine society.

The procession, which began at HSBC and ended outside Alexandra House, was organized by the Promotion of Church People’s Response led by Father Dwight de la Torre of the Philippine Independent Catholic Church and Pastor Joram Calimutan.

“Ang Kalbaryo  ng Sambayanang Pilipino, Kalbaryo ng Migranteng Pilipino ay taunang paggunita sa buhay, ministeryo, kamatayan at pagkabuhay na mag-uli ni Jesus sa konsteksto ng bansang Pilipinas at puwersahang migrasyon ng mamamayang Pilipino,” Fr Dwight read from a prayer pamphlet.

“Sa pamamagitan ng  gawain nating ito ay binibigyang linaw natin na ang kawalan ng kapayapaan sa bansa ay nauugat sa labis na kahirapang nararanasan sa mga ng mas nakararaming mamamayan, kawalan ng lupa ng mga magsasaka at kawalang ng kasiguraduhan sa trabaho ng mga manggagawa, patuloy na pagkasira ng kalikasan at nagpapatuloy na paglabag sa karapatang pantao,” De la Torre said.

The contemplation for the first station was the current occupation by both urban and rural poor of some 4,000 empty units of a National Housing Authority project in Pandi, Bulacan.

“The blatant neglect and insensitiveness of the government to the poor and oppressed drove the thousands of out compatriots to do what is right,” according to the PCPR.

Other meditations discussed the failure of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program three decades after the Mendiola Massacre and since President Cory Aquino signed it into law, with vast tracts of farmland still in the hands of a few landlords.

Likewise, the PCPR accused the owners of Housing Technology Industries and the Cavite provincial government of trying to hide from the alleged injustices relating to a Feb 1 factory fire in the export processing zone that killed at least 100 workers and left 1,000 still missing.

The protest procession leaders also said 20 years since the Mining Act of 1995 opened the mining industry to giant mining firms, environmental destruction continues as these companies expand their operations while their contribution to the local economy remains a measly 0.7% of GDP while providing jobs to less than 1% of the labor force.

The last of the meditations dealt with the extrajudicial killings in the Philippines. Procession leaders said that since Rodrigo Duterte became president, more than 7,000 suspected drug addicts and pushers have been killed in his “war against illegal drugs.” Yet the police officers who were involved in the killings have gone unpunished and remain a threat to ordinary people who are being used by the drug syndicates. The number of peasants and ethnic people who fall victims to extrajudicial killings is also growing, the protesters.

“Tunay na walang kapayapaan sa papatinding pagabag sa karapatang pantao at nagpapatuloy na state of impunity sa bansa,” according to the final meditation.

In his final message, Fr Dwight said: “Sa ating pagkakaisa bilang mga migrante kasama ng sambayanang Pilipino na patuloy na inaapi at pinagsasamantalahan, ay ating lilikhain ang isang lipunang nagtataguyod ng tunay na katarungan, kapayapaan at buhay na ganap na kasiya-siya na siyang minimithi para ssa ating n gating Panginoong Tagapagligtas na si Hesucristo.”

Labatt takes his OEC drive further afield

Labor Attache Jalilo de la Torre took to the “pulpit” on Apr 4 as part of his campaign to get more OFWs to register with BMOnline for easy access to an overseas employment certificate.

He issued his call at the Church of Free Believers in Christ under Bishop Moises Chungalao, who couldn’t be present but was represented by Bishop Gerry T. Vallo.

Speaking at the pulpit, he urged the congregation to register online so that time would come when there would be no more queues for OEC on the Admiralty pedestrian bridges.

On Facebook, he noted that another system bug was its inability to read or accept the Spanish letter “ñ” commonly used in many Filipino surnames, and the lack of that letter on mobile and PC keypads.
So, naturally, when an overseas worker who had hand-written his POEA personal details years ago now applies for OEC exemption, he would insist on using “ñ”, but that would make a difference because the system does not read that “Spanish relic”, Labatt Dela Torre said.

“Please don’t use the Ñ in your name because the system does not recognize that Spanish relic and the evaluator will not be able to complete the evaluation because the computer will hang looking for that missing Ñ,” he exhorted readers.

Another stumbling block in BM Online registration is the required “last departure/last arrival” field, which registrants often mistakenly reckon from the Hong Kong point of view so that they would type in their expected arrival date here.

