Fully vaccinated travelers from HK may enjoy 7-day quarantine in PH

By Daisy CL Mandap 

Fully vaccinated travelers from the 57 green places may enjoy 7-day quarantine in Phl (PNA File)

From tomorrow, Jul 5, overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong may start having their vaccination certificates validated in the Philippine Overseas Labor Office to qualify for seven-day quarantine period when traveling to the Philippines.

This was after the Inter-Agency Task Force included Hong Kong among 57 “green” countries and jurisdictions from where travelers who have had two jabs of a Covid-19 vaccine at least two weeks before departure may avail of the shortened quarantine in the Philippines.

The regular quarantine period of 10 days will still apply for those flying in from outside the green list, whether vaccinated or not; and those coming from the designated green places, but are not fully vaccinated.

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Filipino overseas who could present international certificates of vaccination (ICVs) were allowed to avail of the green lanes beginning Jul 1, provided they complied with other requirements. The green list was released on Wednesday, Jun 30, by the IATF.

Previously, only those who had their vaccination in the Philippines were allowed to enjoy the shortened quarantine, with health officials saying it would be difficult to verify vaccination records from overseas.

An international certificate of vaccination, which is not available in HK (Reuters)

Also among those included in the exempted list is China, but surprisingly not Macau, which has probably the one of the best infection control measures in the world. Also out of the list are the United States, Canada, and much of Europe, which all have a high vaccination rate.

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Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said more places could be added to the list should data show that they have a low incidence rate of Covid-19.

“We’re not just looking at the percentage of people vaccinated in areas classified as green countries, but the prevalence rate as well,” he told a press conference on Jul 2.

He earlier enumerated the following 57 places included in the green lane:

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Albania

American Samoa

Anguilla

Antigua and Barbuda

Australia

Benin

Belize

The British Virgin Islands

Brunei

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cayman Islands

Chad

China

Cote d’ Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

Eswatini

Falkland Islands

French Polynesia

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Gambia

Ghana

Greenland

Grenada

Hong Kong

Iceland

Isle of Man

Israel

Laos

Liberia

Malawi

Malta

Marshall Islands

Mauritius

Micronesia

Montserrat

Morocco

Mozambique

New Caledonia

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New Zealand

Niger

Nigeria

Northern Mariana Islands

Palau

Rwanda

Saba

Saint Barthelemy

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Sierra Leone

Senegal

Singapore

Sint Eustatius

South Korea

Full vaccination records may be verified through POLO 

Under IATF Resolution 123-C, “green” countries are those classified by the Department of Health (DOH) as “’low-risk countries or jurisdictions based on disease incidence rate.”

Vaccinated travelers in “green” countries must carry their official vaccination record validated through POLO or present their ICVs, whichever is applicable, the resolution states.

Those who have been vaccinated in the Philippines must carry their vaccination card, which should be verified before their departure through a certificate issued by the Department of Information and Communications Technology or the city health officer of the local government unit that administered the jabs.

The recognized vaccines are those that have either an emergency-use authorisation (EUA) or a compassionate special permit from the Philippines Food and Drug Administration, or is included in the World Health Organisation’s emergency-use authorization listing

Those who qualify for the green lane should undergo a RT-PCR test on their fifth day in quarantine and will only be released on their seventh day if the result is negative. If they test positive they will be moved to an isolation facility.

Those who are required to undergo the full 10-day quarantine will be tested on their 7^th day in a designated quarantine facility, and will be released on the 10^th day if the test result is negative. They will also be advised to observe home quarantine for another four days.

The Bureau of Quarantine (BoQ) is tasked to ensure the strict monitoring of fully vaccinated individuals while they are in an isolation facility.

Meanwhile, a ban on passenger flights on the following countries that remain severely affected by the Delta variant has been extended until Jul 15:  Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and United Arab Emirates.

