2 Pilipinang may kasong drug trafficking kulong habang dinidinig ang kaso

 

Hindi pumayag ang Magistrate sa Kowloon City na  makalayang pansamantala ang dalawang Pilipina.

Dalawang Pilipinang may kasong drug trafficking ang ibinalik sa piitan ngayon matapos ipinagpaliban ang paglilitis laban sa kanila sa Kowloon City Magistracy.

Si Chymbelyn Cadelina, 39 taong gulang, ay nahaharap sa tatlong kaso.

Ang una ay drug trafficking, na inihain laban sa kanya matapos siyang maaresto kasama ang isang lalaking Bangladeshi sa isang silid sa  Mirador Mansion sa Nathan Road noong Nov. 15 at nasamsam sa kanila ang 32 gramo ng methamphetamine hydrochloride o shabu at iba pang bagay na gagawing ebidensiya laban sa kanila.

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Kinasuhan rin siya ng pagkakaroon ng lason na kasama sa Part 1 ng Poisons List, na paglabag sa Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, at overstaying dahil ayon sa kanyang visa, dapat noong 2017 pa siya umalis sa Hong Kong.

Ang Bangladeshi na kasama niyang nahuli, si Amit Foysal, 40, ay kinasuhan din ng drug trafficking at pagkakaroon ng Part 1 poison.

Si Foysal ay hindi nakarating sa pagdinig ngayon dahil may sakit, kaya ipagpaliban ni Acting Principal Magistrate Peony Wong ang kanyang pagdinig sa Dec. 2.

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Dahil dito, hiningi ng abogado ni Cadelina na payagan siyang mag-piyansa upang hindi siya maapektuhan ng pagkaantala ng kaso, dahil hindi malaman kung hanggang kailan mananatili sa ospital ang kasamahan niya sa kaso.

Itinaas niya sa $3,000 ang alok na piyansa ni Cadelina mula sa $2,000. Sinabi rin nito na nangako si Cadelina na mag-report sa istasyon ng pulis araw-araw at hindi aalis sa tinitirhan niya.

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Pero tumanggi si Magistrate Wong dahil mabigat ang kaso, malakas ang ebidensiya laban sa kanya at overstayer siya noon pang 2017.

Ibinalik siya sa kulungan hanggang sa susunod ng pagdinig sa Jan 12.

Samantala, pinagpalban din ang paglilitis ng kasong drug trafficking ni Rhea Nerissa Maristela, 26 taong gulang at nagtatrabaho bilang waitress, dahil sa hiling ng pulisya ng karagdagang anim na lingo upang suriin ang lahat ng drogang nakuha sa kanya nang arestuhin siya sa Nathan Road sa Tsim Sha Tsui noong Oct. 13.

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Sinabi ng taga-usig na hindi pa natatapos ang pagsusuri ng pinaghihinalaang droga sa laboratory ng gobyerno, kaya hiniling niyang ituloy na lang sa susunod na taon ang pagdinig.

Pinagbigyan naman ito ni Magistrate Wong, at itinakda ang susunod na pagdinig sa Jan. 6.

Dahil hindi niya hiniling na payagan siyang mag-piyansa, ibinalik si Maristela  sa kulungan.

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Matatandaan na dalawang beses siyang nag-alok ng piyansa – $5,000 noong una at $7,000 sa ikalawa -- upang maalagaan niya ang kanyang dalawang anak, pero tinanggihan ng korte dahil sa bigat ng kasong kaharap niya (basahin ang naunang report dito: https://www.sunwebhk.com/2022/10/korte-tinanggihan-ang-dinagdagang-alok.html).

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Court tells prosecutor to check if key witness in assault case can testify

By The SUN

 

The attacks on the Filipino victims happened outside this Wanchai park

Principal Magistrate Ada Yim ordered the prosecution in a wounding and assault case heard at Eastern Court yesterday (Nov 24) to find out if a key witness is still in Hong Kong and if not, whether the case could proceed even without him.

She made the order after Filipino driver Delfin D. Villaremo, 55, asked if the case of assault occasioning bodily harm filed against him could continue even if his alleged victim had already gone back to the Philippines.

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The said victim, William L. Maun, had pointed to Villaremo as the one who had punched him during a melee outside Tai Wo playground in Wan Chai on Oct. 9.

Magistrate Yim extended Villaremo’s bail of $1,000 until the next hearing of the case on Jan. 5.

She also advised him to inquire with the Duty Lawyer scheme on how he could get legal representation for his next court appearance.

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Villaremo’s co-defendant, Romeo D. Miranda, will however, remain in jail after the magistrate again rejected his offer to post a cash bail of $3,500, surrender his travel document, and report regularly to police.