“The last departure and last arrival dates are reckoned from the point of view in the Philippines, so last departure date is the last time you flew out of the Philippines, while last arrival date is the travel date you are leaving for the Philippines,” Labatt Dela Torre said.

He also urged walk-in registrants to wait to be served after 4pm any day, as the registration assistants would turn to them after they had served those with appointment dates and times.

“When you are walking in, don’t expect to be given priority over those with appointments, unless you are a senior or you’re traveling on the same or the next day,” he told his readers.

For those who dilly-dally about registering, Labatt Dela Torre has this to say: “Our BM registration services are free of charge, including tutorials and appointment setting.

“There is no need to print anything. Just come with your passports and contracts, which we only need to see, not get copies of,” he said.

“But please come, if you can, Friday and Saturday because there are no crowds. If on a Sunday please come at 3 pm to 8 pm,”  he added. - Vir B. Lumicao                                                               

CG asks teachers for help in war vs illegal recruiters

By Vir B. Lumicao

Hong Kong-based OFWs returning home to teach should tell the students, parents and other adults about the hardships and risks they would face if they work illegally abroad, Consul General Bernardita Catalla said.

Catalla warned that illegal recruitment was again on the rise, with Filipina domestic helpers in Hong Kong being lured with promises of high pay and better work conditions in countries like Russia and Turkey, where they often end up being victimized.

“Hanggang ngayon marami pa ring nai-illegal recruit. Dapat ipaalam natin kung ano ang buhay sa abroad, kung sino ang dapat nating paniwalaan, sino ang hindi dapat, in terms of yung recruitment process (Until now, many are still being recruited illegally. We should tell them how life is abroad, who we should listen to and who to avoid, in terms of recruitment process),” Catalla told about 75 aspiring teachers who took their oath on Mar 26 at the Consulate.

The consul general focused on illegal recruitment in her speech, as she disclosed her appointment as Philippine ambassador to Lebanon where, she said, 90% of Filipinos work illegally due to Manila’s 10-year old deployment ban to the Middle Eastern country.

Another country that has an existing ban on imported domestic workers is China, said Congen, but illegal recruiters have somehow still managed to get around the prohibition.

“May bagong imbensiyon sila ngayon, puwedeng mag-hire ng domestic workers ang high-salaried expats. Totoo, malaki ang suweldo pero magiging illegal naman kayo,” the consul general said.
The consul general advised the teachers to read about countries where they want to go, as it is important to know the laws and traditions of those places.
Catalla said she learned about the illegal recruitment problem in Lebanon when she started researching about her new post.
“Noong binabasa ko nga ang tungkol sa Lebanon, eh, ang laki ng binabayad sa atin, sila ang gagastos ng kanilang pamasahe, gagastos sila ng lahat, tapos hindi maganda ang kondisyon nila doon, di tulad sa Hong Kong. Nagtataka nga ako eh, bakit sila pupunta ng Lebanon?” she wondered.

Some illegal recruiters deployed Filipina helpers to Russia and Turkey and, as soon as the workers arrived in those countries, the agencies left them on their own.

“Pagdating doon, nagpupunta sila sa embahada at ang sasabihin ay galing sila sa Hong Kong. We have made representations with the Turkish consul general at medyo natigil na iyan,” Catalla said.

Catalla recalled that there was a Russian who used to recruit Filipinas for purported jobs in Russia or Turkey. When they got there, the Filipinas had to move from one employer to another and they were in worse conditions than in Hong Kong, she said.

“Kaya siguro isa na ang Hong Kong sa pinakamagandang lugar na pinatatrabahuhan dahil protected tayo,” Catalla said.

Yet there were still Filipinos who come to Hong Kong and use it as a springboard for illegal work on the mainland, Catalla said, citing two incidents just months ago.

First, in December last year, two Filipinas disappeared in Shenzhen while on a group tour and a CCTV review showed them being fetched by a man.

Then, in February this year, 14 OFWs were held by Chinese immigration at the border for over 24 hours after the 15th member of their tour group vanished.

Catalla said the Consulate asked its counterpart in Guangzhou to plead with the Chinese Foreign Ministry so that the Immigration officers would release the 14 or they would lose their jobs in Hong Kong.