Health Undersecretary and Spokesperson Rosario Vergeire said in an earlier press conference that the variant is present in many other countries, but the country cannot possibly impose a ban on all of them.

"We can see right now that there are 92 countries with the Delta variant and we cannot isolate the Philippines from all of these countries," Vergeire said.

Instead of adding to the banned list, officials say the Philippines should just strengthen its border control.

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US Trafficking in Persons Report urges HK to better protect FDWs

By Daisy CL Mandap 

HK is urged to fully protect FDWs so they not become easy prey to labor traffickers

A call for increased protection for foreign domestic workers is among the key recommendations listed by the United States’ Human Trafficking in Persons Report this year, which retained Hong Kong in Tier 2 Watch List status for the second consecutive year

The 2021 Report which was published on July 2 urged the HK government to prohibit the collection of recruitment fees from FDWs, eliminate the two-week rule, allow them to live outside their place of employment, and legalize their working hours, saying these will reduce workers’ vulnerability to trafficking.

The US State Department Report also called on the Hong Kong government to “proactively investigate unscrupulous employment agencies and money lenders for their complicity in labor trafficking and sufficiently penalize convicted agency operators.”

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In addition, foreign victims of trafficking should be allowed to work and study in Hong Kong while taking part in the prosecution of their traffickers, said the Report.

Hong Kong immediately responded by calling its Tier 2 Watch List rating as “biased and unreasonable.”

Being in this category, according to the annual TIP Report, means the government concerned has not met the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking although it is making significant efforts to do so.

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In a statement released on the same day, Hong Kong said it “has been making proactive, all-out and multi-pronged efforts” to combat human trafficking.

This includes the creation of a high-level steering committee, chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration, to provide policy direction in the fight against human trafficking and the protection of FDWs, said the statement.

It added that the US State Department “not only ignored the fact that TIP has never been a prevalent problem in Hong Kong, but also neglected our unparalleled efforts made over the years and the substantial amount of resources injected in the fight against TIP.”

HK Police and various govt agencies identified only 3 trafficking victims in 2020

The new initiatives reportedly included setting up a dedicated FDW Division in the Labour Department in September 2020 to enhance foreign helper protection, and an investigation section in the Immigration Department to check on any trafficking-linked offences.

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Their investigations continued even amid the pandemic, said the government statement.

For the whole of last year, the Hong Kong Police and various government agencies reportedly investigated 6,900 but only three victims were identified.

“The very small number and percentage of victims identified reinforce our observation all along that TIP has never been a prevalent problem in Hong Kong,” the statement said.

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But it is precisely the small number of cases identified as trafficking-related that showed how ineffective Hong Kong’s screening mechanism was, said the TIP report.

Of about 1,500 people investigated by Labour’s FDW division, only one was identified as a trafficked victim. Immigration screened 2,500 visa applications and reported only one other victim.

“The government did not report if the third victim was exploited in forced labor or sex trafficking,” said the report.

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The fact that only a few victims were identified was due to the “ineffective implementation of the screening mechanism and a lack of understanding of psychological trauma associated with trafficking,” added the report.

As in previous years, Hong Kong was criticized for not having laws that fully criminalize trafficking, and merely relied on various provisions of the law relating to prostitution, immigration, employment and physical abuse to prosecute trafficking crimes.

This, said the report, “made it difficult both to accurately assess the government’s prosecution efforts compared with the previous year and to determine which law enforcement actions involved human trafficking as defined by international law.”

Apart from labor trafficking, the report also focused on sex trafficking, particularly of children from the Mainland.

