Local man accused of beating Pinay partner fails in bind-over bid

By Vir B. Lumicao 

Eastern Court magistrate told Lau the charges against him are serious

A 41-year-old Chinese man who is facing two counts of falsely imprisoning and a charge of assaulting his Filipino partner failed in his bid to get a bind-over order from Eastern Court today, Feb 17.

A bind-over order is not a penalty, but is a preventive measure where the accused agrees to be “bound over” for a specified sum to be on good behavior over a certain period.

 Lau Yan-ting faced the third charge of assault when he appeared before Magistrate Bina Chainrai. He was previously charged with two counts of illegally detaining his partner J. Almenario, a former domestic worker.

Pindutin para sa detalye!

The charge sheet says Lau unlawfully detained Almenario on Jan 2 and Jan 3 in a flat they occupied at Wah Fu Estate, Southern District. But the woman was able to flee and sought assistance from the Consulate, which helped her file a complaint with the police.

Lau was then arrested, before being released on $50,000 bail.

Call us!

His lawyer told the magistrate he was trying to work out a bindover deal with the prosecution before Lau would enter his plea.

But this did not sit well with the magistrate. “His offense is serious and you are asking for a bindover? No, the court won’t allow that,” Chainrai said.

CONTACT US!

The lawyer then requested a six-week adjournment, saying he needed to study the case more and get legal advice.

Chainrai initially questioned the lengthy adjournment, before setting the next hearing for Mar 31. Lau’s bail was extended until then.

Villegas denied charges of neglecting her ward when she appeared in Kowloon court

Meanwhile, a Filipina helper is set to stand trial in Kowloon City Court in May after pleading not guilty to three counts of ill-treatment or neglect of her then three-year-old ward.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

C. Villegas was represented by a lawyer when she entered her plea before Magistrate Ada Yim on Feb 16. The case was adjourned previously because the defendant was unrepresented.

Villegas is accused of hitting her ward in her employer’s house in Kowloon Tong on Oct 14, 2019. She allegedly repeated the offence twice, once on Jan 21, and again on Feb 9 last year.

CLICK FOR DETAILS

Magistrate Yim set the trial for May 17 and 18. In the meantime, she extended the bail of Villegas, who is being helped by the Mission for Migrant Workers.

CALL US TO TRY!

CALL US NOW!

 

Filipinos in HK sending more money home amid pandemic

By The SUN 

Despite a more than 5k drop in their numbers, OFWs in HK still sent more money home last year 

Filipinos overseas defied massive job losses, forced leaves and huge salary cuts in the wake of the pandemic, and still managed to send home US$33.19 billion last year. 

This was just 0.8% lower than their total personal remittances of $33.47 billion in 2019.

Filipinos in Hong Kong, in fact, boosted their remittances by 2.4% to US$821 million last year, statistics from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas show, despite a massive drop of more than 5,000 in their numbers.

Pindutin para sa detalye!

This made the SAR one of eight overseas destinations for Filipinos that recorded an increase last year. The others are the United States, Singapore, Canada, Hong Kong, Qatar, South Korea and Taiwan.

Filipinos who are in Saudi Arabia, Japan, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Germany, and Kuwait sent less money last year. 

Filipinos send more money and goods through informal channels instead of banks

BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said personal remittances slipped by 0.8 percent, while cash remittances coursed through banks also contracted by 0.8 percent last year.

Call us!

This was way lower than the predicted two percent drop for 2020, but still ended 19 consecutive years of growth.

Remittances last fell by about US$200 million in 2001 primarily due to lingering effects of the Asian financial crisis and the political turmoil during the Estrada administration.

“The actual decline in 2020 was, however, lower than the earlier forecast contraction of two percent for the year,” Diokno said.

CONTACT US!

The BSP chief pointed out that personal remittances amounted to $29.9 billion last year, or $230 million lower than the all-time high of $30.13 billion posted in 2019.

That still accounted for 9.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and 8.5 percent of gross national income (GNI) last year.

