More Filipinos claim they’ve been conned by bogus recruiter

By Vir B. Lumicao 

A picture of Fernandez shared by some of her victims 

More Filipino domestic helpers claiming to have been duped by convicted recruiter Mila B. Fernandez have surfaced, saying they had lost several thousand dollars in fees she charged them for Hong Kong jobs that turned out to be bogus.

At least five new alleged victims revealed they were scammed by Fernandez from 2019 until February this year, before she was arrested a second time by Customs and Excise officers for “applying a false trade description to services offered to a consumer.”

Fernandez was first arrested on Dec 13, 2020 after victim Arlene Alday filed a complaint of taking $33,005 as payment for jobs such as drivers and yacht cleaners for Alday as down payment for 12 relatives and friends who unwittingly applied for the fake jobs.

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Fernandez was freed on bail. However, another victim, Charito Delfino, complained to Customs she paid $28,500 and Php10,000 as full placement fees for six applicants and down payment for eight others for similar jobs that were nonexistent.

She was rearrested on Feb 26 this year on a similar charge of “applying a false trade description”. It was found out she didn’t submit any visa applications for the applicants. The Labour Department also said she was not licensed to recruit job applicants.

Fernandez pleaded guilty in Eastern Court on Jun 2 to the two charges. Magistrate Paul Yip asked for probation, community service and background reports before sentencing her on Jun 16. Yip said he would deal with the victims’ call for compensation on that day.

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Upon reading the news about Fernandez’s court appearance, more victims have come out to claim the woman had also conned them of several thousand dollars for jobs as yacht cleaners and drivers that were never realized.

One of them, Rommel, said he was referred by a friend to Fernandez around March 2020 after he was dismissed from his job as a driver. He said the woman claimed she had a client in Kowloon Tong who needed a stay-in driver.

Rommel paid $2,500 to Fernandez, who also allegedly used the name “Mila Fan,” after submitting all his application documents, and then went home in April last year to wait for his work visa in Metro Manila.

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He referred some friends and his two brothers, who all applied as drivers. They also reportedly paid Fernandez $2,500 each as down payment and sent her their application documents. But Rommel got suspicious when no visa came after they had waited for months.

He asked Fernandez, but she had many excuses. So, he sought a friend’s help to inquire at the Consulate and Philippine Overseas Labor Office if his contract had been submitted for processing. He found that no such contract under his name had been submitted.

When he confronted Fernandez, the woman told him the employer had backed out while the papers were at Immigration. He asked for a refund but the woman didn’t pay up.

Remittance slips to Fernandez's accounts from Philippines-based applicants

Another victim, Vangie, said that after she met Fernandez in 2019, she referred four applicants who each gave a $2,500 down payment for a job as yacht cleaner.

Vangie also paid $2,500 to Fernandez and lent her $1,200 that she had set aside to buy medicine for her sick mother. When the promised jobs didn’t materialize, she called up the recruiter, who said the applications were already being processed by Immigration.

When the applicants became impatient and threatened to complain to the authorities, Vangie said she had to reimburse their money because she didn’t want to get into trouble.

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Other domestic helpers who said they were duped by Fernandez were Elizabeth Galbo, Jessica Tagubasi and Neneng. They were all happy to hear that the law had caught up with Fernandez.

“Mabuti nahuli kana rin Ate Mila. Dami mo naloko at isa na ako dun.” said Tagubasi. (It’s just right that you’ve finally been arrested, sister Mila. You duped so many people and I am one of them). It’s just right for you to pay the price of your mistake.”

The complaints against Fernandez first surfaced when The SUN published an article about how nine Filipina domestic workers led by Alday and Delfino, had complained to the Consulate in December 2019 about how they lost at least $112,000 to the smooth-talking scammer

They backed up their complaints with remittance slips showing the money paid by some of their Philippines-based relatives directly to Fernandez's bank accounts in Hong Kong.

At the time, they learned Fernandez had been fired from ACJ International Recruitment Services because of similar complaints.

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Local teen tests positive for mutant virus

By Daisy CL Mandap

(UPDATED)

The 17-year-old girl is being treated in Tuen Mun Hospital

A 17-year-old girl who lives in Tin Shui Wai has tested positive for a mutated strain of the coronavirus whose source is still being investigated.

