Responsive Ad Slot

Latest

Sponsored

Features

Buhay Pinay

People

Sports

Business Ideas for OFWs

Join us at Facebook!

Prisoner-activist Mario delos Reyes to be freed after 26 years

Posted on 30 September 2019 No comments
Mario Delos Reyes is flanked by Consul General Bernie Catalla and Fr. Rodolfo Jacobe after receiving his certificate for finishing a Master's degree in Business English. ATN staff Hermogenes Cayabyab Jr. is leftmost.


By Daisy CL Mandap

For more than a quarter of a century and a third of his life, Mario delos Reyes languished in Stanley Prison for a murder he has always claimed he did not commit. He fought for years to get a fixed sentence so he would know for sure when he could leave the maximum-security jail, but now that this has happened, he confesses to being suddenly confused.

Delos Reyes, who is now 62, is set for release on Oct. 5 after being in jail for more than 26 years. He shared the good news with The SUN in a letter he sent recently.

“I was given a fixed sentence of 39 years last June subject to the approval of the Chief Executive and it was signed and confirmed at the end of July. I will only serve a third of the nominal sentence due to good behavior and a spotless prison record so I will just serve 26 years and my release date will be this coming October 6 but (as that) falls on a Sunday, then I will released on a Saturday, (a) one day further reduction,” he says in his letter.


Call us!

While happy that he will soon be a free man again, Delos Reyes is also understandably confused. After all, a lot of things have happened since he got locked away, most notably the advent of the internet and all the new technology that came with it. It will not be easy, either, getting used to not having a fixed daily routine, and having his movements monitored throughout the day.

After 26 long years, he will also have to move back to the Philippines and pick up the pieces of his life together with his wife, Gigi and their three children who are now all adults.

“Since I got my sentence for almost two months now, I’ve felt very confused and cannot think rationally as if my mind is a blank. Hahaha! Maybe I am just eager to go out,” he said.

A young Mario visiting HK before coming here to work as driver/tour guide in 1989


Delos Reyes’ prodigious writing, keen interest on current issues, and relentless campaign for the enforcement of the Transfer of Sentenced Prisoners Agreement between Hong Kong and the Philippines have made him probably the best known Filipino inmate in Hong Kong.

But being sentenced to an indeterminate term weighed heavily on him, especially after he reached his 20th year behind bars, when he knew he could already ask for a fixed term. Twice he tried, but was rejected each time. The last time this happened, the Long Term Prison Sentence Review Board merely said he had served an “insufficient” period of time.

This was despite his spotless record in prison, his completion of numerous academic courses, the last of which was a Master’s in Business English, and the help and encouragement he’s given to fellow prisoners, especially Filipinas who were caught acting as drug mules for syndicates.



Delos Reyes, who was then working as a driver and tourist guide in Hong Kong, was arrested in April 1993, two months after he was put on the wanted list for the death of Eduardo Vera Cruz in a gang attack in Sai Kung.

Charged with him were his fellow members in the “Utol” gang, Orlando Pagatpatan, and his friend referred to in the case records only as Marlon, who managed to flee to the Philippines to avoid arrest.

Two others originally charged with them, Naty Palenia and her 21-year-old son Reynaldo, were eventually discharged and became prosecution witnesses.

During trial, it emerged that it was Marlon who delivered the fatal blows on Cruz, but the knife that was used to stab him belonged to Delos Reyes. To this day, Delos Reyes claims he did not know Marlon had his knife, and that he did not take part in assaulting the victim before he was stabbed.

Making it more tragic for Delos Reyes was the fact that did not even know the victim, but was only asked by Palenia to act as their driver in confronting Cruz, who had allegedly accused her son Reynaldo of being a drug addict.

Both Delos Reyes and Pagatpatan were found guilty on a unanimous verdict by the jury on Feb. 24, 1994 of a charge of conspiracy to murder. Judge Stuart Moore immediately sentenced the two to life imprisonment after condemning them for their “cowardly attack” on Cruz.

