Filipina DH charged with theft of employer’s jewelry worth $147k

By Vir B. Lumicao 

Accused Karen Millare appeared in Eastern Court today but did not enter a plea

A 31-year-old Filipina domestic helper was charged with theft in Eastern Court today, Jun 18, for allegedly stealing $147,000 worth of jewelry early this year from her employer in Tseung Kwan O.

The defendant, Karen K. Millare, appeared for the first time in court this morning before Magistrate Peter Law. She has been in police custody since her arrest.

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The prosecution charged Millare with stealing five gold necklaces and one gold ring with an emerald stone, the property of her female widowed employer, Chung Siu-fong.

The alleged theft took place in January and February this year in the employer’s flat in Ming Chi House (Block D), Ying Ming Court, Po Lam.

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The prosecutor did not mention when the theft was discovered and when the defendant was arrested.

The prosecutor said the stolen jewelry pieces were given by the employer’s late husband as presents to her. The man died some time ago.

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The woman kept the necklaces and ring in a box that she locked up in a drawer in her bedroom. She placed the key in a bag, which she left in the bedroom, the prosecutor said.

Magistrate Law adjourned the hearing until Aug 3 at the request of the prosecutor, who said police investigation was not yet completed and further legal advice was needed.

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In the meantime, the magistrate refused bail to the defendant and ordered her remanded in custody.

The latest jewelry theft allegation comes just more than a week after 45-year-old Filipina domestic helper, Carmelita Nones appeared in the same court and admitted stealing $14.6 million worth of jewelry, gold bars and cash from her employers in Deepwater Bay, Island South. Two of her relatives also pleaded guilty to handling or pawning the stolen goods.

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OFW artists assert unity, fortitude and hope in battle vs virus

By Vir B. Lumicao  

Consulate officials pose with the contestants in the drawing and poetry contests

Art-minded overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong were the stars on Sunday, Jun 13, as the Consulate celebrated the 123^rd Araw ng Kalayaan and 26th Migrant Workers Day indoors for the second year in a row.

Guia Mae C. Ico from the Filipino Image Society won the grand prize in the drawing contest while Gemma Lauraya, president of the National Organization of Professional Teachers Hong Kong Chapter, topped the poetry-writing contest.

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The event was described as a success, despite being constrained by safety protocols to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

The twin events were aptly themed “Bangon Manggagawa sa Kabila ng Pandemya” (Rise despite the pandemic, Worker) and featured the talent of the OFW participants in both visual and literary arts.

“We celebrate this day in recognition of the valuable contributions and sacrifices of our overseas Filipino workers,” Consul General Raly Tejada said in a speech delivered by his deputy, Germie Aguilar-Usudan.

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ConGen Tejada said Migrant Workers Day is a celebrated by virtue of the enactment or RA 8042, which aims to advance the well-being of OFWs, their families, and specially distressed overseas workers.

“The PCG organized the contest “to encourage the Filipino creativity and ingenuity through sketching and expressing their ideas clearly and effectively through writing,” ConGen Tejada said.

Guia Mae Ico with her obra that won the grand prize in the drawing competition

The 21 aspiring poets and 18 artists who participated in the poetry and drawing contest adhered to the theme and expressed their views about Covid-19, the impact of the health crisis on their own and their family’s lives, as well as their hopes.

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The strength of a migrant worker in the face of great challenges is evident in their work: from the bleakness and uncertainty brought about by the virus as it initially ravaged the Chinese city of Wuhan and then crept into Hong Kong and other places in early 2020, hope helped her keep her nerves as the disease hit her relatives and friends back home.

Ico, who was adjudged as the best in the drawing contest, depicted Hong Kong people from various sector joining hands to fight the virus.

Noemi Manguerra's piece that depicts the virus being trampled took second place

In second prize was Guhit Kulay’s Noemi Manguerra whose drawing shows a domestic worker joining other members of Hong Kong society in crushing the virus underfoot. Manguera was sponsored by United Migrants for Entrepreneurship and Livelihood Association (Umela).

Third-place winner Jacklyn Evangelista, a pencil portraitist also from Guhit Kulay, depicts a boatload of masked Hong Kong people on a mask-boat navigating a sea of coronaviruses.  She was sponsored by Balikatan sa Kaunlaran Hong Kong Chapter.  

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On all three winning drawings, the sun shining in the sky represents hope in overcoming the crisis as society joined hands to combat the virus.