“Malaki ang maitutulong ninyo, whether nandirito kayo or bumalik na kayo sa Pilipinas para maging mga guro. It is important na yung mga bata pa lang maimulat na sa ganitong mga issues, lalo na yung mga magulang o mga kapatid nila na adults at nagbabalak lumabas ng bansa na illegal, dahil ang bagsak natin ay kulungan, o katulad ng nangyari noong February, napaparusahan ang iba, mawawalan ng trabaho ang iba, dahil sa ginawa ng isang tao. Napapansin iyon ng immigration sa Guangzhou dahil nagkakaroon iyon ng pattern,” Catalla said.

These are things that the teachers know and need to impart to their colleagues in thhe Philippines, she added.

“Nagbabasa ako ng tungkol sa Lebanon at medyo ninerbiyos nga ako eh, 90% doon ay illegal. Iyon nga ho, tulungan nyo sana kami sa pagdi-disseminate ng information na ito,” she urged the teachers.

Call center girl admits drug trafficking

By Vir B. Lumicao

A Filipina call center agent arrested last July at Hong Kong International Airport for allegedly carrying suspected cocaine in her handbag, pleaded guilty on Apr 18 to a charge of trafficking in a dangerous drug.

Ann Raian Cruz, 37, entered her guilty plea before Eastern Court Magistrate Jason Wan, who said she would now be committed to the Court of First Instance, which will schedule her sentencing.

Cruz, a single mother who came to Hong Kong as a tourist on July 30, was ordered remanded in custody and told she could apply for bail before the High Court. Her arrest was the first reported drug trafficking to Hong Kong originating at Ninoy Aquino International Airport since the Duterte administration assumed power on July 1.

Customs officers allegedly found about 610 grams of suspected cocaine concealed in her handbag. After “washing,” the seized drug was confirmed to be 508 grams of cocaine with a street value of $694,565.

When asked where she got the bag, Cruz allegedly told investigators she bought it for Php 400 from a friend named Jenny on her way to the Manila airport on July 30.

But in a letter she wrote to prison chaplain Father John Wotherspoon in August last year, Cruz said the bag was a last-minute present that her African boyfriend, Chris Williams, told her to pick up from another Filipina while she was on a taxicab to the airport.

Cruz said Williams had instructed her to give the woman Php 400 for taxi fare. The African also allegedly told her to use the bag as he wanted to see her carrying it when he joined her the next day in Hong Kong.

The Filipina said she met Williams a few months earlier in the online dating site Twoo where he introduced himself as a businessman.

She said the trip to Hong Kong was an idea of her boyfriend, who allegedly told her he wanted her to travel with him on business trips abroad. But their original plan to travel together on Jul 29 fell through when the man failed to show up at the airport for their 6pm flight, allegedly due to a business meeting.

Consulate staff who interviewed Cruz in jail shortly after her arrest confirmed she passed through NAIA Terminal 3 security unchallenged until she boarded a Cebu Pacific flight to Hong Kong.

Airport authorities have since tightened security.

Two couriers flying in from the Philippines on Sept 4 and Oct 7 last year were intercepted in Hong Kong. They were a Colombian female and a Brazilian male transiting Manila. Each yielded more than 3kg of cocaine hidden in their luggage.

Christian Action to lose home for 31 years

By Vir B. Lumicao 

What used to be a Vietnamese refugee center in the 1980s came alive with dances, drums and music on Mar 12 as hundreds of migrant workers converged at the New Horizon Building compound to celebrate International Women’s Day.

But unknown to many who were there, the first such big event for foreign domestic workers for a long while was to be the last in that spacious, British era venue.

Worried officers of the host Christian Action, which has used the Kowloon Bay property as its headquarters and service centre for the past 31 years, told The SUN in an interview the charitable group would be moving out “very soon”.

Christian Action moved into New Horizon in 1987 to provide basic services to the several hundred Vietnamese boatpeople who were cooped in the compound as their applications for asylum in a third country were being processed.

The NGO has been leasing the venue for the past 31 years from the government for a token fee of $1. But on Jan 14 the government informed the charity group that it needed the site as part of a development plan for Kowloon East involving public housing.

Victoria Wong, CA’s assistant corporate communications manager, said moving the headquarters out of the compound would impact the operations and services the group provides migrant maids, ethnic minorities, unemployed adults and underprivileged youth.