But a year later, Judge Moore wrote a letter to the governor in support of future sentence reviews for the two, saying the outcome of the case “might have easily gone either way” and that a “merciful jury” may have decided on a verdict of manslaughter.

Despite having such a compelling endorsement from the trial judge, it would take a quarter of a century before Delos Reyes could see the light at the end of the tunnel again.

Delos Reyes, a native of Laoag, Ilocos Norte, is the eldest of four children. Through the dint of hard work he managed to graduate from Wesleyan University, before deciding to become a soldier. He came to Hong Kong on an employment visa in 1989.

In his letter, Delos Reyes expressed confusion as to whether he will be allowed to remain in Hong Kong after his release, saying he had a HKID and a working visa when he was arrested.

Police rehabilitation officers have also reportedly told him they would monitor his activities for 24 months after his release, should he choose to remain in Hong Kong. But NGO workers are reportedly advising him to just return to the Philippines to enjoy the company of his family as he is already past 60 years old and the standard of living in Hong Kong is very high.

But Consul Paul Saret, head of the Consulate’s assistance to nationals section, says Delos Reyes would most definitely be put on a plane back to the Philippines as soon as he is released from Stanley Prison.
---
I-try mo ito, Kabayan: Kung interesado kang ma-contact ang mga advertiser namin dito, pindutin lang ang kanilang ad, at lalabas ang auto-dialer. Pindutin ulit upang tumawag. Hindi na kailangang pindutin ang mga numero.

Pinoy arrested in Mong Kok protest 'could face more charges'

Posted on No comments
Pioquinto being tackled by police before his arrest during the Mong Kok protest on Aug 3

By Vir B. Lumicao

Prosecutors say more charges may be filed against a Filipino performer at Disneyland who was arrested during a police dispersal operation against anti-government protesters in Mong Kok on Aug. 3.

Jetro Pioquinto faces a charge of illegal assembly and is out on $10,000 bail.

The prosecutor told Kowloon City Court on Sept 30 that investigators are planning to add more charges against Pioquinto based on his alleged contacts with other protesters.
He made the disclosure after opposing an application by Pioquinto to be allowed to fly home to the Philippines for a December reunion with his family.

Pioquinto and his co-accused, Lee Wing-ho, appeared before Magistrate Ada Yim for a review of the conditions imposed when they were granted bail on Aug 5.

The volunteer defense counsel said Pioquinto wanted to apply for leave to go home in December, saying he had complied with all his bail conditions and had shown good behavior.

The defense lawyer also applied to have the curfew time imposed on the two adjusted to 1am until 6am, instead of the previous midnight to 6am. Pioquinto is said to leave his work at Disneyland at 11pm and risks arrest if he doesn’t reach his address in Mong Kok by midnight.



Magistrate Yim said at first that she was inclined to allow the defendant to leave Hong Kong for the family reunion due to his compliance with the bail conditions and good behavior.

But she will double his bail to $20,000 and require him to report to the police one day before his departure and after his arrival.

When the prosecutor objected, saying there was a risk Pioquinto would abscond, the magistrate brushed this aside, saying it made sense to grant the request, especially since the prosecution had not yet finalized its case against him.

“Letting him visit his family is more practical than letting them come over to visit him,” she said. “He came here to work and will return to that work.”

But the prosecutor argued the case would be ready for plea by the end of November, after investigators decide on whether additional charges would be filed.

Magistrate Yim told the prosecution to complete its case against Pioquinto by Oct 28 so the trial could be set immediately.  

But when she said she wanted to fix a January trial date, the defense lawyer said she might not be available during that month.   

Yim set the next hearing on Nov 26, and extended the bail of Pioquinto and Lee. She also adjusted their curfew to start at 1am and last until 6am.

But she warned them to comply with the bail conditions or risk arrest and confiscation of their bail money.