The TIP Report also made the following recommendations:

    ·         Improve the screening quality to identify trafficking victims, particularly children in commercial sex; 

    ·         Stop penalizing victims for the unlawful acts traffickers compel them to commit, and improve interagency coordination to ensure victims are not punished through immigration proceedings 

    ·         Vigorously investigate and prosecute suspected sex and labor traffickers, and sentence those convicted to significant prison terms 

The TIP also calls for increased consultation with NGOs so interviews are victim-centered

    ·         Increase collaboration with NGOs and social welfare experts to update anti-trafficking policies, come up with interview processes so they are more victim-centered, improve services for trafficking victims, and create in-depth training for law enforcers

    ·         Enact a comprehensive anti-trafficking law in accordance with the 20002 UN TIP Protocol

    ·         Ensure non-resident victims, including children, are provided adequate services in Hong Kong.

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Elderly Fil-Am charged with trafficking 2kg of cocaine

By Vir B. Lumicao 

The cocaine found in a suitcase allegedly belonging to Purugganan

A 78-year-old Filipino-American man pleaded not guilty on Friday, Jul 2, at the High Court to a charge of trafficking in dangerous drugs for allegedly bringing to Hong Kong around 2 kilograms of cocaine two years ago.

Rogelo G. Purugganan appeared before Judge Audrey Patricia Campbell-Moffat on the first day of a scheduled 14-day jury trial in the Court of First Instance.

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The trial itself, however, did not begin as Moffat, prosecutor Anthony Sherry and defense counsel Michael Arthur discussed issues that needed to be resolved before the jury was selected.

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Purugganan was arrested on his arrival at Hong Kong International Airport from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Jul 12, 2019 after Customs officers allegedly found 2.08 kilograms of suspected cocaine in his luggage.

Following a laboratory test, the drug was found to contain 1.54kg of pure cocaine.

Purugganan, who reportedly immigrated with his family to the United States from the Philippines in the 1970s, was charged with one count of drug trafficking in West Kowloon Court on Jul 15, 2019.

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Following his arrest, officers of the Consulate’s assistance to nationals section asked him if he needed help but he reportedly said he was a US citizen.

The hearing continues Monday.

One of the defendants in the burglary case also pleaded guilty to stealing 40 packs of chocolates 

Meanwhile, two Filipino permanent residents in Hong Kong, one of them a self-confessed chocolate lover, were charged in Eastern Court on Friday, Jul 2 with burglary, for breaking into a private office in Causeway Bay last weekend and stealing $60,600 worth of property. 

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The two defendants, Manuel Sy Jr and Cloyd de Vera, both 37, appeared before Magistrate Peter Law but did not enter a plea. Their case has been adjourned to Aug 7 were not asked to enter their plea.

De Vera was convicted minutes earlier for stealing chocolates. 

The prosecution requested for an adjournment of the case until Aug 27 for further police investigation and legal advice.

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The prosecution said Sy and De Vera trespassed into the premises of Propice Human Resources Company on Jun 26 and carted away one safe valued at $1,600, cash of $58,000 and three cellphones valued at $1,000.

The office was at shop 42, G/F, Haven Court at 128-138 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay.

The prosecutor said De Vera, an unemployed construction worker, was seen on CCTV as accompanying Sy, a delivery man, in entering the Propice office last Saturday.

She said Sy had two previous convictions for theft and a pending burglary case in District Court.  De Vera had four previous convictions, including another one in West Kowloon Court for theft.

The two defendants applied for bail, offering $1,000 each, but Law refused their request due to their being flight risks and their previous record.

The magistrate ordered them remanded in custody until Aug 27. 

Before the burglary case, De Vera pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing 40 packs of chocolate worth $1,138 in a Wellcome supermarket on the ground floor of Pearl City Mansion, Great George St, Causeway Bay, on May 22.

During an interview by police following his arrest, De Vera reportedly said he took the candies because he loves chocolates. His duty lawyer cited this and his client’s guilty plea in mitigation. 

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10 imported, 1 local case with unknown source reported

By The SUN

No new infection was found after the building where the local patient lives was locked down (RTHK)

Ten imported cases, nine of whom were confirmed to have the L452R strain of the coronavirus, were detected in Hong Kong on Friday, Jul 2. Test results on the last one are still pending.