“We have been very fortunate to have leased this venue from the government. We also wonder what will happen to the operations of the centers if this is discontinued, this is what we are worried about at the moment,” Wong said. Having the event at New Horizon in a way draws people’s attention to the social service role of Christian Action, she added.

Justin Murghai, manager of humanitarian services, said the event on March 12 was an extension of CA’s quarterly outreach to various migrant communities where “we inform them of their rights, and about the general situation in Hong Kong”.

“This is the first time we’re doing a program of this scale so we are expecting about 500 migrant workers today. Now we are doing a program for people of all nationalities.”

Murghai said the event aimed to appreciate and recognize the vital role of migrant domestic workers and their contributions to Hong Kong society. It was also intended to promote their rights and protection from risk of exploitation.

Migrant helpers got to show their artistic capabilities through “Women at Work,” a photography exhibition, and “Migrant Workers Talent Show” competition.

“We have a comprehensive support system for migrants workers who may be victims of exploitation, who have some labor claims and those kind of things, maybe facing abuse or some sort of trafficking,” Murghai said.

A troubled worker first goes to the paralegal office where she is assessed if she needed a home to go. “If not, we’ll provide you shelter… you may be here for a year, do you want to get connected to educational opportunities, do you need mental health support, so everything is activated from this one point of contact.”

He said Christian Action works closely with various government agencies Immigration and Labour to support migrant workers.

The NGO has two shelters with a total of 24 beds where some people stay for over a year if they have court cases. Murghai said around 70% of the shelter clients were Indonesians followed by Sri Lankans, and the rest, Filipinos.

“At the moment there are two or three Filipinos in our shelters,” he said. The Centers for Migrant Workers are in Tok Wa Wan and Ngau Tau Kok, “but we’re moving to Jordan very soon,” said Murghai.

The NGO offers free language classes – English, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Korean could start soon as well. The English class is based on the Cambridge model.

“We have recently started collaborating with Minorities Centre. Christian action is one of the services where they provide classes from five government channels and migrant workers are welcome to join these classes,” Murghai said.

The NGO also runs a computer class that is based on the Microsoft model. Murghai said Microsoft funded the development of the program that is sufficient to prepare one who goes through the whole program to work in an office setting.

The group also has interspaced classes for more vocational training that is helpful to domestic work in Hong Kong, such as cooking skills and other household chores.

Meatballs conviction sets a dangerous precedent— Unifil

By Daisy CL Mandap

The recent conviction of Filipina domestic worker Mildred Nilo Ladia for eating $100 worth of meatballs belonging to her employer and her being fined $800 for the offence has caused anxiety among migrant support groups in Hong Kong.

In a letter sent to Philippine Consul General Bernardita Catalla and Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre on Apr 9, United Filipinos-Migrante Hong Kong said it was concerned that the verdict could set a dangerous precedent for domestic workers forced to live with their employers.

“We cannot comprehend why a migrant domestic worker (MDW) like Mildred and like most of us, who live with our employers and are provided with food and accommodation as mandated by law, can be found guilty of “eating” a food that is in the same household where we eat and live,” said the letter.

“We are extremely angered by the fact that a human being can be criminally liable for eating the food of the person who lives with her in the same household. This poses danger and potential criminal liability to the more than 300,000 MDWs (migrant domestic workers) in the territory, majority of whom are your Filipino constituents.”

Ladia, 40, was arrested on May 30 last year after Lan reported to police that some  meatballs stored in the freezer of her Repulse Bay flat had gone missing. The alleged offence took place at least a month earlier.

Lan also accused the maid of stealing a pair of leather slippers and a branded pouch.
The Filipina was detained but was allowed to post a $1,000 bail.

In court on Apr. 7, the other theft charges were dropped, while Ladia pleaded guilty to stealing the meatballs. The Eastern Court magistrate, noting that Lan had already deducted $100 from the maid’s salary, imposed a fine of $800, to be deducted from the defendant’s bail.

Reacting to the sentence, Unifil said in its letter that it was way too harsh, and not commensurate to the questionable offence for which Ladia  was charged.

“More than the fine imposed on Mildred, this conviction will result to her not getting the chance to be employed in Hong Kong ever again. This would mean losing her livelihood and the only source of income for her family. All these for eating the “meatballs of her employer”,” said the letter.