---
I-try mo ito, Kabayan: Kung interesado kang ma-contact ang mga advertiser namin dito, pindutin lang ang kanilang ad, at lalabas ang auto-dialer. Pindutin ulit upang tumawag. Hindi na kailangang pindutin ang mga numero.

Teachers' licensure test held without hitch despite protests

Posted on 29 September 2019 No comments

By Vir B. Lumicao
Image may contain: 2 people, including Rodelia Pedro Villar, people smiling, people standing and outdoor
Three early finishers pose in front of the venue of the exam

A total of 470 Filipina domestic workers took the Licensure Examination for Teachers administered on Sunday, Sept 29, at the Delia Memorial School in Kwun Tong by a team from the Professional Regulation Commission

The examination was held amid a tense atmosphere as anti-government protesters in Hong Kong scheduled a big rally in Admiralty and other parts of the SAR.

But, despite their review sessions being curtailed by the often violent protests that are now on their 17th week, the examinees said the test appeared to be easier this time than previously.   
The exam began sharply at 8am, with 237 signed up to take the exam in the secondary level and 263 in the elementary level. Three of the 473 who registered did not show up.

Armond Englis, an officer from the Cebu PRC regional office which led the team that administered the test, said everything went smoothly, from the assembly of the examinees early in the morning to the conduct of the exams.

The Philippine Overseas Labor Office booked 23 classrooms for the exams at Delia, the venue of the test for the past three years, and enlisted 46 volunteers to act as proctors and watchers.
At 1pm, Polo Office-in-Charge Antonio Villafuerte and Assistant Labor Attaché Angelica Suñga paid a visit to Delia and toured the upper floors of the school where the examinees were answering their test papers.

The PRC said the target release date of results of the Sept 29 LET will be on Nov 29, or 44 working days after the board exams, but the results may also be out earlier or later without prior notice.

Englis said those who took the elementary-level exam finished early, with some examinees already done by 9:30 am. He expected the high school-level exam to finish at around 5pm or 6pm due to its different components for the majors.



But, apparently indicative of the ease with which they completed their test, the first few finishers of the secondary-level exam finished by mid-afternoon.

Among the early finishers was Pema Tepan, who first studied in Tacloban City. She completed the test at around 3pm. She said she expected her major, Biology, to be difficult but found it easier this time around than the first time she took the exam in 2015.

“Hindi naman mahirap, natapos ko yung Biology in 30 minutes,” Tepan said. She attributed the ease to her giving the subject more attention during the review.

“Mas marami akong ni-review sa Biology ngayon at yung mga na-review ay nasa exam. Mahirap ngayon ang Professional Education, puro situational halos.”

Tepan said she could not join review classes offered by a well-known review center because her day off is Saturday, so she had to do it online by hooking up to a similar service offered by a reviewer in Tacloban.

The expected protests for the day prompted both examinees and volunteers from the National Organization of Professional Teachers in Hong Kong to finish and go home early.

Those who volunteered for the elementary-level exam left by 2:30pm, including NOPT president Gemma Lauraya and her vice president Edna Liboon.

Only those helping administer the high school-level exam stayed behind until the last examinee had finished.

Most of them said they wanted to make sure they could return to their employers’ homes early in case MTR stations were shut down.     


---
I-try mo ito, Kabayan: Kung interesado kang ma-contact ang mga advertiser namin dito, pindutin lang ang kanilang ad, at lalabas ang auto-dialer. Pindutin ulit upang tumawag. Hindi na kailangang pindutin ang mga numero.

 



Sunday protests impact social life of Filipino domestics

Posted on 28 September 2019 No comments
By Vir B. Lumicao

Image may contain: 1 person, shoes
OFWs stick to their agenda despite the march of protesters nearby.

Hong Kong’s trouble-filled weekend protests have affected the lives of a wide spectrum of Filipino domestic workers who spend their day off Sundays in Central and Wanchai.

Where there used to be thousands of them occupying roads, underpasses and pedestrian bridges in these districts on any given Sunday, these days their number has visibly dwindled.