A government statement issued earlier tonight, Jun 4, said the girl, who was found with the more infectious N501Y variant, lives at Shing Yu House, Tin Shing Court in Tin Shui Wai.

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 She studies at Queen Elizabeth School Old Students' Association Tong Kwok Wah Secondary School at 57 Tin Wah Road, Tin Shui Wai and attends tutorial class at Tak Wing Industrial Building at 3 Tsun Wen Road, Tuen Mun.

On May 29, she visited the Hong Kong International Education Expo, held at Hall 1C of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai.

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An overnight lockdown has just been ordered for Shing Yu House which will remain in effect until 7am tomorrow. All residents of the building will be tested overnight, and on days 3, 7, 12 and 19 counting from the day on which the case is confirmed. 

The compulsory testing notice will also be issued at her school and the places she had stayed during the incubation period. People who had been present at the above premises at specified periods need to undergo compulsory testing on or before June 6, 2021.

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According to the statement from the Centre for Health Protection, the girl developed symptoms including fever, runny nose, headache and loss of smell on June 2. The next day she went to the Tin Shui Wai community health centre where she submitted deep throat saliva for testing on the same day. The sample tested preliminary positive.

Today the positive result was confirmed by Department of Health’s Laboratory Service Branch which also found that the sample carried the N501Y mutant strain (but it is negative to E484K and L452R strains).

The girl, whose viral load was reportedly found to be high, is now being treated in Tuen Mun Hospital.

If her infection is confirmed tomorrow, she would end Hong Kong’s 42-day record of no untraceable Covid-19 case.

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Meanwhile, only one case was reported today, Jun 4, involving a 21-year-old female who flew in from Austria.

She tested positive while under quarantine at Ramada Harbour View Hotel in Sai Ying Pun.

Hong Kong has recorded a total of 11,850 Covid-19 cases with 120.

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Fate foils Feliz, 8-4, as Osabel fires up Filipinas

By Emz Frial

Osabel sails to home base a split second before her dive

Filipina “iron woman” Romela Osabel did a dash-and-dive stunt to score a home run in the third inning to drive Fate, the lone Filipino team in Hong Kong Softball Association, on May 30 to its second victory in as many meetings over Chinese rival Feliz, 8-4.

Fate shrugged off an early score by Feliz as both teams started slow on a bright and hot Sunday afternoon at Shek Kip Mei in the new season of the HKSA Women’s League tournament.

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The local players took the batter’s stand first as the away team but failed to make a score.

The two teams played defensively, giving no room to either side to score. As a result, neither team was able send a batter to the home base in the first two innings.

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In the third inning, Chan Wing Yee of Feliz roused the Filipinas when she stole the first run to the home base to put the local team ahead, 1-0.

When Fate took over the bat to start its third inning, Osabel performed her spectacular suicide play to cap a home run as the Feliz baseman stood helplessly.

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The players and spectators alike broke into cheers as the athletic Osabel, who also plays baseball and cricket, literally swam on dry ground to produce Fate’s first score that tied the match at 1-1.

Taking the cue from Osabel, a succession of Fate batters, Percy Jayme, Daisy Maano, team captain Don Gaborno and Belinda Ganitano also scored each to close the inning at 5-1 with the Filipinas atop.

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The fourth and fifth innings were a scoreless struggle for Feliz, as none of the Chinese softbelles was able to step on the bases.

Fate likewise failed to produce a score in their fourth inning. But the fighting Filipinas made up for that in their fifth inning when Josel Ondrade, Junalyn Cupag and Maribel Sitchon each scored, taking Fate way ahead at 8-1 at the end of the inning.

Undaunted, the local ladies took their last chance in the sixth inning and made three runs to the home base courtesy of Lee Yuek Heng, Poon Ka Lam and Yuen Ching Yi.

The match ended with a score of 8-4, in favor of the Filipinas. 

Players from both teams strike a friendly pose after the game

For Feliz, their performance last Sunday was visibly better than in their previous match on Mar 21 when they were blanked 11-0 by Fate.