Miranda, a permanent resident working as a construction worker, is charged with the more serious case of wounding for allegedly using a kitchen knife to slash a fellow Filipino identified in the charge sheet as Benson Jy Mateo Agunoy, in the same incident.

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In denying his bail application a second time, Yim cited the seriousness of the case and the strong evidence against Miranda, apart from his previous conviction for a similar offence.

Previously, Miranda had asked the court to allow him temporary liberty so he could see his five-year-old daughter and three-year-old son.

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But Yim said then it was necessary to keep him in prison so he would not re-offend or interfere with  the witnesses.

The two accused were arrested separately in the morning of Oct. 11, or more than a full day after they allegedly attacked the two victims, then fled.

The two men who were injured were taken to Ruttonjee Hospital for treatment.

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But in their statements to the police, Miranda and Villaremo denied having instigated the fight. 

Villaremo told the police he had rushed to Miranda's defence after seeing a group of Chinese and Filipino men ganging up on him.

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Pilipinong akusado ng pagpapasugal, ipina aresto dahil di sumipot sa korte

 

Hindi sumipot  sa Kowloon City Magistracy ang Pilipino kaya pinaaresto

Ipinaaresto ang isang Pilipino ngayon matapos hindi magpakita sa pagdinig ng kanyang kaso sa Kowloon City Magistracy.

Inutos din ni Magistrate Andrew Mok ang pagkansela ng piyansang ibinayad sa pulis ni Rolando Ledesma, 53 taong gulang at walang trabaho. Hindi rin ito papayagang magpyansa kapag nahuli, hanggang humarap sa korte.

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Inakusahan si Ledesma ng pagpapatakbo ng isang pasugalan at paglabag sa mga panuntunan laban sa Covid-19 para sa mga negosyong pinupuntahan ng mga tao.

Isa siya sa 13 kataong kinasuhan matapos mahuli sa raid ng mga pulis sa isang pasugalan sa Shanghai St., Kowloon noong Sept. 13.

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Ang 12 iba pa ay kinasuhan ng ilegal na pagsusugal. Isa sa kanila ay Pilipina, pito ay Chinese, at tig-iisa na Nepalese, Indian, Moroccan at Dutch.

Sila ay nahaharap sa kaso na may parusang multa na hanggang $2,000 at pagkakulong na hanggang tatlong buwan sa unang pagkakasala. Tataas ito sa $5,000 at anim na buwang kulong sa ikalawang pagkakasala, at $10,000 at kulong ng hanggang siyam na buwan sa ikatlong pagkakasala.

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Pero di hamak na mabigat ang parusang itinakda sa unang kasong isinampa laban kay Ledesma.

Ayon sa Section 5 ng Gambling Ordinance, ang sino mang mapatunayang nagpapatakbo ng isang pasugalan ay maaaring patawan ng multang aabot ng $5 million at pagkakakulong ng hanggang pitong taon.

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Sa ikalawang asunto, si Ledesma ay inakusahang lumabag sa Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation, kung saan obligado ang lahat ng negosyo na sumunod sa mga panuntunang ipinatutupad ng Secretary of Food and Health.

Ang maaaring parusa dito ay multang aabot sa $50,000 at pagkakulong ng anim na buwan.

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Covid cases top 9k, highest in two months

By The SUN

Health officials give the bleak picture at a rare press conference

Health authorities have reported 9,219 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, 719 of them imported. This is the first time the daily caseload has topped 9,000 in more than two months.

Thirteen new Covid deaths were also reported, which took the total tally for the past week to 78, or 14.7% more than the previous week. 

The officials warned the elderly could again become more vulnerable, especially with the approach of winter.

Speaking at a rare press conference, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said the average daily number of cases has risen by 25.6% compared to last week.

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Hardest hit by the renewed surge in cases are schools, with 82% more staff and 32% more students coming down with the virus in the past seven days compared to the previous week.

Residential care homes are also seeing a marked increase in cases, with 44% more institutions being affected in the current week.

Chuang said the surge in cases may be due to a number of factors, such as an increase in social activities as well as the number of travelers, which is turn, has led to a rise in imported cases.

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It could also be due to the waning immunity of vaccinated people, especially those in care homes for the elderly.

She reported that more Omicron variants are now being found locally, including XBB and BQ1.1. However, the dominant variants among local cases are still BA.4/BA.5 and BA.2.

Chuang added the number of cases may keep rising in the coming days.

The CHP noted that there has been a 24% increase in the caseload compared with last week, and that the daily tally has averaged around 7,300. Many of the cases have been recorded in schools and care homes.

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The number of imported cases has also risen, and they now make up 7.4% of all cases. About 55% of the imported cases were detected on the patients’ arrival at the Hong Kong International Airport, and the rest, between days 2 and 7 of their arrival.

The number of people getting hospitalized is also on the upswing, with about 350 new patients being admitted daily.