Among those who have been affected directly by the unrest are participants in livelihood training seminars offered by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Wanchai.

Statue Square in Central on a Sunday was never this spacious before the protests


Sheena Salero, who took up livelihood courses such as macrame weaving and ribbon folding, said graduations had been put off by Polo due to the crisis. On some days, battles were fought right in the street below the YF Life Tower where Polo is located, forcing staff and OFWs to leave for home early.

“Kasi lagi na sa Wanchai ang rally kaya ipinagpaliban muna ng Consulate and graduation,” she said.

Call us!

Despite the frequent mayhem, Filipinas Rodrigo strives to go to Polo on Sundays because she says she wants to learn more livelihood skills in preparation for her return home.

She continues to go there for her on-the-job training in dressmaking, and awaits the massage therapy course where she is short-listed.

Rodrigo recalled that on Sept 8, coming from her late-afternoon training at POLO, she took the MTR home to Kennedy Town. She realized that was the last trip for the evening because protesters had gone on a rampage after being teargassed by police.
Sheng Madino, who works for a family in Sai Ying Pun, site of recent fierce clashes on Hong Kong Island, said she now avoids Central on her holiday but stays in a nearby boarding house. She used to spend her day-off sitting with friends on a sidewalk under Exchange Square.

“Hindi po ako lumalabas para mas safe,” she said.

The thinning crowd of OFWs around Chater Road, Statue Square, HSBC, World-Wide Plaza, and other havens in the periphery, is testament to the impact on their social life by the weekend battles between police and protesters.

The sight is repeated on pedestrian bridges above Connaught Road and on the sprawling lawns of the Government Centre on Tamar off Admiralty.
Image may contain: 1 person, sitting
But some OFWs could also be oblivious to protesters passing by them while they rest in their favorite haunts on Sundays

On Chater Road, which the government closes to traffic on Sundays and holidays to accommodate thousands of OFWs who congregate there, the crowd has thinned. And even with those who cannot resist meeting up with friends in their old haunts, a self-imposed curfew of early afternoon is observed.



Golda, who used to spend Sundays with fellow Cordillerans on Ice House St., now avoids this place, and spends her day instead in Yuen Long Library near her employer’s house. Yet, unrest has crept even into that far corner of Hong Kong, fouling up her plans. 

“I’ve cancelled all appointments dahil sa mga protesta at baka walang masakyan pag nagkataon dahil na bloody protest,” Golda said.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, she stayed at home rather than do the traditional moon-watching because students were holding a vigil at a high school across the street from her place.

Feeling the pinch are OFW food vendors and service providers in the vicinity. Manang Cora, who sells “kanin at ulam”, native rice cakes and soda, estimates she has lost 40% of her usual Sunday income.

“Noong wala pang mga rally ay nakakapagpadala ako sa mga anak ko ng $2,500 isang buwan,” said the 62-year-old woman who came to Hong Kong in 1990.

These days, her income has dropped to just around $1,000, she said, as Filipino workers go home as early as 2pm and have their dinner near their employers’ homes rather than buy from Manang.

Even those who don’t go to Central say they have been affected by the protests. One who calls herself Malditang Gala said she had stopped going for walks on Sundays for fear she would get stranded somewhere if trouble broke out. Instead of gallivanting, she now attends Splash free swimming classes for OFWs.

Another worker, Mylene Espino from Taiwai, says she is very nervous whenever she rides the MTR, fearing she would get hurt if clashes flared up on the train. “Hopefully matapos na po yung gulo,” she said.

The only ones who don’t seem to worry about the rallies are groups of gamblers gathered in various nooks openly laying their substantial bets on various card games. Unlike before, they need not worry about the cops anymore, who have far more serious matters in their hands.

---
I-try mo ito, Kabayan: Kung interesado kang ma-contact ang mga advertiser namin dito, pindutin lang ang kanilang ad, at lalabas ang auto-dialer. Pindutin ulit upang tumawag. Hindi na kailangang pindutin ang mga numero.
Don't Miss