Unifil asked both Congen Catalla and Labatt dela Torre to put Ladia’s employer, barrister Gekko Lan Suet-ying “and her entire household” in the blacklist, meaning the list of employers who are not allowed to hire a Filipino domestic worker again.

Unifil said Lan called heartless and unreasonable, as she could have just terminated Ladia’s contract, instead of pressing charges over the meatballs.

Asked for his response, dela Torre said, “I have to watchlist her (Lan) because there is a request. But she can appeal”.

Dela Torre also said he wanted to review the files of the case first to see if it does set a dangerous precedent for Filipino domestic workers in the territory.

Congen Catalla reportedly confirmed the move to put Lan in the Consulate’s watchlist. Unifil said she has also been put in a similar list by the consulates of Indonesia and Thailand.

‘Meatball maid’ has one more fight before flying home

Ladia

By Vir B. Lumicao

Sarangani native Mildred N. Ladia is about to end her stint as a domestic worker in Hong Kong cut short by a decision to share 10 pieces of meatballs with her employer’s mother for lunch that led to a nearly year-long nightmare.

But she says the fight is not yet over, as she plans to pursue a claim with the Labour Department for unpaid wages and costs against her former employer, barrister Gekko Lan Suet-ying.

Ladia’s ordeal began on May 2 last year when police arrived at her employer’s flat in Repulse Bay and arrested her for the alleged theft of $7,500 in cash, some pieces of jewelry, an Agnes B pouch, two pairs of leather slippers, and the meatballs.

On Friday, Apr 7, a magistrate in Eastern Court imposed an $800 fine on the 40-year-old Ladia after she pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing the meatballs, allegedly worth $100, from her employer Lan.

The prosecution withdrew a second charge of stealing the pouch – which the maid said was an airline giveaway to passengers, and the slippers, as the complainant was reportedly in hospital.

But the case of theft over the meatballs, which were subsequently paid for when Lan deducted $100 from Ladia’s salary, was pursued.

Ladia said she pleaded guilty to the charge on the advice of her duty lawyer.

She was was resentful and firm, but sometimes moved to tears, as she recounted her traumatic experience during an interview with The SUN on April 9.

She has obviously not yet recovered from the trauma of that experience as she faces the prospect of going home soon, penniless and with a criminal record.

“Hanggang ngayon hindi pa ako nakakatulog,” Ladia said, breaking into a sob. “Kahit tapos na, hindi pa rin ako na makatulog nang mabuti, lagi akong nagigising kasi iniisip ko pa yung nangyari sa akin.”
She admitted the case had dealt a blow to her family, as she was the main breadwinner. Her husband, a tricycle driver, was making just enough for the daily expenses, while her mother supported her three children’s education.

In fact, Ladia said, her eldest son’s college education is being paid for by her mother.

How she survived without a job while her case dragged on for the past 11 months was itself laudable, but she gives much of the credit to the Saints Peter and Paul Church shelter called “Bahay Natin” in Yuen Long, and many Filipino community supporters who gave her cash for her personal needs and Octopus load.

Whenever she needed to go to the Immigration Department for visa extension, some people, including the parish priest, would give her money for the visa fee.

“My friends know that I have no money because I have no job and I do not dare to work illegally because I don’t want to add to my problems, so they come here and give me whatever they can afford to give,” the helper said.

“It’s they who give me the determination to fight on. They’re just the opposite of my very own relatives here who had been wishing me ill and spreading wrong information about my case on Facebook,” Ladia griped.

Because of the said disinformation, the helper’s mother is said to have become overly worried for her.
Ladia said she draws strength from the woman everyone calls “Nanay” at the shelter, who she said has been advising her to fight for her rights. In turn, Ladia says she taken to advising fellow OFWs seeking the shelter’s help to assert their rights.

In her own battle, she listened to officers of the Mission for Migrants who were also at the shelter late on Apr 9 to meet with her.

Ladia said she will fly back home after the Labour Department decides on her case.

Nang mapuno na ang salop

Anim na taon ang pinalipas ni Emma bago niya tuluyang iniwan ang among nakatira sa Pok Fu Lam. Sa panahon ng paninilbihan niya sa pamilya ay buong sipag na ginampanan niya ang mga iniatang sa kanya na tungkulin kahit kalaunan ay labag na ito sa batas.

