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Bello weighing 4 bets for labor attaché post

Posted on 08 August 2019 No comments

By Vir B. Lumicao

Philippine Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III has reportedly narrowed down his choices for the post recently vacated by Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre.

Word filtering from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Hong Kong indicates that Bello is considering four candidates, although no date has been set for naming his final choice.

Polo officer-in-charge Antonio Villafuerte said the four people being mentioned are: former labor attaché in Macau Ramon Pastrana, and incumbents Nasser Munder in Jeddah, Cesar Chavez at the Manila Economic and Cultural Office Labor Center in Taipei, and Fidel Macauyag at the MECO-Taichung Extension Office.

Macauyag, CDO's former top prosecutor, is said to be Bello's first choice, but he has a pending case

It may be a tough call, as all four candidates are known to have either a checkered work history, insufficient experience, or unsuitable temperament.

Top of the list is said to be Macauyag, a lawyer who was former labor attaché to Jeddah before his posting to Taichung, the second largest city of Taiwan.

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He was with the Office of the Prosecutor General before he was named as one of the eight new attaches of the Department of Labor and Employment in 2017. Previously, he worked for nine years as city prosecutor of Cagayan de Oro City.

“I hear Macauyag has his foot inside the door,” a source told The SUN. But he added that there could be a problem because the candidate has a pending case before the Ombudsman, which could be why he was moved to Taichung.

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The source explained that officials assigned to Taiwan need no Ombudsman clearance as it is officially not a diplomatic post but a trade and cultural office, as the Philippines recognizes Taiwan as part of China.

Another candidate, Munder, is reportedly known among his colleagues in the Middle East as being too friendly with employment agencies, and “would be like fish out of the water” if deployed to Hong Kong. He would surely be targeted by worker advocates if he is moved here.

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As for Pastrana, he is widely regarded as not being experienced enough for Hong Kong, where there are more than 200,000 Filipino migrant workers, compared with just about a fourth of this figure in Macau, where he was previously posted.

Chavez, on the other hand, is said to be “too headstrong and too full of himself,” despite having enough experience.

Whoever is selected will surely face an acid test in Hong Kong, as he will be succeeding a well-regarded, highly experienced and hardworking labor attaché.

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Ex-DH accused of fleeing from $35k loan 3 years ago

Posted on 07 August 2019 No comments

By Vir B. Lumicao

A Filipina former domestic helper who went home in 2016 after borrowing $35,000 from a Hong Kong financing company without disclosing that her work contract had been terminated, made a mistake of returning here as a tourist and is now in detention.

Kowloon City Court building

Ranie Lou Buena Cosa appeared at Kowloon City Court on Aug 6 to apply for bail, but the prosecution objected, saying she is a flight risk.

Buena Cosa was charged with “obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception” after being arrested last month when she tried to re-enter Hong Kong as a tourist.

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Magistrate Woo Huey-fang rejected the bail application and ordered Buena Cosa returned to custody. But he advised her that she can make the same application with the Court of First Instance.

The defendant allegedly took out a loan of $35,000 from Prime Credit on Apr 13, 2016, using her work contract as proof of employment. The financing firm approved the loan, not knowing that the helper had been terminated a few days and was due to fly to the Philippines shortly.

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After Buena Cosa failed to pay her monthly installment, the lending firm learned that she had fled to the Philippines, and reported the case to the police.

Last month, Buena Cosa returned to Hong Kong to visit a sister who also works in the city, but Immigration officers at the airport intercepted her and turned her over to the police.

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Buena Cosa will appear in court again on Aug 26.

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Filipina who jumped bail 3 years ago re-arrested at airport

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By Vir B. Lumicao

The fake goods found inside the TST flats (Customs & Excise Dept photo)

A 37-year-old Filipina former domestic worker who jumped bail more than three years ago was sentenced to four months in jail on Aug 6, after being re-arrested at the airport when she tried to get in as a tourist recently.

Russell de Castro, 37, pleaded guilty to possessing fake branded goods worth $1.26 million, which she claimed were owned by a man who had hired her as a parttime worker.

She was immediately jailed on orders of Kowloon City Court Magistrate Woo Huey-fang, who rejected the defense lawyer’s request for a lenient sentence, citing her record of absconding.

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De Castro was arrested by police on Jul 28, 2015 after she was seen acting suspiciously when she emerged from a lift on the first floor of Hankow Apartments in Tsimshatsui.

When questioned, she introduced herself as an employee of GM Trading with offices on the first floor of the building. Officers searched six units in the building which she identified and found a hoard of fake branded goods inside.

De Castro said she had worked in the shop for only three days, and was paid $300 a day by Shah Habab, a Pakistani who she identified as the owner of GM Trading.

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Officers from the Customs and Excise Department and Customs contacted by police inspected the goods and declared all to be counterfeit. The goods were seized and taken to the Tsimshatsui Police Station.

De Castro and Habab were arrested, and the Filipina was questioned further at the North Police station.

Both were subsequently allowed to post bail, and the Filipina took the chance to flee to the Philippines on May 28, 2016. Habab, meanwhile, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.

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When De Castro returned to Hong Kong as a tourist on Jul 10 this year, she was intercepted at Hong Kong International Airport and hauled to court.

