Pact on migrant workers signed at Asean summit

One of the agreements signed at the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit would benefit roughly 10 million migrant workers in the region, including about two million Filipinos.

President Rodrigo Duterte said the “Asean Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers “would strengthen social protection, access to justice, humane and fair treatment, and access to health services for our people.”

Labor groups quickly welcomed the development. Alan Tanjusay, spokesperson of Alliance of Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, said the consensus agreement will promote best practices for migrant workers among the 10 Asean countries. “This is a positive step towards improving core labor and occupational safety and health standards on decent and humane treatment of Asean migrant workers and their families,” Tanjusay said.

He said the lack of a uniform core labor standards and occupational safety and health standards prevents Asean from having a “genuine and functional shared prosperity” and will lead to more abuses to the most vulnerable sectors of the countries.

OFWs in Central.

“Without a uniform, binding labor standards in Asean, we would see rampant practice of child labor, more abuses on women workers, prevalent sweatshops, poor wages, temporary and short-term jobs, and bare social protection in Asean as governments and businesses prod workers to produce goods and services,” Tanjusay explained.

The consensus is a continuation of the Asean Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers that the Philippines introduced when it last hosted the Asean Summit in January 2007.

Foreign Affairs spokesman Robespierre Bolivar said the signing of the consensus “is a centerpiece” of the Philippine chairmanship of Asean.

From forming the declaration in 2007 to achieving a consensus in 2017, the Philippine chairmanship of Asean has “come full circle,” he said.

“One of the key features of this Asean Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers is for all countries in Southeast Asia to afford the same level of protection to migrant workers as they do to their own citizens in terms of labor contracts, labor standards, and all of that, access to say legal representation, especially access to consular representation,” Bolivar said.

“All of these things come into play knowing that the Philippines, probably Indonesia and some other countries, are some of the biggest migrant sending countries,” he added.

The action plan will be crafted in the 2018 meetings under the Asean chairmanship of Singapore.

Apart from the labor consensus, the Philippines and other Asean nations jointly declared the official start of negotiations on the code of conduct in disputed waters including the West Philippine Sea.

HK professor says Duterte's hold on power still firm

By Daisy CL Mandap

Prof. Mark Thompson: “That popularity may not
last, but for the meantime, it's holding firm,”

The Philippines may have one of the highest number of killings by police in the world, but this has not dented President Rodrigo Duterte's popularity.

This was according to Prof. Mark Thompson, head of City University's Southeast Asian Research Centre during a talk on "Duterte's Violent Populism" at the Foreign Correspondents Club on Nov. 7.

Prof. Thompson said the number of deaths from the extrajudicial killings by police and vigilantes as part of Duterte's anti-drug campaign - though "fuzzy"- rival those in known dangerous hotspots like South Africa and Brazil. 

Even the official figure of 9,000 is said to have long surpassed the 3,000 plus deaths recorded during the iron-fist rule over 14 years by former President Ferdinand Marcos.

Despite this, Thompson said recent surveys showed Duterte still enjoying the support of 80 percent of Filipinos.

“That popularity may not last, but for the meantime, it's holding firm,” said Thompson.

Duterte's focus on drugs, instead of other more pressing issues like the rising inflation and incidence of poverty, has reportedly allowed him to build a new power base, aided by the police and his former leftist allies.

The campaign also resonated with the elite, “as they have the biggest security concern”, said Thompson.

“Duterte has brought to the Philippines a new form of reactionary politics,” he said.

This meant attacking some well-entrenched oligarchs like Lucio Tan and some Marcos cronies, but helping those allied with him.

At the same time, he made overtures to the left, but failed to deliver on such promises as agrarian reform and an end to the labor contractualuzation.

This brand of politics also weakened “already vulnerable institutions,” said Thompson.

The Philippine Congress is now under Duterte’s control, and he has trained his guns on independent bodies like the Commission on Human Rights and the Ombudsman.

The country’s economy has also suffered, with more than 90 percent of direct foreign investments falling in just one year under Duterte's rule, while the market for overseas Filipino workers could soon dry up.

Despite all these, Thompson says he does not see any sign of Duterte losing his grip on power anytime soon.

“He will finish his term,” Thompson told The SUN confidently after finishing his talk.

Filipina ‘drug mule’ pleads guilty, jailed 15 years plus

By Vir B. Lumicao 

A Filipina former domestic helper who tried to smuggle 3 kilos of cocaine into Hong Kong from Dubai last year was jailed on Nov 8 for 15 years and 5 months, after pleading guilty to drug trafficking.

Imelda G. Penascosa, 45, was somber and emotionless as Deputy High Court Judge Gareth Lugar-Mawson read the sentence.

The mother of three, who was working as a maid in Macau at the time of her arrest, admitted her guilt at the start of what was supposed to be a seven-day trial. An out-of-court agreement between the prosecution and defense led to her guilty plea.

The stash found in Penacosa's luggage.

Penascosa was charged with “trafficking in a dangerous drug” for bringing in more thank three kilos of pure cocaine. She was represented by Jonathan Acton-Bond on instructions of Legal Aid.

In mitigation, Acton-Bond said Penascosa had been separated from her husband by whom she had two children aged 24 and 26 She had a boyfriend in Macau, the father of her 10-year-old child.

Acton-Bond pleaded for a 33% discount to her sentence, citing the accused’s act of volunteering to help trap the recipients of the smuggled drug in a controlled delivery operation, albeit unsuccessful, outside the Customs area of the HKIA.

The prosecution said the drug seized had a street value of more than $4 million in the Hong Kong market.

But Judge Lugar-Mawson said he could not give the Filipina a huge discount due to the big amount of cocaine imvolved, her pleading guilty only on the first day of the trial, as well as the international aspect of the case.

He said the sentence of 15 years and 5 months was already light, given that her offence normally carried a 23-year sentence, plus an extra 5 years due to its international aspect.

The court heard that Penascosa was arrested on the night of Feb 13 last year after she arrived from Dubai with three cans containing 248 plastic-wrapped pellets disguised as chocolate candies.

During investigation, she said the three cans were handed to her at Dubai Airport by a Macau-based Filipino woman named Jennifer as presents for her children.

Penascosa said she met Jennifer and her Filipino partner Edilberto in Macau. It was the man who suggested she went to a business seminar in Dubai and possibly get a job from the man’s Dubai employers. Jennifer bought her a return ticket on Emirates Airlines.

Penascosa entered Hong Kong through the China Ferry Terminal on Feb 8 and flew to Dubai on an Emirates plane on the same day. But she found no job in Dubai.

In her Dubai hotel, she was visited by two men – one of whom she understood to be Jennifer’s brother – who gave her a black Samsung phone which she was told to use for subsequent communications in that emirate.  She was also instructed to contact a certain Tony, who was described as the boss.

Tony asked her for a photo so his brother Mike, who was flying to Dubai, could meet her at the departure gate of Dubai Airport.

But when she went to the airport on Feb 13 for her flight back to Hong Kong, Penascosa was surprised to meet Jennifer, who gave her the three ‘heavy and smelly” choco cans.

She also found out she and Jennifer would fly back to Hong Kong on the same plane, with Jennifer sitting a few rows back.

Acton-Bond told the court that despite her jailing, Penascosa would continue to help Customs track Jennifer and her cohorts.

3 agencies raided as HK cracks down on human traffickers

 Officers from Labour, Immigration and Police departments jointly raided three employment agencies on Nov 17 to investigate cases of trafficking of Filipino domestic helpers to other countries, and charging them excessive fees.

However, no arrests were made and a government statement said the raiding teams, which included officers from the Anti-Organised Crime and Triad Bureau, merely "inspected” the three agencies located in Tsimshatsui, Wanchai and Kennedy Town.

Labour Department TV spot warning against job scams.