Jacklyn Evangelista's depiction of unity amid the pandemic won 3rd place

Angst caused by the pandemic as OFW mothers separated from their families by the need to build a better future for everyone is palpable in the poems, but hope, as in the drawings, was the underlying thread that kept the worker intact, body and soul, in the face of the pandemic.

Lauraya’s winning entry, “Pagbangon sa Pandemya,” expounds on the virtues of “bayanihan” (helping hands) and national unity, to help the country rise above the crisis.

Lauraya combines her adeptness in the national language with anti-pandemic slogans to come up with prosody that lends smoothness to her verses:

Bayanihan para sa ating Inang Bayan,

Buong mundo sa krisis ng pandemya ay lumalaban.

Sa panahong ito tayo ay pantay-pantay

Walang mahirap, walang mayaman

Sandigan ang Diyos, We pray as one.

Katatagan sa kabila ng takot at pangamba

Buhay at kalusugan pati kaligtasan ng pamilya

Ngayon ang bakuna ay naririto na.

Alisin ang takot, huwag mawalan ng pag-asa.

Palawakin ang kaalaman, We heal as one.

The former teacher urges the modern-day heroes to stay on the right path as they earn bread for their families and renew their hope in order to overcome this dark episode:

Itaguyod ang pamilya sa marangal na paraan.

Sa likas na talino at sipag mong taglay.

…
Bagong pag-asa ang tanging hiling

Anumang unos malalampasan natin.

Magandang kinabukasan paggising natin

Second placer Amelita Jr. Alba’s winning piece, “Bangon Manggagawa sa Kabila ng Pandemya,” affirms her resolve in fighting Covid-19 as she expresses her hope of reuniting with her loved ones in the near future.

Lugmok man at pag-asa ay pansamantalang naantala,

Sa pagsubok ng pandemya ako ay di madadala

Bagkus pagtitiis ko’t sapalaran ay pag-iigtingin pa

Para sa pamilyang naghihintay sa akin tuwina.

She urges her fellow OFWs to take care of themselves but remain firm and armed with prayer:

Kahinaan ay ipagwalang-bahala, katatagan ating ialsa

Alalahanin lagi ang ating mga pamilyang umaasa

Na naghihintay sa ating pagbabalik bukas makalawa.

Third-prize winner Margie Cataina Belardo’s poem “Pinoy Tayo, Matatag, Palaban” shows OFWs’ fear for the safety of their loved ones as the pandemic began to take hold across the globe.

Ano itong ganap, sa mundo ay lumaganap?

Nagdulot ng takot, takot sa pagkatao mo’y bumabalot

Pangamba at kaba para sa pamilyang sa iyo ay umaasa

Umaasa na sa isang umaga, ikaw ay makasama, mayakap, madama.

But Belardo, representing Happy Hearts Isabela Federation, advises her fellow migrant workers not to lose hope and keep pursuing their dreams:

Masdan mo ang liwanag ng araw na nagbibigay pag-asa

Pag-asa na dapat tayo’y lumalaban sa pagsubok

Pagsubok na sumusubok upang tayo ay pilit na ilugmok

Ngunit ito’y hindi dahilan para itigil ang bawat pangarap na nasimulan.

The winners received cash and prizes in kind donated by sponsors from the Filipino community.

The twin competitions were held under the auspices of the Consulate and managed by Welfare Officer Virsie Tamayao of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

Lauraya's winning entry in full: 

Gemma Lauraya's poem on fortitude won the grand prize

Pagbangon sa Pandemya

Bayanihan para sa ating Inang Bayan,

Buong mundo sa krisis ng pandemya ay lumalaban.

Sa panahong ito tayo ay pantay-pantay

Walang mahirap, walang mayaman

Sandigan ang Diyos, We pray as one.

Katatagan sa kabila ng takot at pangamba

Buhay at kalusugan pati kaligtasan ng pamilya

Ngayon ang bakuna ay naririto na.

Alisin ang takot, huwag mawalan ng pag-asa.

Palawakin ang kaalaman, We heal as one.

Mabuhay ka, manggagawang Pilipino!

Sa mga kamay mo nakasalalay paglago ng bayan mo.

Itaguyod ang pamilya sa marangal na paraan.

Sa likas na talino at sipag mong taglay.

Saludo kami sa’yo, Bayani kang totoo.

 Pagbangon sa krisis na dulot ng pandemya.

Malasakit sa isa’t-isa at solusyon sa problema.