Ilang buwan pa lang daw si Emma noon nang pakiusapan siyang maglinis sa opisina ng amo. Noong una ay isang beses sa loob ng isang linggo lang daw siyang pumupunta pero kalaunan ay naging araw-araw na.

Bukod sa paglilinis ay pinapatulong na din daw siya sa mga gawain sa opisina kapalit ng kaunting umento. Pero humina daw ang ng negosyo ng amo noong nakaraang taon kaya pati ang pagpapasahod kay Emma ay apektado. Hiniling daw ng amo ang pang-unawa niya kung sakaling atrasado ang kanyang sahod kaya pilit naman niyang inintindi ang sitwasyon kahit na inaabot ng ilang buwan bago siya nakakatanggap ng sahod.

Pero nang matapos ang kanyang kontrata noong Pebrero ng taong kasalukuyan, nagpasya na siyang maghanap na lang ng bagong amo. Ayaw daw pumayag ng amo noong una pero nanindigan si Emma. Ngunit kahit huling araw na niya ay nakiusap pa rin ang amo na utangin muna ang kanyang sahod. Gumawa ang amo ng kasunduan at nakasaad dito na ibibigay din ang sahod at iba pang benepisyo niya sa loob ng isang buwan.

Sa kasalukuyan, may bagong amo na si Emma pero hindi pa rin naibibigay ng dating amo ng buo ang kanyang kaukulang bayad. Si Emma, 32, ay tubong Quezon.—Gina N. Ordona

Loan shark victims only get temporary travel papers

By Vir B.Lumicao

Passports seized by police from loansharks.

About a third of the Filipinos whose passports were recovered from a loan sharking syndicate last month have reportedly come forward to inform the Consulate.

An officer of the Consulate’s assistance to nationals section has told The SUN that a few of the passport owners have been issued temporary travel documents so they could renew their work visas.
At least two of the recovered passports belonged to OFWs whose friends swapped them with their own so they could process new work contracts.

The ATN officer said the owners could get their passports back, but that could take some time as the police are keeping them as evidence against those behind the usurious lending operation that targeted Filipino domestic workers.

But even if they are recovered, the documents are deemed “as good as cancelled” because of the Consulate’s policy of canceling passports used as collaterals for loans.

A Filipina domestic worker found this out on April 2 when she reported to the ATN that her passport was among those recovered by the police from the loan sharks.

The helper was told she would not be able to get her passport back as it had been automatically cancelled. She was instead given a travel document valid for three months so she could process her visa renewal.

She was also told she could not be issued a new passport until the case against the recently dismantled loan sharking syndicate was concluded.

A local couple, their Filipino maid and seven of her compatriots were arrested by officers from the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau on March 12-13 in a series of raids that yielded 242 passports, $106,000, numerous bank documents, work contracts, notebooks listing the borrowers, and other evidence.

The police said in just eight months, the syndicate had made $12 million in illicit interest from the $10 million it lent to about 1,200 Filipino helpers at an interest rate of 10% a month, or 120% a year.
Those arrested have been released on bail but told to report to the police in mid-April.

Police said they are watching other loan sharking syndicates targeting Filipino domestic helpers and are asking the community to contact them on the hotline, Tel. No. 6348 1240, if they had been victimized by such groups.

Naglaho, pagkatapos ay gustong bumalik

Pagkatapos saluhin ng employer ni Lanie si Marie matapos nitong putulin ang kontrata sa dating amo ay bigla na lang itong naglaho. Ang masaklap, lumabas na ang visa ni Marie, at binayaran na ng amo ang agency na humawak ng mga papeles.

Si Lanie ang hiyang-hiya nang mapansin na hindi na nakikita si Marie sa messenger, whatsapp at facebook. Lahat ng mga kakilala nilang dalawa ay ganito rin ang sabi. Pati ang numero ng telepono na ibinigay ni Marie sa agency ay hindi na ma-contact. May isa pang numero na alam ang kanyang mga kaibigan, ngunit hindi nito sinasagot ang kanilang tawag at text kahit sinabihan siyang lumabas na ang kanyang visa at kailangan na siyang bumalik sa Hong Kong.

Galit ang amo ni Lanie dahil nakabili ito ng mga bagong gamit, kasama na ang kama, para sa sana ay paparating na kasamahan, ngunit wala itong ipinaabot na dahilan. Inis din ang amo dahil kinaawaan, pinatuloy sa kanilang bahay at binigyan pa ng pera si Marie pagkatapos nitong bumaba sa dating pinagsisilbihan.