Labor Attaché Jalilo dela Torre, who has been waging a relentless campaign against recruiters luring their Filipino victims to Russia, Turkey and other countries, welcomed the Hong Kong government’s action.

“This is a welcome development, and brings hope and relief to the thousands of victims now toiling in Russia and Turkey, and other countries. I hope the HK authorities sustain the campaign. Some legislative initiative to ban employment agencies from recruiting and deploying to third-country destinations would strengthen and institutionalize the drive against human traffickers,” Labatt Dela Torre said in an online post.

He suggested Hong Kong lawmakers should also clamp down on individual illegal recruiters, particularly a Pakistani national he recently stopped from recruiting Filipino workers to Russia.

“How about lone wolves, or individual perpetrators, like Ahmed Sameer or Jon Meer –they have no agencies, no brick and mortar presence, and yet they victimize more, thanks to Facebook and Messenger, which are their communications and recruitment platform of choice? How about it, LegCo?” Dela Torre said in his post.

Meer has been harassing the labor attache and his family members on Facebook recently as a result of his failed recruitment drive..

The raids came three days after Chief Executive Carrie Lam promised to take “vigorous enforcement action” against any employment agencies in Hong Kong that illegally deploy helpers abroad.

Speaking on Nov 14 ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting, Lam said: “I, alongside the chief secretary and the secretary for labour and welfare, are all very concerned about the issue and have been consistently in touch with the Philippine consul-general in Hong Kong.”

“I reiterate that (the government) will take vigorous enforcement action against any agencies that conduct illegal activities in Hong Kong, such as channeling the foreign domestic helpers who are supposed to work in the city to other places.”

A police spokesperson has declined to name the three employment agencies raided.

“(The raids were) a joint operation of the police, the Labour Department and Immigration Department. We have no other details,” the spokesperson said.

A spokesman for the Labour Department did not give details of the raid, either.  

"The government is committed to safeguarding the rights and benefits of foreign domestic workers and will not tolerate their exploitation in any form," the spokesman merely said. 

He added that the Labour Department had been taking stringent enforcement actions to regulate agencies under the Employment Ordinance, including the requirement to charge job-seekers no more than 10% of their first month’s salary.

He said the department would take follow-up actions against overcharging of fees upon receipt of complaints from the helpers or referrals by the consulates in Hong Kong. 

“At the same time, the cases will also be referred to the police and Immigration for investigation in respect of the suspected fraud and deception, and other illegal activities,” the spokesman said.

Bello: China hiring Filipino teachers, HSWs

Philippine Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said China is hiring thousands of Filipinos, mostly as English teachers and household service workers.

Bello said he would sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the terms of the job opening after the close of the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Manila.

“I still do not know the number of workers stated in the MOU,” Bello said, but noted that in an earlier meeting with Chinese officials, they talked about 100,000 Filipino teachers and 100,000 Filipino HSWs to be hired.

Labor officials said China wants to hire Filipino workers because of their proficiency in English as well as their good work attitude.

Super tipid ang amo, kaya ginaya niya

Kilala ang mga Intsik sa pagiging masinop o super tipid lalo na sa pananalapi. Patunay dito ang amo ni Lina  dahil sa sobrang tipid nito. Simple lang ito manamit at paulit-ulit lang ang kinakain araw-araw: gulay na choi sum, steamed pork at steamed fish.

Bihira itong kumain sa labas at hindi naghahanda sa bahay kaya walang dumadalaw na kapamilya o kaibigan sa kanilang bahay. Hindi rin ito nagsasayang ng pagkain dahil minsan na nagbakasyon ito sa Japan ay inuwi pa ang isang pirasong karne na halos isang kagat na lang ang natitira para kainin sa bahay.

Naitanong tuloy ni Lina sa mga kaibigan kung talaga bang sobrang mahal ng karne sa Japan at pati yung katiting na karne ay inuwi pa ng amo. Natatawang sinabihan naman siya ng mga kaibigan na huwag nang papansinin ang amo dahil natural na ugali na ng Intsik ang pagiging matipid kaya sila yumayaman.

Sa ngayon ay nasa pangatlong kontrata na si Liza sa  kanyang mga amo pero parehong pagkain pa rin ang niluluto niya araw-araw dahil ayon sa kanila, “they want it simple”. Dahil sa ugaling ito ng mga amo ay nagka ideya si si Liza na gumaya para makaipon.

Iniwasan na niya ang pagbili ng kung ano-ano na tigbebente sa daan. Kapag araw ng kanyang pahinga ay binibili na lang niya kung ano ang kanyang kailangan. Dahil dito ay paunti-unti siyang nakaipon at plano nang mag for good pagkatapos ng kanyang kontrata sa 2019.

Ang kanyang mga amo na super tipid ay super inspirasyon na nya sa pag iipon para umalwan ang kanyang buhay pagdating ng panahon.Si Lina ay tubong Bikol, dalaga at kasalukuyang naninilbihan sa mga amo sa Mid-Levels. – Ellen Almacin

Kunsumisyon ni Fely ang kaibigan

Dismayado si Fely sa kaibigang kapwa taga-Pangasinan dahil sa loob ng dalawang taon nito sa Hong Kong ay humihiram ito ng allowance sa kanya halos buwan-buwan dahil halos lahat ng kinikita ay ipinapadala sa pamilya sa Pilipinas.

Kinagalitan niya tuloy ito isang araw. “Por Dios por santo, wala ka bang isip, ikaw ang nagtatrabaho, kumikita, bakit mo sinasagad ang sarili mo? Lagi ka na lang kapos,  magtira ka naman ng para sa sarili mo,” panggigigil na wika nito sa kaibigan.

Nadagdagan pa ang kunsumisyon ni Fely nang malaman na tatlong linggo na palang overstay ang kaibigan dahil basta na lang daw nitong iniwan ang kontrata sa mesa para pirmahan ng amo, pero hindi pinaalala.

Nang makita ng amo ng kontrata ay overstay na siya. Nasabi tuloy ni Fely, “Dikdikin man kita, friend pa rin kita!”. Hindi niya alam ngayon kung hanggang kailan niya matitiis na laging pangaralan ang kaibigan gayong pareho na silang nasa 40 taong gulang na. – George Manalansan

Hindi makuntento sa suweldo

Laking panghihinayang ni Berto, 45, at taga Bicol, dahil wala siyang naipundar sa pagtatrabaho bilang driver sa nakalipas na 15 taon. Ilang kontrata lang kasi ang nabuo niya dahil sa paghahangad  ng mas mataas na sweldo.

Naiinggit kasi siya tuwing maririnig sa mga kapwa drayber sa parking area kung magkano ang kanilang sinasahod, na mas malaki sa kinikita niya.

Dahil sa dami ng employer na nalipatan niya ay nakilala na siya ng isang immigration officer. “You again?” daw ang nababanggit ng taga Immigration tuwing magpapasok siya ng bagong kontrata.

Mabuti na lang at basta may naipasok siyang bagong kontrata ay tinatanggap nila, dangan nga lang at kailangan niyang umuwi para doon hintayin ang bagong visa. Sa dalas ng kanyang pag-uwi ay nahirapan siyang mag-ipon.

Buti pa nga daw ang kanyang kumpare na halos kasabayan niyang dumating sa Hong Kong. Nakapundar na ito ng sariling lote, bahay, at  sakahan sa Pilipinas, kahit sa umpisa ay minimum lang ang suweldo nito.

Sa kaka recontract nito ay nadagdagan nang nadagdagan ang kanyang suweldo, at nabigyan pa ng long service pay. Libre din ang kanyang tirahan at pagkain dahil marunong siyang makisama sa kasambahay.

Sa katunayan, kapag maglalaba siya at kailangan siyang umalis, napapakiusapan pa niya ang kasamahan na isampay ang mga damit niya.