Iwasan ang sisihan bagkus ay magtulungan

Sumunod sa batas para tayo’y maging ligtas

Sa COVID-19 tayo ay maka-iwas.

 Bagong pag-asa ang tanging hiling

Anumang unos malalampasan natin.

Magandang kinabukasan paggising natin

Adhikain ng pangulo makalikha ng trabaho

Sapat na proteksyon at serbisyong totoo.

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2 Filipinas among 16 women arrested in anti-vice raid

By The SUN 

The women are suspected to have worked illegally, overstayed or possessed invalid HKID cards

Hong Kong Police, together with officers from the Immigration and Labour Departments have reportedly arrested 16 foreign women in a joint anti-vice operation conducted Wednesday, Jun 16.

Those arrested were made up of nine Chinese nationals, two Filipinas and an Indonesian with HKID cards, three other Indonesians without ID cards, and a Thai woman with a passport.

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They were rounded up in several raids at multiple locations in the Yau Tsim Mong area.

The women were suspected of violating their visa conditions, overstaying their visas, accepting illegal work or possessing invalid identity cards.

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In a separate case a Vietnamese woman found to have worked illegally as a manicurist was sentenced to 15-month imprisonment at Shatin Court yesterday.

The 21-year-old defendant was arrested on May 3 by Immigration investigators during a raid on a manicure shop in Sai Wan after she was found to carry a recognizance form, which prohibits her from taking employment.

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She pleaded guilty to charges of illegal work and remaining in Hong Kong without the authority of the Immigration Director, or while a removal or deportation order against her was in force.

A person suspected of having hired her illegally was also arrested and is still being investigated.

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A statement from Immigration has warned illegal immigrants or those holding recognizance forms that they are violating the law if they take up any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or join any business operation.

Offenders face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years imprisonment, although the Court of Appeals has issued a sentencing guideline of 15 months’ imprisonment in such cases.

Those found to employ people who are not allowed to take up work are themselves guilty of an offence, for which the maximum penalty is three years’ imprisonment and a fine of ip to $350,000.

Employers can also be held liable if they fail to inspect the job seeker’s HKID card. The maximum penalty for such an offence is imprisonment for one year and a fine of $150,000.

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3 Benzes the top draw in $30M bonanza for vaccinated residents

By The SUN 

3 Mercedes Benz C class will be raffled off to vaccinated residents

The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce has unveiled its own lucky draw meant to entice residents to get vaccinated, with three Mercedes C class cars, each valued at more than $500k, as the top prizes.

According to details released today, Jun 17, the total value of the pot is more than $30 million, with a raffle draw being held seven times starting on Jul 22. Up for grabs are more than 10,000 attractive prizes.

Registration will start on Jul 2, and participants will only have to register once to qualify for all the lotteries.

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Those qualified to join are residents (including migrant workers) who are aged 18 and above and have received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Apart from the cars, the prizes include 500 annual MTR tickets, shopping vouchers at Swire shopping malls (Pacific Place, Cityplaza and Citygate), Cathay Pacific business class air tickets, gift vouchers from Wellcome, Mannings and IKEA, hotel staycation packages, theme park packages, cable car tickets at Ngong Ping, meal vouchers, iCable mobile pass, shopping and service coupons, and gift sets.

This is the latest in a series of rewards being offered to residents to encourage them to get vaccinated before September, when the community vaccination centers close, leaving only public hospitals and accredited doctors to continue administering the jabs.

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All residents aged 18 and above are qualified to win any of the prizes, except the brand-new flat worth $10.8 million that is offered jointly by property developers Sino Land and Chinese Estates Holdings.

The same lottery offers 20 pre-paid cards with $100,000 each. The registration for this array of prizes started yesterday via this link: https://register.vaccinationluckydraw.hk/en/index.html?fbclid=IwAR1grn1EbcH6sZoap_yvpv8oes_mgo5Ik_RCNAKIec0RHmA0v81gxrx4s9E

Another lucky draw that launched yesterday is the “Super Seacation Sweepstakes” of the Genting Group, where the grand prize winner will get an all-you-can cruise annual pass for up to four persons per sailing, valued at $3.8 million.

Genting Group will give an unli annual sailing pass for 4 to the grand winner in its lucky draw

Other prizes include a cruise for two nights on Genting Dream for up to six persons (worth $100k); and three winners of a 2-night cruise on a seaview balcony room for 4 persons worth $18,000 each.