Sana daw ay hindi na lang ito pumirma ng kontrata para nakapaghanap sila ng iba dahil kailangang kailangan nila ng isa pang kasambahay, lalo at tatlo ang kanilang anak.

Hindi naman sila nahirapang humanap ng bago, bagamat may agam-agam na silang nararamdaman dahil baka magbago din ang isip nito kapag lumabas na ang kanyang visa.

Kamakailan ay muling nagparamdam si Marie kay Lanie, at sinabing naoperahan daw siya sa puso kaya hindi nakapag cellphone. Dedma lang si Lanie. Sa isip-isip niya, kung totoo ang sinasabi nito ay bakit hindi man lang nito naisip na magparating ng mensahe sa mga taong  naghihintay na tumupad siya sa kanyang pangako?

Si Lanie ay isang Ilokana, may asawa at anak na kasalukuyang naninilbihan sa New Territories samantalang si Marie ay Bisaya at solong magulang at kasalukuyang nasa Pilipinas.- Marites Palma

Labatt in all-out war vs 3rd country deployment

One of the agencies
promoting their services.

By Daisy CL Mandap

Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre has warned Filipino migrant workers in Hong Kong not to take up jobs in a third country, saying agencies or individuals who lure them to these places are violating Philippine laws.

Labatt dela Torre’s warning, made in three successive Facebook posts, came amid reports of a Hong Kong – licensed employment agency offering jobs to Filipinos in Brazil and Turkey.

It also came less than a year after an estimated 300 Filipino migrant workers in Hong Kong and Macau complained of having been duped into paying no less than $3 million to the now-defunct Emry’s employment agency for inexistent jobs in Britain and Canada.

In his latest post made on Mar. 30, the labor chief also said he had been under “virulent” attack by trolls based in Singapore after he posted the first two warnings against the recruitment being done by East West Employment Exchange.

He said he was not surprised by the verbal onslaught as he had also warned the Filipino community in Singapore to be wary of the agency.

Earlier, dela Torre reiterated that “third-country deployment”, or the recruitment of Filipinos from one overseas destination to another, is illegal under Philippine laws.

He said neither the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Hong Kong (which he heads), nor  the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration have authorized  “any agency or individual.. to recruit and deploy any OFW from Hong Kong directly to a third country, like Russia, Turkey or Brazil or any other country, nor will there be any authorization in the future.”

He said he felt compelled to emphasize this point after receiving numerous reports of overseas Filipino workers “falling into harm’s way because they were:
1) not met at the airport and abandoned;
2) terminated after a few weeks and not provided protection, in the form of notice, payment in lieu of notice, nor air ticket;
3) had to beg in the streets to raise money for air passage back home;
4) other dire and harmful circumstances.”

There is no corresponding law on this in Hong Kong, however. Thus, Filipino workers here have, in the past, gone on to other overseas destinations, effectively making Hong Kong their “stepping stone”.

Several Filipinos who responded to dela Torre’s post and to a re-post of the same on The SUN’s Facebook page affirmed the warning, saying they had been left stranded after their work contracts were terminated soon after arriving in Turkey.

The workers said work conditions are dire in the said country because employers could terminate them at will, and with no obligation to pay for their return air fare, unlike in Hong Kong.
However, others who commented defended East West, saying they were successfully deployed by the agency in Russia and Turkey, where they are now working.

Dela Torre replied to them with: “Huwag na ho sana tayong manghikayat ng iba dahit marami ho kaming natatangap na sulat mula Russia at Turkey na hindi maganda ang kalagayan nila diyan. Kung maganda man ang kalagayan ninyo diyan, magpasalamat tayo pero huwag na po tayong magkomento na legal ang ginagawa ng East West dahil na e encourage ang iba”.

In his earlier post, dela Torre harked back at the misfortune that befell hundreds of OFWs in Hong Kong who were lured by Emry’s offer of supposedly better-paying jobs in Canada and Britain.
Labatt said: “Shouldn’t we learn from the Emry’s case? Are we so unmindful of warnings that we continue to gamble our fortunes and perhaps even our lives, for a dream job foisted by illegal recruiters and possibly human traffickers? When will we ever learn?”