Kailan lang napagtanto ko, sabi ni Berto, na hindi maganda ang palipat lipat. Una, hindi ka makakapag plano sa iyong kita, at wala kang maipupundar. Kapag nagkakaidad ka na ay saka ka lang mapapaisip na ikaw ang nalugi dahil sa pagnanasang pataasin lagi ang iyong suweldo. Sa mga nalalabing ilang taon pa bago siya mag retiro ay pagsusumikapan daw ni Berto na makabawi para umayos din ang kanyang buhay. –George Manalansan

Employer's companion accused of 'torturing' Filipina maid

(UPDATED)

by The SUN 

If this is not slavery, what is?

Signs of abuse on the vcctim’s forehead.

Two Filipina domestic workers fled on Nov 9 from the house of their employer in Tseung Kwan O, with one claiming she had been abused “physically, mentally and verbally” by the employer's live-in companion, and did not pay her salary for more than six months, allegedly as punishment for her "mistakes."

The two women claimed the abuse on Lanie Grace Rosareal, 27 was with the knowledge and tacit approval of their employer, Leung Sher-ying, 63.

But it was Leung's companion, Au Wai-chun, 65, a former civil servant who was convicted on Sept. 1, 2014, of scalding a Bangladeshi maid with hot water, who allegedly abused Rosareal almost daily. (see: http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1583001/ex-civil-servant-found-guilty-burning-maid-scalding-hot-water)

The claim is backed up by Rowela Sobiono Suete, 36, who was hired by Leung as a second helper, and fled just 19 days after being employed, claiming she could not stand the regular punishments being meted by Au on Rosareal.

As in the case of the Bangladeshi maid, both Suete and Rosareal were signed up as domestic helpers by Leung who lived with Au in a 35th floor flat in The Grandiose, a private residential tower in Tseung Kwan O. On top of this, the two Filipinas said they were made to work in the house of Au's son in an adjacent building.

Rosareal and Suete were fetched by a concerned citizen who responded to their appeals for help to a friend, then escorted them to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office where they complained against the employer.

“I think this employer does not deserve to hire a foreign domestic worker permanently. It is cruelty akin to modern-day slavery,” Labor Attaché Jalilo dela Torre remarked after meeting with the two women in his office.

Dela Torre immediately put both Leung and Au on the Philippine Overseas Labor Office's watch list, meaning they won't be able to hire Filipina domestic workers again unless they get to clear their names with the labor attache.

Rosareal, who had served Leung since Jan 24, 2014, tearfully related before Labatt dela Torre her daily ordeal at the hands of Au that included head-banging, being kicked and bopped on her top with a knife or a TV remote control, being jabbed in the arm with a pair of scissors, or clawed on her wrists and neck.

Fingernail marks can still be found on her wrists and biceps as well as on her left neck. The maid said she suffered headaches due to the banging but could not go for a medical check-up, as she worked even on her holidays so she could pay the “fines” imposed on her by Au.

The list of pay deductions as punishment.

For October alone, the fines on Rosareal totaled $7,670, according to a notebook where Au had listed down all the alleged shortcomings of the maid for which she was fined

Under Hong Kong’s labour laws, justifiable fines charged aginst a foreign domestic worker’s salary should not exceed $300 a month.

From April to October this year, Rosareal said Leung paid her $4210 monthly salary, plus payments for her cancelled days off, then told her to go to Au to settle her "fines". She ended up turning over all that she received from Leung, to Au.

In a labor case she filed against Leung, Rosareal listed down a claim for around $50,000, including $31,500 in unpaid wages for six months and 19 days; $4, 210 monthly pay in lieu of notice; severance pay of $10,600; plus food allowance and return air fare.

The labor case is separate from the police complaint she filed against Au, with help from POLO and the Consulate's assistance to nationals section.

According to Suete, she had tried to protest the abuse and the fines on Rosareal with Leung, but was allegedly told to just let Au be. Leung also allegedly told Suete that it was Rosareal who had  been "torturing" Au.

Asked why she put up with the abuse for so long, Rosareal said she was scared that Leung would make good on the threat to have her jailed for using an Octopus card lent her by the employer to buy a $28 meal when she was out on an errand once, and got hungry.

The employer had also taken away her passport, an act that is prohibited under Hong Kong’s labour laws.

But it was the apparent shame on being punished repeatedly that kept her from protesting, or telling other people about her ordeal.

"Ewan ko nga ho ba kung bakit pumayag na lang ako na saktan niya," Rosareal told The SUN.

She said that Au often told her that she needed to also feel the pain that she was causing the elderly woman.

"Sabi din niya, nawawala yung sakit na nararamdaman niya kapag nasasaktan niya ako."

Rosareal said Au's favorite punishment for her was to make her kneel in front of the old woman and bang her own forehead on the floor. If she didn't comply, she would either be kicked hard, or hit on the head with the TV's remote control.

If Au thought the banging was weak, she would allegedly step on the back of the maid’s head and thump it to the floor even if the Filipina was already crying in pain.

“Sometimes, she would grab my hair with both hands and bang my head against the concrete wall, and say ‘I want you to feel the pain that I feel’,” Rosareal said.

There were also times when Leung was reportedly forced to hit her with a stick on Au's orders.

"Kapag kasi hindi niya (Leung) sinunod, sila ang nag-aaway," said Rosareal.

The hiring of Suete, a nursing aide and mother of two, in mid-October came as a blessing for Rosareal, who is single. Seeing Au's cruelty, Suete reminded Rosareal about her rights and reported the abuse to her agency in the Philippines, which then forwarded the complaint to its Hong Kong counterpart.

When the Hong Kong agency staff called Leung, Au reportedly turned on Suete and had since verbally abused her, too. Au also threatened to confiscate her passport.

“I’m now afraid because she might also hurt me, so, I decided to run away with Lanie,” Suete said.

It was Suete who reached out on Nov. 8 to her friend and The SUN contributor, Rodelia P. Villar, about her and Rosareal’s plight. Their rescue the next day was coordinated with Labatt Dela Torre.

Both Rosareal and Suete talked about their being made to work in the two houses, as well as cleaning the outside of windows despite the ban on such domestic task imposed by the Hong Kong government effective Jan 1 this year.

They also complained about being given just a few slices of bread to eat and no food allowance. Every part of the employer's flat was allegedly monitored by CCTV, including their beds.

On Nov. 13 they were due to meet with Leung at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office for conciliation but the employer reportedly begged off, saying she would be out of town. Two days later, Leung did appear before Labatt dela Torre, aided by two lawyers, but no settlement was reached.

Rosareal's labor claim against Leung is due to be heard tomorrow, Nov. 21.

The two workers have also filed affidavits of complaint at the Consulate's assistance to nationals section, which in turn referred their case to the Western Police Station which initiated an investigation.

Suete said she and Rosareal worked from 11am to 2am the next day. But while Suerte was allowed to sleep immediately after, Rosareal had to stay up until 8am, as she had to watch over Au, who despite suffering from a spinal cord injury, is reportedly able to walk on her own around the house.

Suete said she could not sleep because she would hear Rosareal crying while being punished. Even the neighbors disturbed by Au's rants had protested, she said.

The two Filipinas are now hoping to settle their cases so they could find new employers who hopefully, would treat them better.

No more rev gov’t, says D30

President Rodrigo Duterte has written off his plan to declare a revolutionary government after he failed to sway the military to support it.

As a consequence, a group calling itself “Mandirigmang Hakbang Tungo Sa Revolutionary Government” cancelled a Nov. 25 rally at the Quezon Memorial Circle that was intended to drum up public support for the plan.

Had the plan pushed through, Duterte would have wielded both executive and legislative powers and converted the country to federal government.

Vice President Leni Robredo set the tone on Nov. 8 when she announced that she had received assurances from the defense establishment headed by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Armed Forces chief Lt. Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, that the military will not support the “rev gov” plan.