Cash remittances, which only count money coursed through banks, hit US$2.89 billion, down 0.4% from US$2.9 billion a year ago.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

Despite the overseas Filipinos' “heroic act” of boosting the country’s economy, remittances have actually contracted by 4.8% in Philippine peso terms, according to ING Bank Manila senior economic Nicholas Mapa.

He said the strength of the peso, brought about by the weakness of the Philippine economy, has negatively impacted household relying on dollars.

CLICK FOR DETAILS

Other analysts say remittances could further fall in the first quarter of the year, but the vaccine rollouts across the globe brighten prospects for OFs in the coming months.

CALL US TO TRY!

CALL US NOW!

Experts approve Sinovac vaccine for emergency use in HK

by The SUN 

Lau says Sinovac's vaccine is 62.3% effective after the second dose

A panel of experts has unanimously approved the use of Coronavac, the vaccine developed by mainland firm Sinovac, for emergency use in Hong Kong.

Panel convenor Prof Wallace Lau said in a press briefing this evening that Sinovac had provided them with data from its late-stage trials showing that its vaccine’s benefits outweighed the risks.

Pindutin para sa detalye!

Lau said the data showed the vaccine’s efficacy rate is 62.3 percent, when two doses are administered 28 days apart.

Data earlier submitted by Sinovac also indicated the vaccine could trigger an immune response and created antibodies in adults and the elderly.

Call us!

Previously, the panel cited late-stage clinical trials in Brazil that showed Coronavac’s efficacy rate at just 50.65 percent, sparking fears the vaccine isn’t as effective as it should be.

Lau said the data they got laid those fears to rest.

CONTACT US!

“This is about an emergency use of a vaccine that will hopefully help to protect the people of Hong Kong from Covid. We have received the data from Sinovac. The data that we have looked at appeared to show that this vaccine is efficacious,” he said.

The World Health Organization has yet to approve the Sinovac vaccine, but has already set a minimum standard of 50% efficacy rate for all Covid-19 vaccines.

All Covid-19 vaccines must be at least 50% effective, says the WHO

Lau brushed off suggestions the 12-member panel of experts bowed to pressure from the government in recommending the use of Sinovac’s vaccine.

PRESS FOR MORE DETAILS

“There is no pressure at all from anyone. Over the last few days, I have more or less shut myself down from all the newspapers, etc. We have concentrated primarily on looking at the data,” he said.

Sinovac was supposed to deliver the first million doses of its vaccine to Hong Kong by early January, but its failure to submit the required data held up its approval.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

The vaccine developed by German firm BioNTech is on track to deliver its first batch of jabs to Hong Kong late this month, and mass inoculation is set to begin in early March.

Hong Kong has procured 7.5 million doses each from Sinovac, BioNTech, and AstraZeneca in Britain.

CALL US NOW!

Up to 4 people may dine together starting Thursday

By The SUN 

Chan says 4 people may dine together, but only 2 can gather in public

The promised relaxation of social distancing restrictions will go ahead as planned, according to Health Secretary Dr Sophia Chan during a press briefing today, Feb 16.

She said that from Thursday, up to four people from the current two will be able to dine together in a restaurant until 10pm, four hours later than the present cut-off time of 6pm.

However, the Executive Council will still have to give approval for relaxing the gathering ban to allow up to four people to get together in public, instead of the present two.

Pindutin para sa detalye!

Chan said that the relaxation of rules comes amid a marked decline in the number of infections across the city.

""The latest development and risk assessment led us to believe we can steadily relax social distancing measures...to let livelihood resume in an orderly manner," she said.

As part of the easing of restrictions, some businesses like cinemas, theme parks, gyms and beauty and massage parlors will be allowed to reopen, as well as all indoor and outdoor sports venues.

But she did not respond to a question on when schools will be allowed to resume classes.

Call us!

The relaxation of dine-in restrictions comes with the condition that restaurant staff will have to be tested every fortnight and proprietors should take measures to improve the ventilation in their venues.

Chan said more community testing centers will be opened to cater to workers in the reopened venues, who have been queuing up so they can go back to work immediately. Reports say appointment slots at the testing centers have been filled up to the expected reopening of most businesses on Thursday.

CONTACT US!