Fate is preparing for its next game slated for June 20 versus Deborah team of the local.

Fate is made up of Filipina domestic helpers who enjoy their free time on the diamond of Shek Kip Mei while practicing and maintaining their physical skills. 

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Cathay to raffle off Airbus party on air for fully jabbed residents

 By The SUN 

The ultimate flycation aboard this aircraft awaits the grand winner of Cathay's lucky draw 

Property developers offering a $10.8 million flat as the grand prize in a lucky draw for vaccinated Hong Kong permanent residents say applicants can sign up from Jun 15.     

The lottery is one of several promotions on offer to boost Hong Kong’s vaccination rate for Covid-19, amid concerns over the low rate of inoculation in the city, which now hovers slightly above 20% of the total qualified population.

Banks, airlines, shopping malls and other companies have heeded the government’s call to offer incentives to entice more residents to go for the free jabs.

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The latest to join the jab lottery is Cathay Pacific, which is offering as top prize the chance to host a private party on board its new Airbus A321neo. The winner’s guests should likewise be fully vaccinated.

Ten other lucky winners will each receive one million miles from the airline, which they can redeem for flight, travel, lifestyle and entertainment. Another 100 winners will each receive 100,000 miles, which should be enough for one to travel first class on a long-haul flight.

To qualify, one must hold a HK identity card and must have been fully vaccinated by the end of August 2021. The mechanics of the lucky draw will be announced later.

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As for the flat draw, only permanent adult residents who have received two doses of a coronavirus vaccine by Sept 1 can register for the chance to win a one-bedrooom unit at the Grand Central development n Kwun Tong.

Sino Group's Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation and Chinese Estates Holdings say they will also pay the stamp duty, registration and legal fees for the 47th floor flat, as well as the management fee for the first year.

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People will be able to register for the lucky draw on a new website launched by the organizers, or do so in person at different malls across the city.

The $10.8 million flat on offer is located in Grand Central, Kwun Tong

The same group is also raffling off 20 pre-paid or credit cards each loaded with $100,000 to vaccinated people, both permanent and non-permanent residents.

The winners of both contests will be announced on September 8.

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Separately, the Association of Banks is organizing a lucky draw for fully vaccinated people who could win spending credits or vouchers worth $100,000 each.

Everyone with a HKID can join, but further details will be provided later.

Earlier, the Airport Authority also announced a plan to give away 50,000 free air tickets to residents and 10,000 to its staff, all of whom should be fully vaccinated, in another lucky draw. The details of the scheme are still being drawn up.

Several hotels are also offering heavily discounted room rates to vaccinated residents. These include Langham, Cordis and Eaton, which are all operated by Great Eagle Holdings Limited.

For the next three months, 1,000 rooms could be booked for a 50% discount by vaccinated residents, who could also enjoy 15% off their dining bills at any of the three hotels. 

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Children 12-15 years old can now receive BioNTech vaccine

By The SUN 

Studies show BioNTech vaccine can be safely given to kids as young as 12 (photo NPS)

Children aged 12 to 15 can now receive the BioNTech coronavirus jab, after the Hong Kong government lowered the age limit to protect adolescents from the virus and allow them to return to normal school and daily life.

Health Secretary Sophia Chan decided to lower the minimum age for the jab from 16, after taking into account the views of an expert panel on Covid vaccines, the government said in a statement.

The Advisory Panel on Covid-19 Vaccines studied the application for lowering the age limit, along with the relevant clinical trial data, before advising Chan to approve it.

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“Having regard to the advice of the Advisory Panel, and having considered the threat to public health posed by Covid-19, the SFH considered that the benefits of lowering the age limit for receiving the Comirnaty (BioNtech) vaccine outweigh the risks,” the statement read.

“Not only can it protect adolescents from Covid-19 infection, it can also enable them to resume normal school and daily life as soon as possible.”

The statement said relevant arrangements for giving the BioNTech vaccine to adolescents aged 12 to 15 will be announced early next week.

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A member of the expert panel, David Hui, had earlier quoted data from the manufacturer showing that the vaccine could offer 100% protection for those aged between 12 and 15.

He said children in this age range also had more antibodies than people in the 16-25 age group.