After a security briefing held at the Philippine Air Force headquarters at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, Robredo said: “We (were) asking because there are government officials involved in talks about a revolutionary government. But this afternoon, we were assured—and the assurance was strong—that (the military) would not support such a plan.”

Duterte confirmed this the next day when he met with Filipinos residing in Vietnam at the Pulchra Resort in Da Nang City, while attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

He said Robredo was “correct” in saying the military would not support a revolutionary government in the Philippines.

“I asked the military. They said, ‘We won’t support a revolutionary government,” Duterte  said. “‘Why?’ and they said,  ‘Because Vice President Robredo said it … We like her more. She’s a woman and does not cuss.’  I said, ‘OK, then we will not have a revolutionary government.’”

He then stuttered: “Pero tama siya. Ayaw ng… Gusto ng military siya ang… Dapat sundin si Robredo.”

The idea took shape on April 2, when Duterte supporters staged a rally at the Luneta, and signed a petition for the establishment of a revolutionary government.

In a speech in Malacanang four months later, Duterte said: “For the Philippines to really go up, I said: What the people need is not martial law. Go for what Cory did – revolutionary government.”

He added: “You declare all positions of the government vacant and change all. The mistake of Ma’am Aquino was to give it all back to the politicians.”

He raised the pressure on Oct. 13 when he declared in an interview on government TV: “Pag ang destabilization ninyo patagilid na and medyo magulo na (If your destabilization is worsening and it is becoming chaotic), I will not hesitate to declare a revolutionary government until the end of my term, and I will arrest all of you and we can go to a full scale war against the Reds.”

This was answered by opposition group Tindig Pilipinas, which said: “President Duterte is losing his grip. Only a paranoid and insecure little man afraid of losing power will rationalize the need to impose a revolutionary government upon the people.”

It added: “The paranoia is evident. It is manifested in the slide in the surveys, from the increasing numbers of the various forms of protests, from the massive pushback on social media and from the President’s increasingly irrational, indefensible and incoherent stance.”

“Like any abuser sensing that his victims are seeing him as the abuser that he is, he senses doom. He knows he is an empty can once he loses control,” the statement said.

Subsequent efforts to raise public support for a revolutionary government have failed.

The latest rally organized by pro-Duterte groups at the Quezon Memorial Circle  in early November fizzled out when less than 50 people showed up.

Anne at Erwan, ikinasal na

Ikinasal na ang matagal nang magkasintahang sina Anne Curtis at Erwan Heussaff sa Queenstown, New Zealand noong November 12. Dinaluhan ito ng kani-kanilang pamilya at malalapit na kaibigan. Kabilang sa mga celebrities na dumalo ay ang kapatid ni Anne na si Jasmine Curtis Smith na kasama ang boyfriend nito, ang kapatid ni Erwan na si Solenn Heussaff at asawa nitong si Nico Bolzico, Isabel Daza at asawang si Adrian Semblat, Georgina Wilson at asawa’t anak, Lauren Uy, Nichole Anderson, Raymond Gutierrez, Tim Yap at mag-asawang Vicki Belo at Hayden Kho, na kasama rin ang kanilang anak na si Scarlet Snow.
Naroon din si Luis Manzano, bitbit ang girlfriend niyang si Jessy Mendiola,; Angel Locsin, kasama ang bagong boyfriend niyang si Neil Arce; Bianca Garcia-Kramer; Danica Sotto-Pingris at ang halos buong tropa ng Showtime, na kinabibilangan nina Vice Ganda, Kim Atienza, Vhong Navarro, Karylle, Teddy Corpuz, Ryan Bang at Jugs Jugueta.
Sina Luis at Nichole ang nag-emcee sa programa sa reception, kung saan ay nagbigay ng pahayag ang malalapit sa bagong kasal. Ang hirit ng ama ni Erwan ay bigyan siya ng 10 apong lalaki, kaya kailangang magmadali daw ang mga ito. Ang sabi naman ng ama ni Anne, kailangang matutuhan ni Erwan ang dalawang salita: yes, dear. Ikinuwento naman ni Isabel ang pagiging match-maker niya sa dalawa, mula nang magkita ang mga ito noong 2009.
Simple pero elegante ang gown ni Anne na gawa ng pamosong designer na si Monique Lhuillier, pero ang sapatos na suot niya ay high-heeled black boots. Maging ang kanyang mga bridesmaids, kabilang sina Isabel, Solenn at Karylle ay pawang mga laced up boots ang suot. Ito marahil ay dahil malamig ang klima doon, at outdoor wedding ito, kaya ang nilakaran ay damuhan. 
Sina Anne at Erwan naging magkarelasyon noong 2010, at naging engaged noong November 2016 sa Amerika. Pareho silang mahilig mag-travel at sumubok ng iba’t ibang bagay, gaya ng pagkain sa mga pinupuntahan nilang lugar.

ISABEL GRANADA, NA-CREMATE NA
Habang nagkakasayahan sa nagaganap na kasal ni Anne Curtis sa New Zealand noong November 12, lungkot naman ang nadama ng mga kamag-anak at kaibigan ng aktres na si Isabel Granada nang i-cremate na ito sa Arlington Memorial Chapels. Bago ang cremation, binigyan din siya ng military honors ng Philippine Air Force, kung saan ay nagsilbi siya ng dalawang taon bilang second class air woman. Ang bandila na ginamit sa kanyang kabaong ay ibinigay nila sa ina niyang si Mrs. Villarama o kilala sa showbiz bilang Mommy Guapa.
Pagkatapos ng cremation ay nagkaroon din ng “letting go” ceremony ang mga kamag-anak at kaibigan ng aktres sa pamamagitan ng pagpapakawala sa ere ng mga paru-paro.
Si Isabel, 41, ay pumanaw noong Nov.4, sanhi ng brain hemorrhage at aneurysm, sa Doha, Qatar. Nag-collapse siya matapos makaramdam ng pagkahilo habang kausap ang ilang mga kababayang Pilipino. Isinugod siya sa ospital, pero hindi na ito nagkamalay, at tuluyang binawian ng buhay matapos ang halos dalawang linggo.
Iniuwi ang kanyang bangkay sa Pilipinas noong November 9 at nagkaroon ng pagkakataon ang mga kaibigan niya sa showbiz, lalo na ang mga naging kasamahan niya sa dating show na “That’s Entertainment”, at maging ang mga fans, upang masilayan siya sa huling pagkakataon. Suot ang puting damit na ipinagawa ng kanyang kaibigang si Bianca Lapus, marami ang nagsabing maganda pa rin ang aktres at parang natutulog lang. Namataan sa ginanap na burol sa Sanctuario de San Jose chapel sa Greenhills sina Chukie Dreyfus, Nadia Montenegro, Lotlot de Leon, Elmo Magalona, Janella Salvador, at Lily Monteverde ng Regal Films. 
Bukod sa kanyang ina, naulila ni Isabel ang kanyang asawang si Arnel Crowley, at anak na si Hubert Aguas, na anak niya sa unang asawang si Jericho Aguas.

VIC AT PAULEEN, MAY BABY NA
Lumabas na ang pinakabunso sa “Dabarkads” ng Eat Bulaga, si baby Talitha Maria Luna Sotto, anak nina Vic Sotto at Pauleen Luna. Isinilang ang kanilang anak noong madaling araw ng November 6 sa pamamagitan ng caesarian operation.
Ito ang panlimang anak ni Vic, ang iba pa ay sina Danica at Oyo na anak niya sa dating asawang si Dina Bonnevie, ang pangatlo na si Vico, na anak niya sa aktres na si Coney Reyes at ang pang-apat ay si Paulina, na anak niya sa dating model-actress na si Angela Luz.
Sina Vic, 63, at Pauleen, 28, ay ikinasal noong January, 2016.