The link for entering this lucky draw is here: https://campaign.dreamcruiseline.com/2021/sweepstake/en/index.html?fbclid=IwAR3XhMytB-bXY0-f12R5LuoN5_wicE9HVWD92qH4oUjqCnkPGmzk1HgthMQ

Another top draw is the $5 million cash voucher jointly offered by the Cheung Kong Group and the Li Ka Shing Foundation. An additional 36 vouchers with a total value of $20 million will also be raffled off. The vouchers can be used as downpayment for a flat sold by the CK group, as well as purchases in its retail companies such as ParkNShop, Watsons, Watsons Wine, and Fortress.

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Henderson Land is not to be outdone, with an offer of six lucky draws to be held between this month and September, where the top prizes include shopping vouchers worth over $1 million in total and 300 taels of 999 pure gold.

Cathay Pacific Airways has also joined the lottery craze, with its top prize being an exclusive flight around Hong Kong aboard its new A321neo, the world’s most advanced narrow-body aircraft.

Ten lucky residents will also be awarded one million Asia Miles each, enough for them to travel in luxury on a long-haul flight at least 10 times. Another 100 winners will each get 100,000 Asia Miles, which they can use for flights, hotel stays and lifestyle products.

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The Airport Authority, one of the first to step up to the government’s challenge to businesses to help in the inoculation drive, is offering a staggering 500,000 flight tickets. Details have yet to be disclosed.

Car lovers would likely make a beeline for the Goodman Group lottery, where the top prize is a Tesla Model 3 Long Range valued at over $500,000.

Even cosmetics company, Sasa has jumped into the fray, with cash coupons valued at over $1 million to be given away to lucky winners.

Another no-strings-attached offer comes from Towngas, which will hold five lotteries between August and September. A total of 50 winners will each get $10,000 in shopping vouchers, and a further 2,500 winners will receive $1,000 cash vouchers each.

The other offers are tied to their company’s products and services, like 3 Hong Kong, which is offering 33 iPhone 12 Pros to the lucky winners of a draw where the participants are either renewing their existing contract or are signing up with them for the first time.

Both Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park are also offering incentives. For its vaccinated patrons, Ocean Park is offering $200 in-park discount coupons, while Disneyland is giving each a gift bag valued at $250. Both promotions will last only until the end of June.

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Alleged stalker of Filipina DH arrested for assault

By Vir B. Lumicao 

The Filipina claims she was assaulted by her Indian ex-lover at TKO MTR station

An Indian asylum seeker who allegedly assaulted a Filipina domestic helper at Tseung Kwan O MTR Station in March has been arrested more than a month after the woman filed a complaint with the police. 

Police confirmed the suspect was arrested on Apr 16 by operatives of the Tseung Kwan O District acting on the Filipina’s complaint.

The alleged victim, 30, claimed she was assaulted by the suspect around 9:30am on Mar 3 at the MTR station after she took her ward to school.

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She said the suspect, her former lover, demanded that she make up with him but she refused. She said that the man grabbed her arm in anger and twisted her hand until she felt intense pain. She presented a medical report.

“Upon investigation by the District Investigation of Tseung Kwan O District, a 40-year-old non-ethnic Chinese male, suspected in connection with the case, was arrested on 2021-04-16 for ‘assault occasioning actual bodily harm’,” the police said in an emailed reply to a query.

“He was released on police bail and the case is still under investigation,” the police said.

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A police team tried to arrest the suspect in his known address, a subdivided flat in a Yuen Long village in late March but could not find him, according to the complainant. He was finally arrested after he returned to his address, she said.

The suspect reportedly assaulted the woman again on the same morning at a kindergarten in Lohas Park, Tseung Kwan O, where he made a scene haranguing the victim and telling onlookers that she had skimmed more than $70,000 of his money.

The school principal called the police and the man was taken away. He was interviewed at the Tseung Kwan O Station but was released without any charge or bail. Police said the incident was just a dispute.

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On the same day, the employers took the helper to the Labour Relations Division office in Kowloon Bay and summarily fired her, saying she had put their child in harm’s way.  

The Filipina's stuff after she was fired on the spot by her former employers

The woman said the man had long been badgering her about taking out a $60,000 bank loan. She refused and, since then, she had been stalked, harassed and bullied online by the asylum-seeker, she said.

The Filipina, a mother of two teenagers, said she met the suspect on an online dating site in March 2019. She said the man introduced himself as an engineer who was an executive of a medical laboratory company and a staff at Justice Centre Hong Kong.

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He also allegedly claimed he worked for International Social Service Hong Kong, a government agency proving refugee support, and was a distributor of Pakistani mango in Hong Kong markets.