As part of reading out the charges against her, the prosecution recited a long list of branded counterfeit items seized from GM Trading, including 875 pieces of Louis Vuitton handbags, 865 Coach, 240 Chanel, 200 Burberry, 290 Prada; 334 pairs of Nike and 202 pairs of New Balance shoes, 740 Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirts, 314 Lacoste T-shirts, 720 pieces of fake Ice Watch timepieces, 620 Prada wallets, 260 Lacoste handbags, 260 Polo Ralph Lauren T-shirts, 930 Louis Vuitton and 630 Coach wallets, Oakley and Gucci sunglasses, and one Rolex watch.

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National dengue epidemic declared: 622 dead

Posted on 06 August 2019 No comments

The Philippines is now paying for the controversy that has stopped vaccinations against dengue, amid a controversy that critics called an attempt to discredit the administration of ex-President Benigno S. Aquino III.

A national epidemic was declared today by Department of Health (DOH) today (August 6, 2019) as cases of the mosquito-borne disease increased to 146,062 cases from January to July 20 this year, or double the cases reported in the same period last year, with 622 deaths.

“It is important that a national epidemic be declared in these areas to identify where a localized response is needed and to enable the local government units to use their Quick Response Fund to address the epidemic situation,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque said.

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With the government’s rejection of dengvaxia, DOH is left with nothing more to fight the viral disease than a call for people to help prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

“Starting today, the DOH, together with other government agencies, the LGUs (local government units), the schools, the offices, and communities will conduct the ‘Sabayang 4 o’clock habit’ para dengue out, focusing on search and destroy in mosquito breeding sites,” Duque said in a press briefing. “This is one of the primary interventions to prevent and control dengue.

Last July 15, the Department of Health had declared a National Dengue Alert after the number of cases reached 115,986 in the first half of the year, nearly double last year’s 62,267, and killed at least 491 people.

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Among regions where epidemics have been declared are MIMAROPA (Region IV-B), Western Visayas (Region VI), Central Visayas (Region VII), and Northern Mindanao (Region X), the DOH said.

DOH is also monitoring the rise of cases in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, CALABARZON, Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and Cordillera Administrative Region.

In these places, hospital capacities have been exceeded, such as in
Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said that since dengue is a viral disease with no known vaccine or specific antibiotics, only effective surveillance and preventive measures can be used to reduce cases and deaths.

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These measures exclude the use of Dengvaxia vaccines, which has been denounced by top government lawyer Persida Acosta, who accused the previous administration of President Noynoy Aquino of irregularities in their procurement. The accusation was prompted by a November 2017 global advisory by the manufacturer, Sanofi Pasteur, warning of risks of administering Dengvaxia to “seronegative” people, or those with no history of dengue, saying a small proportion of them might contract severe symptoms of the disease.

This resulted in Sanofi refunding the government P1.16 billion in unused doses of Dengvaxia. Lawmakers earmarked the money as medical assistance for those who had already been administered the medicine.

As this developed, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said: “Congress gave the DOH ample funds to monitor the health condition of children who received Dengvaxia shots. Surely, the department should be able to provide us a detailed report in a future hearing.”
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Naninigurado

Posted on No comments

Noong isang taon pa gustong dispatsahin si Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre. Tinanggal na siya nang 2 beses, ngunit naibalik — noong una dahil sa people power ng mga OFW sa Hong Kong, at noong pangalawa dahil bawal sa batas ang paglilipat sa kanya noong election period.

Ngayong nakatakda siyang ilipat sa Saudi Arabia, may gustong manigurado na paalis na talaga siya sa Hong Kong.

Kumakalat ngayon ang isang sulat para kay Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III na nag-aakusa sa kanya ng katiwalian sa pagpapalit ng isang computer system sa POLO na ginagamit sa pagpapatupad ng alituntunin sa mga employment agency.

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Ayon sa nag-aakusa, ito raw ay hindi dumaan sa public bidding, at ang napiling kumpanya para sa kontrata ay malapit sa isang ahensiya, ang Fair Employment Agency.

Mali ang mga bintang.

Halimbawa, napili ang gagawa ng system matapos imbitahan ang mga may kakayahang gumawa nito, kasama na ang kasalukuyang provider ng serbisyo. At ang inaakusang taga Fair ay wala na palang koneksyon dito bago pa mag-bidding.

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At sa pagbabasa ay nakita naming mas mahigpit pa ang kontratang ito kesa sa papalitan nito.

Sa likod nito, ang sistema ay matagal nang reklamo ng taga POLO dahil mabagal, kulang-kulang at hindi na tugma sa kanilang pangangailangan.

Isa pang kontrobesiya na ikinakabit kay Labatt Jolly ay ang paglalathala sa mga pahayagang Pilipino ng notice ng mga ahensiyang gustong magpa-accredit sa POLO. Pinaboran daw nito ang The SUN, samantalang ang paliwanag ni Labatt ukol dito — upang malaman kung may atraso sila sa mga OFW — ay inilathala ng kabilang dyaryo, na nakakuha rin ng ganitong anunsiyo.

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Linawin po natin: walang kinalaman ang The SUN sa paggawa ng patakarang ito, at kami man ay nagulat nang magdatingan ang mga ahensiya, kaya bilang tulong, nagbigay kami sa kanila ng malaking discount.

Walang duda na dahil nililinis ni Labatt Jolly ang recruitment sa HK, ang tingin ng ilan ay balakid siya sa kanilang kalokohan. Tandaan natin ang sinabi ni Yorme Isko Moreno ng Manila matapos niyang linisin ang Divisoria: “Kapag ang Divisoria napuno uli, kayo na mag-isip na nalagyan ako.”
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