MAGTATAPAT NA PELIKULA
Ipinahayag ni Sharon Cuneta na ipapalabas sa buwang ito ang balik-tambalan nila ni Robin Padilla na “Unexpectedly Yours”. Makakasama rin nila dito ang tambalang Joshua Garcia at Julia Barretto. Inaasahan ni Sharon na tatangkilikin ito ng manonood dahil nang ilabas daw ang teaser ng pelikula nila ay mahigit isang milyong views daw agad ito sa loob ng 12 oras mula nang i-upload ito sa Facebook.
Pero, makakatapat ng pelikula nila na ipapalabas sa November 29 ang “Barbi D’ Wonder Beki” na pagbibidahan nina Joey de Leon at Paolo Ballesteros, kaya baka maapektuhan ang kikitain sa takilya ng dalawang pelikula.
Kamakailan ay nagsalpukan din sa takilya ang dalawang horror films na “The Ghost Bride” ng Star Cinema at “Spirit of The Glass” ng Regal Entertainment. Bagama’t balitang malaki ang kinita ng pelikula nina Kim Chiu (Ghost Bride), mas kumita siguro pareho ang dalawang pelikula kung hindi ito pinagsabay ipalabas, lalo na at hindi na kumokonti na ang mga nagagawang mga pelikula.

HASHTAG DANCER FRANCO, NALUNOD
Bago nagsimula ang programa sa reception ng kasal nina Anne Curtis at Erwan Heussaff, nag-alay sila ng panalangin sa pagkamatay ng isa sa miyembro ng dance team na Hashtags, na regular performers sa “Showtime” na si Franco Hernandez Lumanlan, 26, na kilala bilang Hashtag Franco.
Namatay ito sa pagkalunod sa Davao Oriental noong November 11, matapos mahulog sa bangkang sinasakyan nila ng kanyang girlfriend, nang hampasin ito ng malakas na alon. Nasagip naman sila ng bangkero, at dinala sa ospital, pero hindi na umabot ng buhay si Franco.
Ang Hashtag ay isa sa pinakasikat na grupo ng dancers ngayon dahil pawang mga may hitsura ang mga miyembro nito, kaya naman isa-isa nang nabibigyan ng acting project. Kabilang dito sina Ronnie Alonte, Jameson Blake,  MacCoy de Leon, Zeus Collins at Jon Lucas.

JAMES, PANALO SA MTV EUROPE MUSIC AWARDS
Napanalunan ng Filipino-Australian actor at singer na si James Reid ang award bilang Best Southeast Asia Act sa katatapos na 2017 MTV Europe Music Awards (EMA) na ginanap sa London noong November 12. Tinalo niya ang mga Asian singers na sina Faizal Tahir (Malaysia), Dam Vinh Hung (Vietnam), Isyana Sarasvati (Indonesia), Slot Machine (Thailand), The Sam Willows (Singapore) at ang social wildcard winner na si Palitchoke Ayanaputra (Thailand).
Hindi ito ang unang nominasyon ni James dahil dati na silang na-nominate ng kanyang girlfriend na si Nadine Lustre sa parehong kategorya SA 2015 MTV EMA na ginanap noon sa Milan, Italy.
Si James, na tila mas ganadong magtrabaho bilang singer kaysa aktor ay nakapagtayo na ng sariling label, ang Careless Music Manila sa kagustuhang makatulong upang umunlad ang local music. Katatapos lang niya ang pinakabago niyang album na “Palm Dreams”. May ginawa rin siyang music video, kung saan ay isa sa mga nagdirek nito ay ang girlfriend niyang si Nadine.
Ilan sa mga nagwagi sa 2017 MTV EMA ay ang mga sikat na singers na sina Shawn Mendes bilang Best Artist, Eminem bilang Best Hip-Hop Artist at Camila Cabello bilang Best Pop Artist.

ART MANUNTAG, NAG-COLLAPSE SA BAGUIO
Pinag-uusapan ngayo ang balitang nag-collapse sa Baguio ang magaling na singer na si Arthur Manuntag habang siya ay nag so show. Isinugod daw ito sa ospital, at tinangkang i-revive ng ilang beses, pero hindi pa ito nagkakamalay.
Nanghihingi ng dasal ang mga kaibigan ng singer upang malampasan nito ang panganib, at magising sa pagkaka-coma nito.
Si Art ay ilang beses nang nag show sa Hong Kong, at sa isa ay naka duweto niya at naging guest ang The SUN publisher na si Leo A. Deocadiz.

Tuloy ba ang swerte mo sa Nobyembre?

TANDANG Isinilang noong 1921/33/45/57/69/81/93
Kung hindi mo seseryosohin ang ginagawa, mahaharap ka sa malaking problema. Kailangang maging alisto sa mga nagaganap sa trabaho; habang nagtatagumpay ka, lalong dumarami ang kaaway mo. Magandang kalusugan at masigla ang pakiramdam. Tahimik at matiwasay ang pamilya, pero dagdagan ang lambing, huwag pigilan ang nararamdaman, para lalong tumamis ang pagsasama   Lucky numbers: 12, 19, 33 at 40.

ASO. Isinilang noong 1922/34/46/58/70/82/94
Madali kang makakasabay sa mga nagaganap at matutuhan ang dapat malaman sa trabaho. Mapapawi na rin ang kalungkutan at kawalan ng sigla ng mga nagdaang araw. Huwag tumiklop kapag nasaling ang iyong pride, bawasan ang pagiging emosyonal. Magiging matatag ka sa pagharap at paglutas ng problema sa pamilya. Lucky numbers: 17, 22, 31 at 35.
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BABOY. Isinilang noong 1923/35/47/59/71/83/95
Huwag mag-atubiling humingi ng payo sa matatalik na kaibigan dahil makakatulong sila. Pagkakataon nang mapabuti ang kalagayan sa trabaho, pero mag-ingat sa pakikipag-usap sa paligid mo. Pera ang pwedeng dahilan ng pagtatalo sa kaanak, mag-ingat. Ibibigay mo ang lahat sa ngalan ng pag-ibig, pero kapag nagkaroon ng problema, huwag sarilinin ang problema. Lucky numbers: 6, 15, 33 at 37.

DAGA. Isinilang noong 1924/36/48/60/72/84/96 
Mahihirapan kang makapag-ipon, pero kailangan mong magtipid. Dahil sa pagmamatigas, susuko ang  sino mang magmamagandang loob sa iyo. Malaki ang tsansa na makatagpo mo ang kapartner na magugustuhan at makakasundo mo sa maraming bagay. Maghinay-hinay sa trabaho kahit gusto mong mapagbuti ito ng husto, dahil hihina ang resistensya mo kapag kulang sa pahinga at tulog. Lucky numbers: 20,24,32 at 41.

BAKA. Isinilang noong 1925/37/49/61/73/85/97 
Tamang oras na ituon ang isip sa hinaharap, kumilos upang maabot ang ambisyon at manalig na matutupad ito. Matutukso kang gumastos ng husto, pero paghandaan ang mas mahalagang gastusing darating.. Huwag gaanong alalahanin ang problema sa love life dahil kusa itong maaayos. Nasa tamang daan ka tungo sa tagumpay at wala nang makakapigil sa iyo, pero mag-ingat sa mga naiiinggit. Lucky numbers: 18, 35, 39 at 42.
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TIGRE Isinilang noong 1926/38/50/62/74/86 at 98 
Makakaasa ka sa pagiging tapat ng mga kaibigan. Kailangang balikang muli ang mga dati mong desisyon na buong tapang mong ipinaglaban. Sa trabaho, lalabas ng husto ang iyong husay kaya malaki ang tsansa na matupad ang pangarap na promosyon. May kaunting problema sa pagsasama. Maging maingat sa paghawak sa perang pinaghirapan, bilhin lang kung ano ang kailangan.   Lucky numbers: 6, 22, 37 at 38.