The complainant said she was impressed and they soon became intimate. But she discovered later that he was a refugee with a recognizance paper, meaning he is fighting deportation.

About two months ago, the suspect reportedly created fake Facebook accounts of the woman and bullied her by posting her photos with captions portraying her as sex-starved and a thief who took his money.

Through those clone accounts, the suspect also dragged her 14-year-old daughter into the mess, portraying both mother and daughter as selling sexual services.

The woman said she avoided him by changing employer, but the suspect tracked her down to Lohas Park. She said the man often demanded money from and she ended up giving him $300 or more each time just so he would leave.

Things came to a head when he created a scene at the school of the Filipina’s ward, which led to her being fired. 

Luckily, she was allowed by the Immigration Department to stay and process a new work contract, and she is now happily working for her new employers.

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HK urged to stop ‘discriminating’ against FDWs

By The SUN 

AMCB protesters outside Labour Department in Sheung Wan

Migrant workers have called on the Hong Kong government to stop what they called its discriminatory policies and treatment of foreign domestic workers and address their working and living conditions with urgency.

The foreign workers, under the umbrella of the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body, marched on Wednesday to the Labour Department, Immigration Department and Central Government Offices to hand in their petition.

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The protest was held in commemoration of International Migrant Workers Day.

“In (the) time of pandemic, the working and living conditions of FDWs are worsening: long working hours and lack of rest, more work, lack of proper food; improper accommodation, lack of protective materials such as mask and sanitizer, denial of rest days, stigmatization as coronavirus spreader, termination and deportation and many more,” the AMCB said in its petition.

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The workers said they have become an integral part of Hong Kong development and as such, they deserve better treatment and respect.

There were protesters also outside the Immigration Tower in Wan Chai

They listed four key demands in their petition:

1)    Stop accusing FDWs as job hoppers and allow them to change employers freely without forcing them to leave Hong Kong. The AMCB said that because of the false accusation of job hopping, hundreds of FDWs have been sent home, with little hope of working in Hong Kong again.The group said, “Isn’t this is a real case of discrimination, stigmatization and unjust punishment against FDWs?”

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2)      Regulate working and resting hours of foreign domestic workers. Before the pandemic, many FDWs were already working very long hours, from 12 to 16 hours a day. This has become worse during the coronavirus outbreak.

Outside CGO, the workers demanded protection and help from govt

3)      Respect and uphold the rights of FDWs to have rest days.A survey conducted by the AMCB in 2020 showed many FDWs were denied rest days during the pandemic. Some were now allowed to take a day off for months while others saw their rest days become irregular. The group demands a continuous 11-hour rest period each day, plus meal breaks, for FDWs. 

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4)      Include FDWs in the government’s Covid-19 response. AMCB says foreign domestic workers, like everyone in Hong Kong, are also affected by the pandemic and thus need protection and assistance from the government. Specifically, they want the government to withdraw its advisory that FDWs could be convinced to remain at home during their days off. The group also demanded a stop to mandatory testing of all foreign domestic workers which they say leads to more discrimination and stigmatization of FDWs.

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Filipina in jobs scam told to do community service & pay back $63k

By Vir B. Lumicao 

File photo of Fernandez collecting payment for the bogus jobs 

A Filipina resident who admitted to nine charges of offering non-existent jobs in Hong Kong to at least 26 people between 2019 and 2020 escaped a jail sentence in Eastern Court today, Jun 16. 

Mila B. Fernandez, 45, was ordered to do 100 hours of supervised community service as her sentence for all the nine charges against her, and to pay back the $63,005 that she took from the job applicants, but on installment basis.

Magistrate Paul Yip imposed the sentence after Fernandez pleaded guilty on Jan 2 to nine counts of applying false trade descriptions to employment agency services, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).

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The magistrate delayed the sentencing for two weeks to await the probation officer’s  recommendation on the appropriate penalty in the case.

Yip told Fernandez to report to the probation officer and comply with his orders, otherwise she might have to spend time in jail.

But having regard to the defendant’s financial situation and the fact that she has a family to support in the Philippines, the magistrate allowed her to repay her victims Charito Delfino and Arlene Alday by installment.

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Asked how much she could repay monthly, Fernandez replied $3,000 and the magistrate agreed. He set the payment term for 20 months starting Jul 31 and ordered her $4,000 bail money to be applied to the compensation.