Currently, around 2,500 Covid patients are admitted in public hospitals, marking a 40% increase since early October.

More than 100 of these patients are in serious or critical condition, which is about 10 more than in the previous week. 

Dr Lee tells people not to panic because the vaccine that targets Omicron is coming soon

Despite the bleak scenario, Undersecretary for Health Dr Libby Lee advised people “not to feel frustrated or panic,” adding that the BioNTech bivalent vaccine which targets the Omicron variant, should be available early next month.

Lee also said the current Covid restrictions will stay in place, and will only be tightened if the public health system becomes unmanageable.

"If the situation turns very, very bad, like the whole medical system is collapsed, patients with Covid or no Covid cannot access any medical services, at this juncture, of course we will need to tighten the social distancing measures," said Lee.

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"Yet this is the last thing we would like to do."

The doctors again advised people to remain cautious and alert, especially about maintaining personal hygiene. They must wash hands more often and wear masks properly.

They should also get tested for Covid-19 more often, either through rapid antigen or PCR tests. Testing becomes particularly necessary when someone feels unwell.

Anyone who tests positive and is not vaccinated should seek medical help at once. But patients who are vaccinated and need help should contact the Hospital Authority instead of rushing to the hospitals’ emergency rooms.

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Pilipinong nakasagasa at nakapatay ng matanda, kulong ng 16 buwan

 

Ang Pilipinong driver na nakasagasa at nakapatay ng isang 69 taong gulang na lalaki sa Wanchai noong July 28, 2021 ay hinatulan ngayon ng 16 na buwang pagkabilanggo.

Pero dahil nakakulong na mula nang mangyari ang aksidente si Roland  Ducusin, 41  taong gulang at may visa bilang domestic helper, inaasahang lalaya siya bago matapos ang buwang ito.

Sinabi ni Deputy District Judge K.K. Leung ng District Court, sa kanyang paglapat ng parusa na ginawa sa West Kowloon Magistracy, na ang pinakamabigat na parusang itinakda ng Road Traffic Ordinance sa pagsanhi ng pagkamatay ng tao dahil sa mapanganib na pagmamaneho, ay 10 taong pagkabilanggo.

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Pero aniya, ang parusang iginawad niya kay Ducusin ay 24 buwang pagkabilanggo dahil ang ganitong klase ng aksidente ay nasa medyo mababang antas ng pananagutan sa batas.

Isinaalang-alang din niya ang pagsisisi ni Ducusin at record nito sa pagmamaneho, na malinis maliban sa pagparada sa isang lugar na bawal kung saan pinagmulta siya ng $400 noon.

At dahil agad umamin si Ducusin sa pagkakasala, binigyan siya ng 1/3 discount kaya naging 16 buwan na lang ang sentensiya niya.

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Kapag inawas ang ilang takdang araw gaya ng mga piyesta opisyal sa kanyang sentensya, ay lalabas na napagsilbihan na niya ito.

Ayon sa demanda, nasagasaan ni Ducusin ang matandang lalaking tumatawid sa King’s Road, habang ang sasakyang minamaneho niya ay papalabas sa Amoy St. sa Wanchai matapos niyang sunduin ang nanay niya na kapwa niya DH sa iisang amo, mula sa isang kalapit na palengke.

Ang pagkakamali niya ay lumiko siyang pakanan, kahit ang mga sasakyang dumaraan sa Amoy St., na one-way at may iisang lane, ay obligadong lumiko pakaliwa ayon sa road sign at dalawang traffic sign sa kanto.

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Nabundol ang tumatawid na lalaki, na kinilalang si Lee Kwok-leung, 69 taong gulang. At dahil umandar pa ng limang metro ang sasakyan ni Ducusin, nasagasaan din ng likod na gulong si Lee, na namatay isang oras matapos dalhin sa kalapit na Ruttonjee Hospital, dahil sa mga nabaling buto at marami pang pinasala sa katawan.

Pinatunayan ng taga-usig ang pagkakamali ni Ducusin sa pamamagitan ng tatlong video clip, kasama na ang isang mula sa dash cam ng sasakyan niya, na nagpapakita ng nangyari sa sandaling iyon.

Sinabi ni Judge Leung na naiwasan sana ang aksidente kung naging maingat si Ducusin at sumunod sa mga traffic at road sign.

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Si Ducusin, na may asawa at dalawang anak na babae sa Pilipinas, ay dumating noong 2013 upang samahan ang ina na nagtatrabaho sa kanilang amo mula pa noong 1992.

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Bus companies ask for fare hikes of up to 20%, Star Ferry wants to charge double

By The SUN

Public bus companies want fares to go up by 10 to 20% (File)

Public bus operators have asked for an increase in fares by 10 to 20 percent, according to the Transport and Logistics Bureau.