 KUNEHO Isinilang noong 1927/39/51/63/75/87 
Lahat ng pagkakataon ay nasa iyo ngayon, pagsikapang makasulong ka ng buong sipag at ingat. Matutupad din ang ambisyon mo at kikilalanin ang husay mo. Makakaasa sa ilang kamag-anak at kaibigan sa oras ng kagipitan. Sa kabila ng distansya sa pagitan ninyo ng mahal mo, pakiramdam mo ay hindi pa huli ang lahat. Magtiwala sa intuisyon mo, na madalas ay tama. Lucky numbers:13, 16, 30 at 44.

 DRAGON Isinilang noong 1928/40/52/64/76/88 
Magkakaroon ng pagbabago sa materyal na kalagayan dahil kikita ka sa transaksyong papasukan. Kung may ka-live in, kailangan ng seryosong usapan upang malinawan ang relasyon. Baka kailangan mong gumawa agad ng desisyon, maging maingat at makatarungan. Matinding pananakit ng ulo ang posibleng maranasan, iwasan ang matataong lugar, paglanghap ng maruming hangin at tensyon sa trabaho.   Lucky number:7, 13, 19 at 27.

AHAS Isinilang noong 1929/41/53/65/77/89 
Marami ka pang pwedeng gawin at magkakaroon ka ng oras para sa mga kaibigan at kakilala. Huwag dibdibin ang lahat ng bagay. Kung may kaunting distansya, mas magiging malinaw ang pananaw mo sa mga bagay. Posibleng dumating ang problemang mahirap lutasin, sundin ang nilalaman ng puso. Mahal mo ang iyong mga kaibigan, pero kung meron kang nakakaalitan, layuan na ito upang hindi lumala ang sitwasyon.   Lucky numbers:12, 27, 37 at 49.

KABAYO. Isinilang noong 1930/42/54/66/78/90
Magiging romantiko ka ngayon dahil maaalala mo ang nakaraan. Huwag nang buhayin pa ang matagal nang patay na love affair upang hindi na magbalik ang masakit na alaala. Sa trabaho, iwasang makipagtalo sa mga kasamahan. Kailangan ng ibayong ingat at pagtitipid. May lalapit pa rin upang humingi ng tulong, magbigay kung may maiaabot, pero huwag nang umasang mabayaran pa ito. Lucky numbers: 2, 8, 17 at 36.

KAMBING. Isinilang noong 1919/31/43/55/67/79 at 91 
Makakaasang makakagawa ng tamang desisyon kung pagbabasehan ang iyong intuisyon at common sense. Sa kabila ng mga problema, huwag mawalan ng pag-asa dahil maaayos din ang lahat. Sa mag-asawa, mauunawaan nyo ang isa’t isa, pero maging malumanay sa pananalita at magpakita ng atensyon sa maliliit na bagay. Matamlay ka ngayon, kailangan ng sapat na pahinga at ihinto muna ang ibang dagdag na gawain. Lucky numbers: 14, 21, 30 at 37.

UNGGOY. Isinilang noong 1920/32/44/56/68/80/92
Ang problema sa pamilya ay nakakaapekto sa iyong kalusugan. Kailangang bigyan ng atensyon ang sarili upang makaiwas sa dagdag pang problema. Masaya ang love life, kaya mababawasan ang pag-aalala. Upang makaiwas sa sakit, maging maingat sa kinakain at sa pakikipag-relasyon. Uminom ng maraming tubig, upang madaling mailabas ang nag papabigat ng pakiramdam. Lucky numbers: 10, 19, 21 at 43.

Filipina DH who died in China flown home after 3rd autopsy

By Vir B. Lumicao 

Lorain Asuncion, the 28-year-old Filipina domestic helper who fell to her death in Shenzhen in late July, made her final voyage home on Nov 15 in a coffin.

Her remains were first brought to Hong Kong where authorities conducted a standard autopsy, the third to be carried out on the body.

Danny Baldon of the Philippine Consulate's assistance to nationals section said forensic experts who examined Asuncion's remains had indicated their findings matched those of the first two autopsies done in Shenzhen.

The two autopsies, conducted separately by Shenzhen police and a private forensics expert, both ruled out foul play.

The outcome of the latest autopsy are not likely to be known for a few days.

Lorain's belongings.

Asuncion reportedly plunged to her death from the 22nd floor flat of her female employer’s father in Longgang District, Shenzhen on July 23 or 24.

The Philippine Consulate in Guangzhou paid for an independent autopsy after the maid's family expressed doubts about the initial findings on her death.

Asuncion had been reportedly taken four times previously to the Shenzhen flat of Liu Heping, father of her female employer, to do house chores there.

On July 23, the elder Liu called police at 9:30am to report that the maid had gone missing but her belongings were in the flat.

At around the same time the next day, he called again and reported finding the maid’s body on the garden below the block.    Asuncion's remains were in a plywood and metal casket that was moved from the Universal Funeral Parlor in Hunghom to Chek Lap Kok airport on the eve of the two-hour flight to Manila on board Philippine Airlines Flight 301.

The casket was to be loaded to a connecting PAL flight to Tuguegarao City in Cagayan on Nov 16, and from there, transported overland to Baggao, Asuncion’s hometown.

There was no more formal public viewing for the deceased maid. Baldon said he was surprised by the abrupt decision to send the body home, but added the coroner’s office may have been concerned about its condition.

The Consulate representative watched as funeral home workers opened Asuncion’s sealed coffin, placed her blue backpack and a plastic bag containing a pair of sport shoes beside her feet, then resealed it.

Lorain's body for shipment home.

The brown enameled coffin was then put in the marked wooden casket in preparation for its shipment to the Philippines..

Meanwhile, Asuncion's employers, the couple Gu Huaiyu and Ms Liu, are under investigation by the Hong Kong police in connection with frequent trips they made to Shenzhen with the maid.

Gu and Liu are due to report back to the police headquarters by the end of December, a police spokesman told The SUN on Nov 9.

One Pinay acquitted, 3 others convicted of acting as 'drug mules’

By Vir B. Lumicao

A Filipina walked free from the High Court yesterday, Nov. 14, after being acquitted of drug trafficking, and of conspiring with three others to commit the crime.

Maricel Thomas was the only one of four Filipinas who was cleared of all charges of bringing cocaine into Hong Kong in September last year.

The cocaine was found inside the hidden
compartment of a hand-carried bag

Her lawyer managed to convince the jury that Thomas did not know the person who gave her the bag with cocaine, and was only enticed to go to Hong Kong at the last minute.

Thomas also had no reason to act as a drug mule as she was getting adequate financial support from her estranged husband.

Shirley Chua, 46, who was arrested with Thomas at the Hong Kong International Airport on the evening Sept 25, 2015, was found guilty of trafficking in a dangerous drug. She was, however, cleared of the conspiracy charge.

Thomas and Chua were among four Filipinas who were tried by a seven-man jury on charges of conspiring to traffic around 4 kilograms of cocaine into Hong Kong.  

All four arrived on the same day aboard Cebu Pacific's last flight from Manila.

The two other Filipinas who were on the same flight with them, Remelyn Roque and Ana Louella Creus, were found guilty of the conspiracy to traffic drugs.

Thomas and Chua were arrested at the airport after Customs officers found four slabs weighing 2.45 kg of a solid substance containing cocaine from their hand-carried luggage.

Government tests later showed Chua’s luggage had 944 grams of pure cocaine while Thomas’ had 923 grams.

However, Roque and Creus, a 30-year-old dentist, managed to pass unchallenged through the green, or “nothing to declare,” lane at the Customs area of the HKIA arrival hall. 

But they were arrested as they were about to board a flight back to Manila two days later. By then, they had already delivered a bag each to two "black men" at Chung King Mansions in Tsimshatsui..