Another problem foreseen by businesses is the requirement that they use the StayHomeSafe app, or record each of their customer’s personal information.

Any restaurant that violates the rules will be banned from providing evening dine-in services for up to two weeks, while other businesses that don't comply may be fined and jailed.

Bars will remain shut despite the latest relaxation of rules (File)

Many businesses have told the government they expect a bumpy road ahead for this rule, as most people are hesitant to download the app, fearing it will track their every movement.

PRESS FOR MORE DETAILS

Bar owners and staff are also up in arms, questioning why they had been shut since November 26 last year, when the government said the spike in the fourth wave of infections happened only in mid-January.

Because bars had been closed for half of last year, many workers have either lost their jobs, or are forced to take unpaid leaves and pay cuts.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

Further down the line are the musicians whose jobs now depend not only on the reopening of bars, but also on when the government would allow live music to resume.

Many of the musicians have been out of jobs since April last year when Covid-19 swept across bars. Around 100 people - musicians, staff, patrons and their family members – were either infected or moved to quarantine centers as a result.

Live music was allowed to resume for only brief periods since, before being totally halted in October last year.

Chan said it’s not likely the rules will be loosened further anytime soon.

“I don’t think the next phase of relaxation will be very soon,” she added.

She said authorities will closely monitor the situation to see if there is a resurgence in coronavirus cases now that the long Lunar New Year holiday is over, before deciding on any further moves.

CALL US NOW!

Filipina DH returns P40k overpayment in her remittance

By Daisy CL Mandap 

Cayabyab handed over the equivalent of P40k to the Western Union staff

All’s well that ends well in the case of a Filipina domestic helper who was pursued by a money transfer company after she went silent when asked to pay back the Php40,000 overpayment for a remittance she made on Dec 20 last year.

After The SUN published a story about the fiasco, S. Cayabyab reportedly called up staff at the Western Union branch in World-Wide House, Central, and arranged for the return of the overpayment.

Call us!

Cayabyab, accompanied by a big group of friends, met up with two WU staff in Tai Koo Shing yesterday, Feb. 15, and handed over HK$6,509, which is the equivalent of the Php40,000 that was sent by mistake to her beneficiary in Pangasinan.

According to WU’s Precy Dagon who showed up for the meeting along with her colleague, John Go, who made the mistake in the remittance, Cayabyab tearfully asked why they had to report the matter to The SUN.

Pindutin para sa detalye!

The helper reportedly said she failed to get back to them because she could no longer contact the person she sent the money to, and also because she was busy with work. Her employer also found out about WU’s threat to report the matter to the police, and got upset.

“Naki cooperate naman po siya pero nandun pa din yung blame niya sa amin na bakit daw pina The SUN pa namin siya. Ipaliwanag ko naman po sa kanya na from December to February wala na kasi siyang update,” said Dagon.

CONTACT US!

(She did cooperate with us, but still blamed us for getting The SUN involved. I explained to her that it was because she stopped updating us from December to February).

In the last communication they had via text messaging, Cayabyab was insisting she could no longer reach her beneficiary, J. Ostil. She also said she learned about the mistake after WU contacted her to ask for repayment.

PRESS FOR MORE DETAILS

On being warned by the WU staff that they would file a complaint with the police, Cayabyab told them to go ahead, saying the money was not with her, anyway, then went silent.

“Maraming salamat po, at sa tulong ng The SUN online newspaper ay nalutas ang problema na sana ay babawasin sa suweldo ni John,” said Dagon. (Thanks very much for the help by The SUN online newspaper in resolving the problem (because otherwise) the overpayment would have been deducted from John’s salary).

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

Dagon also said that hopefully their customers would also check their remittance receipts so if a problem like this happens, it would be resolved immediately.

What should have been sent to the beneficiary was just about Php6k

“Sa part po naming mga teller di rin po maiiwasan magkamali sa system, lalo’t busy at maraming tao. Hangad din po namin na lahat ng nakapila ay mabigyan namin ng serbisyo dahil alam namin na (araw din) ng pahinga nila yun at time to meet friends…”

(On the part of us tellers we also can’t avoid making a mistake, especially when we’re busy because there are a lot of people waiting to be served. We also want everyone on the queue to be served because we know that it’s their rest day and it’s their time to meet up with friends).