The news comes a day after the operator of the Star Ferry applied for a 50% fare hike, which would result in the regular adult fare on weekdays rising to between $5.20 and $6.40 for a trip between Tsim Sha Tsui and Central, or TST and Wan Chai.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the bureau said the bus companies submitted their applications in the first half of the year, but the government is still considering them.

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The companies sought the fare rise, citing as reasons the rise in operating costs and the fall on patronage due to Covid-19.

The bureau said any increase will depend on several factors, including public impact and the operators’ operational costs and income.

The applications will be forwarded to the Legislative Council’s panel on transportation affairs and the Transport Advisory Committee for review before they are passed on to the Executive Council for final vetting.

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The bureau pointed out that the government had previously exempted franchised buses from paying tolls when using government toll tunnels, with the operators required to keep the toll saved in the dedicated fund accounts they set up.  

Star Ferry wants to double fares, scrap free rides for elderly

Meanwhile, the Star Ferry operator cited the sharp drop in tourist arrivals as the main reason for its fare hike application.

A report by the Legislative Council’s panel on transport, the Star Ferry’s daily patronage fell to around 10,700 passengers on average in March, from around 53,900 in 2018.

Under the company’s proposal, those who sit on the lower deck will pay up to $5.2 on weekdays, and $6.40 on the upper deck.

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For weekend trips, the fare on the lower deck would go up to $7.20 and $8.40 on the upper deck.

Star Ferry has also asked for permission to scrap its free rides for the elderly and instead charge them the government-subsidized HK$2 trips.

But Ben Chan of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong said the operator should look for other sources of revenue instead of a fare increase, such as posting advertisements on the boats’ exterior and renting out their vessels for local tours.

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Chan also suggested the company could charge tourists more than locals, saying higher fares could lead to an even bigger drop in patronage.

Fellow lawmaker Michael Tien supported the fare hike, however, saying a ferry ride would still be around 40% cheaper than taking the MTR or a cross-harbour bus.

But he rejected the operator’s proposal to double the monthly ticket fare from HK$160 to HK$320, saying low-income workers who take the ferry to work across the harbour would be badly hit.

The Star Ferry is owned and operated by Wharf Real Estate Investment, under a 15-year franchise granted by the government, set to expire in March 2033.

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Electricity charges to rise by up to 46% next year

By The SUN

A current electricity bill shows fuel surcharge amounts to 70% of the basic charge

Hong Kong people will pay as much as 6.4% more for electricity next year compared to what is charged them this month, after the city’s two power companies announced further rate hikes. 

This is on top of the hefty increases in the monthly "fuel clause charges" that both CLP Power and HK Electric have imposed since February this year. 

Thus, residents of Kowloon, the New Territories and Lantau will effectively pay 19.8 percent more to CLP Power by next year, while those on Hong Kong island and other outlying territories will pay a whopping 45.6% percent more to HK Electric.

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CLP Power said during a Legislative Council meeting on Tuesday that it would keep its basic tariff unchanged for a third consecutive year at 93.7 HK cents (12 US cents) per kilowatt-hour. But it would increase its fuel charge to 62 cents per kWh, which would mean a 6.4% increase in its January billings compared with this month’s level.

HK Electric said it would increase its basic rate by 5 per cent to 114.5 cents per kWh, and raise the fuel charge to 82.5 cents per kWh, up 3.7 per cent, amounting to an overall increase of 5.5 per cent compared with this month’s prices.

While the basic tariff rate has been frozen this year, the two companies are allowed to charge higher fuel charges each month. 

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The announcement of the power rate increase was met with calls by politicians for the electricity companies to accept lower profits and help residents cope with the economic downturn.

They also pointed out that the single-digit increases announced by CLP Power and HK Electric did not give a true picture of the rate increases.

“The increases are astounding,” said Edward Leung Hei of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.

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“That of HK Electric is exceptionally shocking to the 1 million residents living on Hong Kong Island. Also, the way in which the government has put the increases into context is seriously misleading.”

Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan told the legislators the government had asked the power companies to keep their increases to a minimum. 

He reminded them that under an agreement with the government that remains effective until at least the next decade, both companies are allowed an 8 per cent annual rate of return.

Tse said the arrangement assured Hong Kong of a safe, reliable and efficient electricity supply at a reasonable rate.

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But several lawmakers challenged this view, saying it ran counter to what Chinese President Xi Jinping had said during his visit to Hong Kong last July that the government had to “break through the barriers of vested interest”.

DAB head Starry Lee was scathing in her comment.

“You have tried to squeeze every penny out of the 8 per cent guarantee under the agreement and passed on the fuel costs to consumers,” she told the representatives of the two fuel companies.

The lawmakers called on the government to find more stable sources of fuel, including nuclear energy from the mainland, to help residents cope with the burden of paying hefty electricity bills.

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