One local case with the same mutant strain commonly linked to the Delta variant was also confirmed.

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However, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection said that the local patient who worked at a quarantine hotel in Yau Ma Tei, had repeatedly tested negative for the virus at a hospital where she was taken after her infection was confirmed.

Chuang said the 41-year-old woman tested preliminary positive on Wednesday, and this was confirmed the next day. But since then, she has twice tested negative for the virus. She has also tested negative for antibodies.

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No one in her family had tested positive for the virus, and a lockdown ordered for the building where she lives in Aberdeen did not yield any new infection.

The health official said the woman had cleaned a room on Wednesday at the Bridal Tea House Hotel in Yau Ma Tei which was previously occupied by an Indonesian woman confirmed to carry the mutated virus.

She then went to get herself tested at nearby community testing center, where her sample tested positive. She has not received any Covid-19 vaccine.

Chuang says investigation is still being carried out on the local patient's infection

Chuang said investigations into the case are continuing, so it was too early to say that this was a false-positive result. At least two previous cases were re-classified as such.

“We find it strange the patient tested positive and then repeatedly negative with a negative serology,” she said. “Of course there may be an explanation, such as she’s at a very early stage after (infection) and she’s still incubating the virus.”

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Another possibility is that she did not catch a live virus but carried remnants of it in her nasal passageway, and that was detected during the swab after a few minutes. But for the meantime, officials are treating it as a positive case.

Another expert, University of Hong Kong microbiologist Prof. Yuen Kwok-kwung said after the CHP briefing that it was possible the patient had caught the virus from cleaning the infected hotel room.

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He said a contractor had disinfected the room previously but did not use a product recommended by CHP and only stayed inside for 10 minutes, which was unacceptable.

Yuen urged cleaners who work at designated hotels to get vaccinated, and for contractors to strictly adhere to CHP guidelines.

Yuen made his remarks after visiting Bridal Tea House hotel (RTHK)

Meanwhile, eight newly arrived travelers from the UK were among the 10 imported cases. One each flew in from Indonesia and the other, from Russia.

The UK returnees, aged 17 to 20, all tested on arrival at Hong Kong airport though they flew in aboard three different airlines. Seven were confirmed to have the L452R mutation, while the test result on one was still being confirmed.

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Both those who had come from Indonesia, and the other from Russia through Turkey, also had the mutant virus.

Chuang said that so far, 160 people in Hong Kong have been found to have the L452R mutation, and 59 of them were confirmed to have the Delta variant.

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83-year-old retired British doctor guilty of indecent assault on Filipina helper

By Daisy CL Mandap 

The verdict against the octogenarian doctor was announced at Eastern Court

Stooped but still sprightly and mobile, 83-year-old retired British doctor Brian Drew Apthorp was taken into custody earlier today, Jul 2, after an Eastern Court magistrate found him guilty of two counts of indecent assault against her former Filipina domestic worker, identified in court as X.

The two charges which involved a slew of sordid sexual assaults, happened while X was under Apthorp’s employ, from September 2018 to April 2019.

The defendant, said to be a multi-awarded doctor as well as book author, was led away by police on orders of Magistrate Daniel Tang, who set the sentencing on Jul 15, pending the submission of background and psychological reports on Apthorp.

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Defense counsel Jonathan Midgely tried to stop Apthorp being remanded in custody, saying he would be at risk if he was put in jail because of his age and heart condition, but the magistrate was not dissuaded.

Magistrate Tang said that first, the case should have been tried in “a different court”, indicating that it was actually too serious to have been brought before the magistracy; and second, he was looking at a sentence of more than a year.

But at Midgley’s request, the magistrate ordered that the Correctional Services Department make special arrangements for the defendant, “given his age and health condition.”

The defense counsel said he would apply for bail pending appeal once the sentence is handed down.