Hong Kong’s other Covid vaccine, Sinovac, is available only for those aged 18 and above.

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BioNTech is also recommended for pregnant and lactating women, but not Sinovac.

The Indonesian DH tested positive on her third day of quarantine at Silka Hotel in Tsuen Wan

Meanwhile, an Indonesian domestic helper aged 37 who arrived on May 30 was confirmed today as Hong Kong’s only new Covid-19 patient.

Her case took the city’s tally to 11,850, and marked the 41^st straight day that no untraceable infection has been recorded.

A staff from the Centre for Health Protection said the woman flew in via Garuda flight GA786 and was asymptomatic.

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It was the same flight taken by three other Indonesian DHs who tested positive for a coronavirus variant on arrival in HK on May 30, prompting a two-week suspension to be imposed on Garuda starting on Jun 1.

The CHP staff said the woman in today's only recorded case has a low viral load, which makes it impossible to tell whether she also carried the mutated virus.

She stayed at Silka Far East Hotel in Tsuen Wan, where her third-day swab test returned a positive result.

The Hospital Authority said a total of 31 confirmed patients are being treated in 13 public hospitals and the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre.

Of these patients, one is in critical condition, another is serious and the remaining 29 are in stable condition.

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Filipina resident admits recruiting 26 people for bogus jobs

By Vir B. Lumicao 

Defendant Mila B. Fernandez admitted 9 counts relating to the illegal recruitment in Eastern Court

A 45-year-old Filipina resident pleaded guilty Wednesday, June 2, in Eastern Court to nine charges relating to her recruitment of 26 people for non-existent jobs and failing to refund the money they paid her.

Mila B. Fernandez admitted the charges in her first court appearance since her separate arrests on Dec 13 last year and Feb 26 this year. Magistrate Paul Yip ordered her remanded in custody before sentencing her on Jun 16.

Yip has asked for a probation officer’s report, a community service report and a background report before sentencing Fernandez. He also said he will deal with a call for a compensation order on that day.

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The defendant begged to be given a chance but the magistrate said her case involved serious charges.

“Defendant, while on paper there seem to be only two victims, in fact there are many more. Your sentence is still open,” Yip said.

The charges involved two counts of offering non-existent jobs, two counts of misrepresenting herself as employee of two different employment agencies, and five counts of offering but failing to give a full refund of payments made by applicants.

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The offenses took place between Jan 20, 2019 and Aug 31, 2020.

Customs and Excise prosecutors lumped all the charges under one heading, “Applying a false trade description to a service supplied or offered to be supplied to a consumer.”

Court records show that in December 2018, Fernandez met foreign domestic worker Charito Delfino who had gone to ACJ Recruitment Services to meet with her employer. Fernandez said she was a secretary of the company who handled documents for Immigration processing.

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In late January 2019, Delfino heard from a friend that the defendant was finding applicants for job vacancies at a monthly salary of $5,000 and food allowance of $1,100.

Fernandez told Delfino there were jobs for yacht cleaners, dog walkers, and babysitters with processing to take 4 to 6 months. In all, 14 of Delfino’s kin were interested.

Fernandez said the placement fee was $3,500 upfront and $500 after the hired worker gets his first salary. On Feb 5, 2019, Delfino gave the defendant $3,000 as down payment for two applicants. The defendant told Delfino the payment would be refunded.

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On Feb 10, Delfino, escorted by two friends, gave Fernandez $15,000 as down payment for 10 applicants. On Feb 17, they gave Fernandez a further $10,500 as down payment for one applicant and the outstanding payment for six others. No receipts were issued.

In all, Delfino gave the defendant $28,500 and Php10,000 as full payment for six applicants and down payment for 8 applicants.

Later, Fernandez collected documents from the 14 jobseekers, but they discovered four months later that she had been dismissed by ACJ and that the company did not handle the applications.

Fernandez contacted Delfino later, and said she had moved to another employment agency, World Wide Company, and transferred all the applications there.

Delfino demanded a refund of the money she paid but Fernandez said she could only pay back in $1,500 installments, but she didn’t. On Oct 27, Delfino complained to the Consulate and a meeting was set for Sept 1 but the defendant didn’t appear.