She went on to say that remitters should double check their receipts, first as to the amount that they had sent, the name of beneficiary, their change and receipts, to make sure all the information set out there is correct “para hindi rin po hassle sa both parties.”

Chided that the incident would not have happened if someone from their ranks did not make a mistake, Dagon said she acknowledged that, and was grateful that Cayabyab did “cooperate” eventually and gave back the money they had wrongly sent to her recipient.

The SUN also tried to contact Cayabyab through the number indicated on her remittance receipt to get her side, but she did not pick up.

CALL US NOW!

Two Filipina DHs the only imported cases as infections drop to 8

By Vir B. Lumicao 

One Filipina was quarantined at Dorsett Hotel in Wanchai, and the other, in Tsuen Wan

Two Filipina domestic workers who recently arrived from Manila were the only imported cases today, Feb 16, as Hong Kong reported eight confirmed coronavirus patients, its lowest daily tally since November last year. However, more than 20 preliminary cases have reportedly been found.

An information officer at the Department of Health said the two Filipinas initially tested negative upon arrival on the same Cebu Pacific flight on Feb 7, but were found positive on the 12^th day of their hotel quarantine.

Pindutin para sa detalye!

The first Filipina aged 37 was spending her quarantine in Dorsett Hotel Wanchai while the other, aged 30, was staying at Dorsett Hotel Tsuen Wan when they tested positive. 

The officer said there was no indication that they were infected with the British variant of Covid-19, unlike a fellow Filipina DH who was among the nine infected cases reported yesterday.

Call us!

The Centre for Health Protection, which skipped its daily press briefing today as the number of cases remained in a single digit for the second day, said in a press release that the new cases brought the total tally in Hong Kong to 10,797.

The death toll in public hospitals rose to 188 today when an 82-year-old woman patient with chronic diseases died at 11:26 am today at Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung.

CONTACT US!

The hospital said the patient was admitted to PMH on Jan 20 due to dizziness, chest discomfort and sore throat. She subsequently tested positive and her condition deteriorated until she passed away.

The CHP said that of the six local cases, three had unknown sources while the other three were all linked to a previous infection.

PRESS FOR MORE DETAILS

A 39-year-old housewife, the first case with unknown source, developed fever and headache on Feb 9. She went to a general out-patient clinic on Feb 13 for examination and submitted a deep throat saliva sample on Sunday.
      
The second untraceable case was a 53-year-old senior fireman at Kwai Chung Fire Station who lives in Tai Sang Wai, Yuen Long. He developed headache, cough and sore throat and went to Pok Oi Hospital in Tuen Mun on Feb 14. He reportedly last went to work on Feb 10.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love

      
The third case with unknown source was a girl aged 8 who had no symptoms but had to go to a Community Testing Centre on Feb 14 for compulsory testing. The student tested positive yesterday.

Three of her neighbors in Shek Yi House, Shek Lei Estate in Kwai Chung came down with the infection earlier and the virus might have spread via communal facilities in the building, the CHP said.

People anxious to go back to work pack community testing centres (RTHK)

On Monday, Hong Kong reported nine new Covid-19 cases, the first time since November that its daily figure had dropped to single digits.

Health officials and medical experts, however, said the number could increase after the Lunar New Year break because people became lax with social distancing or did not want to seek medical help during the holidays, in line with tradition.
      
A total of 302 cases have been recorded in the past 14 days from Feb 2 to 15, including 261 local cases of which 81 are from unknown sources. The CHP said investigations and contact tracing on the confirmed cases are continuing.
      
As most Hongkongers returned to their jobs after the four-day Lunar New Year break, restaurant and construction employees continued to queue up across the city to get a Covid-19 test, as part of the government requirements for them to resume work.

The workers had been lining up over the holidays for the test, which they must do every fortnight when the government relaxes some social distancing measures starting on Feb 18.

The include the reopening of venues such as gyms, cinemas and massage parlours, and the extension of dine-in services in restaurants to 10pm, from the current 6pm.

CALL US NOW!