One of the books written by Dr Apthorp, known as a pioneer in primary health care 

Interviewed over the telephone, X said she was happy that she was vindicated, especially since some of the Filipina workers who had worked for Apthorp before her, had viciously accused her on social media of being after the employer’s money.

“Natutuwa po ako na naipaglaban ko hindi lang ang aking sarili, kundi pati na rin ang ibang nauna sa akin na nagdusa din. Sana hindi na siya (Apthorp) payagang makakuha muli ng domestic helper,” she said.

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(I am happy that I was able to fight, not just for myself, but for all the ones who came before me and suffered as well. I hope he would not be allowed to hire another domestic helper).

On being told how shocked Apthorp had looked while being led away by the police, X, who has a partner and a child back in Laguna province, said it could just be play-acting.

However, she added: “Naaawa din ako ng bahagya dahil ikukulong siya kahit matanda na siya, pero dapat niyang papanagutan ang mga kasalanang ginawa niya.”

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(I feel a bit sorry for him because he will go to jail despite his advanced age, but he should pay for all the sins that he committed).

Human rights lawyers helping X have filed an application for judicial review to question the police’s decision not to treat the sexual assaults as a human trafficking case.

In the first charge, Apthorp was convicted of indecently assaulting X in September 2018 in a bedroom in his house at 35 Shouson Hill Road, in the guise of conducting a body check-up on her prior to her being employed.

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The employer told X to lay on a bed, then pushed up her shirt and squeezed her breasts. He then pulled down the helper’s shorts and while pretending to conduct a pap smear, inserted his fingers into her genitals.

X fled the room after that. But when she told a co-worker, Janice, about what happened, the other helper assured X that it was a routine check-up which Athorp, a doctor, conducts on all his would-be employees.

The second charge covered several acts of indecent assaults stretched over a five-month period, from November 2018 to April 2019. During this time, X was ordered to give Apthorp daily body massages, front and back, while he was stark naked.

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During these massage sessions the octogenarian would order X to pinch his nipples while squeezing his genitals so he could get sexually aroused.

In her two-day testimony in court last Mar 4 and 5, X also spoke of a “whipping Thursday,” when the elderly employer would order her to use different kinds of whips on various parts of his body, including a riding crop which he wanted used on his nipples and genitals.

In his verdict, Magistrate Tang said he found X to be a credible and honest witness. Since Apthorp chose not to give evidence to defend himself, there was no way to gauge his credibility in the same way.

As for the supposed body check-up, Tang said “it was obvious that X did not give consent. She was misled by the defendant.”

On the other hand, Apthorp, being a doctor, should have known that what he did was not a proper examination as there was no one else inside the room with them and he did not get her prior consent. The body check was also not part of their employment contract.

Any right-minded person would have come to the same conclusion, said the magistrate.

Shouson Hill Road, where Apthorp lives 

As for the series of assaults that happened in the last six months of X’s stay in Apthorp’s house, Tang said the helper was able to substantiate her allegation with a video recording she took of one of the massage sessions where the doctor appeared to have grabbed her hand and put it into his groin.

Though the video did not contain the alleged masturbation she had spoken about, the magistrate said it was enough to support her claim. Tang accepted that the video was inadvertently cut short when X sent it to a friend for safekeeping before deleting it from her own phone.

Tang also said it was understandable why X did not immediately seek help when Apthorp started the sexual assaults. She was suffering from mental stress because she did not want to lose her job and cut off her family financially.

“I find it logical and reasonable in her condition at the time. Being a mother, she had to work in Hong Kong to support her family. She also trusted Janice,” said the magistrate.

Finally, he dismissed suggestions that X was out to extort money from her rich elderly employer. Tam said the $69,039.06 claim in the Equal Opportunities Commission case that she filed against Apthorp was reasonable.

Further, her demand for an apology in the case showed she was not just after the money, said Tang.

“If it was only money she was after, she would not have asked for an apology,” he said. 

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