The magistrate warned Fernandez she must pay her monthly installment before every end of the month starting with $3,005.55 on Jul 31. If she defaults even just once, the court would collect the rest of the payment immediately.

Delfino and Alday sought help from the Customs and Excise Department after Fernandez reneged on her promise to get their male relatives hired in Hong Kong for such jobs as yacht cleaners, babysitters and dog walkers with a monthly salary of $5,000 and food allowance of $1,000.

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Delfino applied for 14 of her relatives and friends, while Alday enticed 12 of hers. These took place between Jan 20, 2019 and Aug 31, 2020.

Investigations revealed Fernandez was not connected with any employment agency when she offered the non-existent jobs, although she had previously worked as a secretary for one.

But when she met Alday, Fernandez claimed she had been working for World Wide Consultancy Agency for 16 years. She later called Alday about a family in Shek O supposedly looking for a houseboy at $5,000 a month and $1,000 food allowance.

Twelve jobseekers applied for that position and other jobs through Alday. The other 14 were offered the same jobs through Delfino.

Some jobseekers sent money directly to Fernandez from as far away as Butuan City

When the jobseekers realized they had been duped, they complained to the Consulate. A meeting with Fernandez was arranged on Sept 1, 2019, but she did not show up and had since avoided her victims.

Subsequently, a total of nine people, including Delfino and Alday, went to the Consulate in December 2019, claiming Fernandez had tricked them into paying a total of $112,000 for the bogus jobs, then disappeared.

The Consulate endorsed the complaints to the police as a fraud case but were not pursued. Instead, Customs took up the cases with just Delfino and Alday as complainants.  

Fernandez was first arrested on Dec 13 last year on Alday’s complaint. She was freed on bail. On Feb 26 this year, she was rearrested following Delfino's complaints.

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Several other people emerged on social media after Fernandez’ arrest and guilty plea was reported, but it is not clear if they have decided to file complaints.

A statement issued by Customs after the sentencing warned job-seekers against dealing with unlicensed recruiters and for traders not to violate the TDO.

Under the Ordinance, any trader who applies a false trade description to a service supplied to a consumer commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

 

Macau reports reinfection of HK Covid-19 patient

By The SUN

 

The reinfected patient entered Macau through the HK-Macau-Zhuhai bridge

Macau has informed Hong Kong authorities that an 18-year-old local male patient who tested positive for Covid-19 in the city in December was found to carry the coronavirus again.

According to a statement issued by the Centre for Health Protection today, Jun 16, the patient was found positive for the virus on Dec 16, 2020 and was deemed linked to another local infection. He recovered and was discharged from hospital on Dec. 30.

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He took a test for Covid-19 on Jun 13 this year on the way to Macau and was found negative. But two days later, while in quarantine in Macau he tested weakly positive. A subsequent test showed he was positive for antibody against the coronavirus.

The CHP said it is following up the case with the Macau health authority, including comparing the genetic sequencing of the samples taken from the patient.

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In the meantime, those identified as close contacts of the patient will be moved to a quarantine center, and the building where he had resided, which is Wah Chun House in Wah Fu Estate, Pok Fu Lam, will be put under a compulsory testing notice.

Meanwhile, only one imported case was reported in Hong Kong today, involving a 45-year-old man who had flown in from Sri Lanka. He was asymptomatic.

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At the same time, health experts have discounted the possibility that the rare mutant strain first found in a 17-year-old local school girl earlier this month had come from a pack of frozen crocodile spare ribs in her family’s refrigerator.

Tests showed that the frozen meat package was contaminated with the virus, so health authorities immediately ordered its importer to stop selling frozen crocodile ribs, and provide samples for testing.  

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However, during talks with investigators the girl reportedly admitted having sneezed on the package, suggesting it was she who contaminated the frozen product and not the other way around.

Prof Benjamin Cowling from the University of Hong Kong’s School of Public Health told RTHK it was unlikely the virus had come from the frozen meat, as packaging wasn’t a major route of transmission.

But to be sure, he said the virus samples on the packaged meat be compared with the specimen from the girl, then analyze whether a transmission had occurred, and how.

“Was the virus on the meat packaging first, and then infecting the girl, or was it that the girl had the infection and breathed on the package of meat and that’s how the virus got there – and because it was frozen it was able to stay there?,” Cowling asked.

Despite extensive investigations, the source of the girl’s infection, which ended more than 40 days of no untraceable case being found in Hong Kong, has yet to be determined.

The girl, along with her mother and older sister whom she infected, had no recent travel history.