Justice Audrey Campbell-Moffat, who presided over the 16-day jury trial, scheduled the sentencing of the three for Jan 18.  

The four defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges at the opening of the trial on Nov 6. 

But government prosecutor John Wright said they knew they were carrying something illicit in their luggage.

The four lawyers appointed by Legal Aid to represent the four defendants, disputed the conspiracy charge.

But the prosecution said the accused conspired with a woman named Nora Noora, who met with all four in Roque’s house in Cavite on Sept 23, 2015 and briefed them on their mission in Hong Kong. 

It was also Noora who booked their air tickets and provided them the four traveling bags with the concealed cocaine slabs, he said. She also gave them specific instructions to take the bags to Chung King Mansions.

But Kevin Egan, for defendant Chua, disputed this story.

"If there was conspiracy, my client would have known all her companions in the trip to Hong Kong from the beginning,” Egan argued. 

He said Chua did not get to know all the other defendants until the day of their departure.

Egan said his client had no plan to visit Hong Kong until the last minute, when she met Noora and Roque in the beauty parlor where she went for grooming.

Chua, in fact, did not know that she was already being booked on Sept 22, 2015, by Noora for the flight to Hong Kong, Egan said. 

He said the woman is a single mother with a young daughter and son who she could not leave alone at home.

As for agreeing to take the traveling bag to Chung King Mansions, Egan said it was a Filipino custom to oblige a request for help by other people.

Diane Cribbens, for Thomas, said there were two important issues: 1) the prosecution had to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt; and 2) the jury must consider the cases against each defendant individually.

“Even if you find evidence strong enough to convict one defendant, it may not be sufficient to convict another,” Cribbens told the jury.

Cribbens said Thomas, a mother of four who was separated from her husband, was receiving money every two weeks from the commander of her soldier-husband’s unit. She had no financial need that would have pushed her to drug trafficking, the lawyer said.

She said Thomas was asked by her acquaintance Roque if she wanted to travel to Hong Kong for free, so, she agreed as she had never been here. “She was just a last-minute tug-along,” Cribbens said.

Phil Chau, for Creus, said his client was a single, young professional, a dentist who was earning more than P30,000 a month from her practice.

Chau noted it was only Creus whose phone did not have messages showing she had knowledge of the Hong Kong operation. She was excluded from the loop and got a massage from Noora only once.  

Wright said Noora, who he referred to as “the boss”, and the Filipino van driver who brought the four bags to replace the four defendants’ luggage,  were part of the conspiracy.

Gov't does new autopsy on DH who fell to death in China

The Hong Kong government conducted on Nov 13 its own autopsy on the remains of Lorain Asuncion, the 28-year-old Filipina domestic helper who fell to her death in Shenzhen in late July. 

The decision to perform its own forensic examination of the maid’s body was made by the government two days before Asuncion’s remains were to have been flown home on Nov 12, an officer of the Consulate’s assistance to nationals section told The SUN in a telephone inquiry.

The new autopsy was the third such procedure performed on Asuncion since she was reported to have plunged to her death from the 22^nd floor window of the flat of her female employer’s father in Longgang District, Shenzhen on July 23 or 24.

She arrived there on July 22 supposedly to join her employers’ family, who went to spend their summer vacation on the mainland but were elsewhere when the tragedy happened.

Two previous autopsies performed separately by the Shenzhen police and a private forensic expert both ruled out foul play.

Danny Baldon, the ATN officer who has been liaising with the police since the remains of Asuncion, single, arrived in Hong Kong on the evening of Nov 9, said the autopsy is a standard requirement for bodies that are in transit here to their final destination.

He said he would try to arrange a public viewing for friends and supporters of the deceased OFW before she would be finally flown home.

The remains were taken directly to the Fushan Public Mortuary in Taiwai, Shatin, where the autopsy was conducted.

The original plan by her recruitment agency in Hong Kong, Sunlight Employment Agency, was for the cadaver to be taken to Universal Funeral Parlour in Hung Hom before her onward flight to Manila last Sunday, Baldon said.

He said the remains were already booked on Philippine Airlines flight PR301, but the surprise decision to do a new autopsy would now call for Asuncion’s repatriation to be rescheduled. 

Baldon said Asuncion's family had been informed of the decision to conduct another autopsy, and that an aunt of hers who works in Hong Kong gave her consent to the autopsy on Nov 10.

In Manila, the sister of Asuncion, Jenevieve A. Javier, told The SUN her family wanted the Hong Kong police to conduct their own autopsy of her sister's remains in order to clear lingering doubts surrounding her death.

Meanwhile, Asuncion's employers, the couple Gu Hauiyu and Ms Liu, are under investigation by the Hong Kong police in connection with the maid's trips to Shenzhen with her employers.

Gu and Liu are due to report back to the police headquarters by the end of December, a police spokesman told The SUN on Nov 9. 

Asuncion had been reportedly taken four times previously to the Shenzhen flat of Liu Heping, father of her female employer, to do house chores there.

On July 23, the elder Liu called police at 9:30am to report that the maid had gone missing but her belongings were in the flat. At around the same time the next day, he called again and reported finding the maid’s body on the garden below the block.  

HK gov't to do new autopsy on DH who fell to death in China

by Vir B. Lumicao

The Hong Kong govt has decided to conduct its own autopsy on the remains of Lorain Asuncion, the Filipina domestic helper who fell to her death in Shenzhen in late July.

An officer of the Consulate's assistance to nationals section told The SUN that the new autopsy will be conducted today, Monday, Nov 13.

But Danny Baldon said the autopsy is a standard requirement for bodies that are in transit here to their final destination. He has been liaising with the police since the remains of 28-year-old Asuncion arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday evening.

The remains were taken directly to the Fushan Public Mortuary in Taiwai, Shatin, where the autopsy will be conducted. They were originally scheduled to be taken to Universal Funeral Parlour in Hung Hom before an onward flight to Manila this Sunday.

Baldon said the repatriation will now have to be rescheduled

He said Asuncion's family have been informed of the decision to conduct another autopsy. An aunt of Asuncion who works in Hong Kong reportedly gave her consent to the autopsy Friday.

He said the Consulate will try to request for a public viewing of the maid's remains before her final flight home.

In Manila, Asuncion's sister Jenevieve A. Javier, told The SUN her family wants the Hong Kong police to conduct their own autopsy to clear doubts surrounding Lorain's death.

Asuncion was found dead on the garden below the 22nd-storey flat of her female employer's father in Shenzhen on July 24,

An initial autopsy by the Shenzhen police shortly after Asuncion's death, as well as a follow-up examination of her body by a private forensic expert last mont, both ruled out foul play. The autopsies concluded she died from injuries consistent with a fall.

Meanwhile, Asuncion's employers, the couple Gu Hauiyu and Ms Liu., remain under investigation by the Hong Kong police in connection with the maid's frequent trips to Shenzhen with them.

Gu and Liu are due to report back to the police headquarters by the end of December.

Deployment ban on OFWs takes effect Nov 13

by Daisy CL Mandap

An estimated 75,000 newly hired overseas Filipino workers are expected to get stuck in the Philippines when a 15-day suspension on the processing of overseeas workers certificates take effect startting tomorrow, Nov.13.

The halt to OEC processing, which effectively results in a deploy,ent ban on all new hires, was ordered by Philippine Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello in a memo dated Nov. 9.

Bello said he took the move as a result of "persistent reports of illegal recruitment activities, including direct hires, and in order to protect the public from the pernicious activities of unscrupulous individuals preying on Filipinos deciding to work overseas".

Reports from Manila say Bello received reports of a syndicate operating out of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) which fleeces Php250,000 from each new hire who wants to bypass the regular OEC processing.  These new hires are reportedly classified as returning workers so all they need to do is "renew" their OEC, allowing them to fly straight to their destination .