As none of the 14 applications succeeded, Delfino filed a complaint at Customs & Excise and Fernandez was arrested on Feb 26 this year.

The duped jobseekers were male relatives of 2 Filipina DHs

Another victim, helper Arlene Alday, reported that she met Fernandez after a friend told her about Fernandez recruiting applicants for the same jobs that she offered Delfino.

The defendant told Alday she had worked for World Wide Consultancy Agency for 16 years and sent her the address of the company. She later called Alday and told her an employer in Shek O was looking for a houseboy at $5,000 a month and food allowance of $1,000.

lday subsequently referred to the defendant 12 of her relatives and friends. Nine of the 12 paid the defendant through Western Union, and then sent the remittance receipts to her. Alday paid for the fees of her brother and two brothers-in-law.

The 12 applicants paid Fernandez a total of $36,220.35. When their applications were fruitless after 3 to 5 months, Alday withdrew them and asked a full refund. Fernandez returned $3,214 to three applicants in the sums of $731.30, $1,483.50 and $1,000.

Alday filed a complaint against the defendant at the Consulate and a meeting was set but Fernandez did not show up. The victim filed a complaint at the Customs on Jul 6 last year and on Dec 13, the defendant was arrested but released on bail.

Immigration confirmed no visa applications were filed for the applicants. The Labour Department said Fernandez was not WWC staff and was not licensed to recruit. The owner of WWCA, which shut in 2015, said she never worked for the company.  

The prosecution said the defendant, a Hong Kong resident for 27 years, has no criminal record. Her husband, who is jobless, is looking after her two sons aged 14 and 9 years in the Philippines.

Fernandez, who wasn’t represented by a lawyer, said in mitigation she was willing to pay back the victims by installment, but her salary now as a secretary in a Tsim Sha Tsui firm was only $10,500 a month and she sends home Php10,000 each month to her two young sons.

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Police officer declared ‘false positive’ for Covid-19

By Daisy CL Mandap 

The police officer was turned away at the vaccination centre because he had a cold 

A 35-year-old police constable who was reported as positive for Covid-19 yesterday has been taken off the list of confirmed cases today, with officials saying his was a case of vaccine strain contamination.

A statement issued by the Centre for Health Protection today, Jun 2, says genetic analysis by both the Department of Health and the University of Hong Kong showed the specimen taken from the officer was compatible with a vaccine strain, and not the coronavirus.

“After examining the clinical, epidemiological and laboratory findings, this case is compatible with vaccine strain contamination and hence will not be classified as a case of Covid-19 infection and has been deleted,” said the statement.

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“The exact source of the contamination will require further investigation. His close contacts will be released from the quarantine center if they obtain a negative test result.”

His being taken off the list of confirmed Covid-19 case has restored Hong Kong’s 39-day record of not having any untraceable infection.

At a press briefing yesterday, CHP’s Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said the officer, who is assigned to the Wan Chai district headquarters, was scheduled to get a Sinovac jab at the vaccination center in Central Library last Friday. But he was turned away because he had symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection.

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He got himself tested for Covid-19 the next day, and the result was positive with a low CT value, indicating he had a heavy viral load. However, subsequent tests at a hospital where he was taken all came back negative, and showed he did not have antibodies.

Chuang said no one among his family members was found to be infected.

Infectious disease expert Yuen Kwok-yung visited the vaccination centre earlier today as well as other places where the man had been to, to find out where he might have picked up the deactivated virus which is the key ingredient of the Sinovac virus.

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Late last month, a 61-year-old nurse who helps out in a vaccination centre in Jordan that administers Sinovac jabs also tested positive for Covid-19 initially. But her case was eventually not confirmed after tests showed she had the inactivated virus contained in the vaccine.

Only one imported case was reported today, involving a 58-year-old man who flew in from the United Arab Emirates and was asymptomatic. He was found infected while in quarantine at MetroPark Hotel in Homantin.

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According to the CHP’s statement, this latest infection would take the number 11846, which was what had been given to the police officer who is now off the confirmed list.

Thus, Hong Kong’s total infection tally remains at 11,849.

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