Among those likely to be affected by the 15-day ban are about 750 OFWs bound for Hong Kong. The Philippine Overseas Labor Office says about 1,500 new OFWs arrive in Hong Kong each monrh.

The unexpected move has been met with widespread criticism from affected sectors in both the Philippines and abroad.

Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre admits his office phones "have not stopped ringing" since news of Bello's ban reached affected sectors.
Asked what he tells the anxious callers,. Dela Torre said, "that it's just for 15 days."

Bello's order, however, states that the ban is "subject to extension as circumstances may require".

Labatt Dela Torre hastened to add that the OEC processing ban does not affect workers who are already in Hong Kong.

His assurance failed to appease migrant organizations, however.
In a hastily arranged protest action outside POLO's offices in Admiralty Centre on Nov. 12, Migrante-Hong Kong called the deployment ban "blatantly anti-OFW and anti-worker."

A statement they issued at the rally said Bello should punish corrupt officials and illegal re recruiters, not the OFWS."

The protesters also blasted the labor chief for his failure to abide by his long-standing promise of abolishing the OEC,

In Manila, some recruitment companies have also hit out at the suspension order, saying it was implemented without prior consultation with concerned sectors.

They also said the order affects not only OFWs, but also foreign employers, especially those in key industries like healthcare, construction and manufacturing, as their businesses could be adversely affected.

Maid gets 6 months for stealing $7,000 from employer

Bautista was sentenced at Kowloon City court

By Vir B. Lumicao

A Filipina domestic worker was sentenced to six months in jail on Oct 31 in Kowloon City Court for stealing close to $7,000 from her employer in September.

Rochelle B. Bautista, 33, was arrested on Sept 25 after her employer, Ms Lee, reported to police that she had lost 2,000 renminbi, US$100 and $3,000 in a plastic envelope she had kept in a red suitcase in her flat at The Waterfront in Tsimshatsui.

The missing money was equivalent to $6,850. Police recovered the missing $700 from the maid’s belongings. 

Bautista, who had been employed by Lee since April this year, was released on police bail following the investigation.

The prosecution said the stolen money was part of 5,700 renminbi, $7,000 and US$400 placed in five envelopes that Lee wrapped in a plastic bag and kept in the locked suitcase before she left the house on the morning of Sept 25.

When she returned in the evening, she found out only 3,700 renminbi, $4,000 and US$300 were left, prompting her to review the CCTV footage. There she saw Bautista forcing the suitcase open with a pen and taking out the plastic bag containing the money.

The prosecution said the maid was unaware of the closed-circuit TV camera.

Magistrate Peter Law convicted Bautista after she pleaded guilty to the charge in a hearing on Oct 26.

“Stealing from your employer is a serious offense. It’s a breach of trust she placed on you,” Law told Bautista.

But Law delayed the sentencing after the duty lawyer assigned to represent Bautista asked him to issue a compensation order, as the defendant allegedly wanted to compensate her employer for the 2,000 renminbi and US$100.

“The court does not accept foreign currencies. So go to the money shop and exchange you money for Hong Kong dollars,” Law told the defendant. He reset the sentencing.

Later, Law said that even though Bautista had compensated the victim, she had committed a serious offense.

Maid fined 10 times value of stolen food packs

Merogenia was sentenced in Shatin court

By Vir B. Lumicao

For failing to pay for nine grocery items she took in a supermarket, a Filipina domestic worker was convicted by a Shatin Court of theft and fined $2,000, ten times the amount of the foodstuff that she had stolen.

Leah Merogenia, a single mother in her 30s and sole breadwinner in the family, broke into tears and embraced her lawyer as soon as Magistrate Colin Wong left the courtroom after imposing the fine on Nov. 1.

She also hugged her male employer who was at the hearing and was reportedly taking her back. 

She was charged with theft for stealing a pack each of oatmeal, blueberries, candy dates, cashew, two packs of dumplings, two packs of pork and a pack of chicken fillet, worth a total of $199.30 from a Wellcome shop in Taiwai, Shatin on July 19.

She pleaded not guilty when the case came up for mention at Shatin Court in July, paving the way for the one-day trial on Nov 1, during which both the key witness, a staff at the Wellcome store, and Merogenia gave evidence.

The Filipina’s troubles began when she went to the supermarket on the first floor of Yiu Po Mansion after buying some vegetables from the market.

The prosecution said she was seen by a male staff picking up the oatmeal pack and all the other items and putting them into her black recyclable shoulder bag, unaware that she was being watched by the supermarket staff.

Merogenia also took two packs of fishballs and went to the cashier and paid for them, but not the nine items that she had stashed in her bag. When she left the supermarket and crossed the street, the staff stopped her, inspected her bag and found the unpaid for items.

He called the police and Merogenia was arrested.

Pronouncing his verdict on Nov 3, Wong rejected Merogenia’s evidence, saying he doubted that she forgot to pay for the nine grocery items because she was concerned about her sick son.

In contrast, Wong said he accepted the Welcome staff’s evidence because he was truthful and reliable. He said he found the defendant guilty.

In sentencing, the magistrate said: “I considered the defendant’s clear record, the nature of the offense and the value of the stolen items. I impose a fine of $2,000 to be taken from the bail money.”

Real life ‘Romeo’ succumbs to cancer

By Daisy CL Mandap

For much of his 48 years, Romeo F. Fulay, true to his name, romanced not a few women, and sired seven children in the process.

But when he succumbed to cancer of the esophagus on Oct. 5, the former driver and dependant visa holder had to rely largely on his two older sisters in Hong Kong for support.

One of them, Concepcion Fulay, related to The SUN how her brother had struggled valiantly for more than 11 months while cancer was slowly ravaging his body.

“Dati 110 kilos ang weight niya, nung bago siya mamatay bumagsak sa 55 kilos,” said Concepcion.

She said that for a long time before his cancer was diagnosed, Romeo had a hard time swallowing. He would reportedly drink 1.5 liters of water just so he could take in his food, but did not see the need to consult a doctor.

In October last year, he reportedly felt sick during a trip to Macau. On his return on Oct. 3 he was admitted to Ruttonjee hospital. There, the doctors told him they needed to talk to his family members.

“Nagduda na ako noon na may ‘something’ sa kundisyon nya,” said Concepcion.

From Ruttonjee Romeo was transferred to Queen Mary Hospital where he remained until he passed on.

Romeo F. Fulay

Romeo’s lengthy stay at the hospital was not easy for the siblings. Just before he was told he had cancer, Romeo lost his job as a driver, leaving him to rely on his sisters for support. At the time, he also just had his seventh child with his girlfriend.

Left with not much resources, the siblings were able to get all of Romeo’s hospital bills waived, except for the initial PET scan which cost $7,900.

When he died, the family also managed to get the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Philippines to pay for the cost of repatriating his remains to their hometown of Iromin, Sorsogon on Oct. 24.

For all that, Concepcion said their family is grateful. She also said, with a hint of smile, that Romeo’s death paved the way for his four previous partners and the six children they collectively had with him, to get together and be reconciled. Sadly, she said Romeo’s first child- whom he sired when he was just 17 - died in his teens because of kidney failure.

Her only regret was that Romeo’s last wish, which was to die in the Philippines, did not happen because his health had deteriorated so quickly he could no longer be allowed to get on a plane.

Romeo’s Bicolano friends in Hong Kong, notably Art Buban of Bicol Saro, gathered together to see him off, and do a bit of fundraising to help tide his family over.

Another Filipino OFW, Ernesto Hermano, also 48 years old, died suddenly of a stroke earlier in October. His remains were brought to his home in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte on Oct. 20, after a funeral attended by his various relatives, friends and employers.

On Oct. 22, a Sunday, a memorial mass was said for him at the Consulate.

Hermano reportedly worked mostly as a messenger for the family he had served in Tsing Yi for 25 years.  He left behind his Hong Kong-based wife, Melanie. - DCLM