Pilipina, kulong 1 taon dahil sa pagnanakaw ng alahas sa amo

 

Inamin ng Pilipina ang mga paratang sa araw na itinakda para sa kanyang paglilitis

Nahatulang makulong ng 12 buwan ang isang Pilipina na biglang umamin sa paratang na ninakawan niya ang dating amo ng tatlong piraso ng mamahaling alahas, kahit na noong una ay ipinagpipilitan niyang binigay sa kanya ang mga ito.

Nakatakda sanang litisin si Marilou Roquero Dequilla, 56, sa Eastern Magistracy nitong Biyernes, Mar. 3, nang bigla siyang magdesisyon na aminin ang mga pagkakasala.

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Base sa paratang, nangyari ang mga nakawan sa magkakahiwalay na insidente noong bandang Mayo 13, Hunyo 23 at Hulyo 30, 2022 sa loob ng bahay ng among si Esther Ma sa Tower 2 ng South Bay Palace sa South Bay Close, Repulse Bay.

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Ang unang tinangay ni Dequilla ay isang kuwintas na may mga brilyante at itim na bato, ang pangalawa ay isa pang kuwintas na ginto na may palawit na brilyante, at ang pangatlo ay isang pendant o palawit na ginto na may mga brilyante.

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Hindi binanggit sa sakdal kung magkano ang kabuuang halaga ng mga alahas na ninakaw ng Pilipina.

Bago ang takdang paglilitis ay sinabi ng tagausig na may mga testigo sila na magpapatunay sa pagnanakaw, kabilang ang anak na babae ng amo. Mayroon din silang dalawang video kung saan inamin ni Dequilla sa mga imbestigador na siya ang kumuha ng mga alahas.

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Pero sa kanyang mga naunang pagharap sa korte, pilit na itinanggi ng Pilipina sa pamamagitan ng kanyang abugado ang mga paratang. Ayon sa kanya, may patunay din siya na ang mga alahas ay bigay sa kanya ng dating amo.

Nagpahiwatig din ang kanyang abugado na parang hindi tama ang pagkakasalin ng mga sagot na binigay ni Dequilla sa mga pulis na humuli at nag-imbestiga sa kanya.

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Matapos niyang umamin sa tatlong kaso ng pagnanakaw ay sinentensyahan ni Magistrate Ivy Chui ng tig-walong buwan na kulong si Dequilla sa dalawang unang paratang, pero pinag-isa (concurrent) ang ipinataw na parusa.

Sa pangatlong insidente ay pinatawan siya ng apat na buwang kulong, na idinagdag (consecutive) sa naunang walong buwan, kaya umabot sa 12 buwan ang kabuuang sentensya niya.

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Ngunit dahil hindi na pinalabas sa kulungan si Dequilla matapos siyang maaresto noong Oktubre ng nakaraang taon ay may ilang buwan na lang ang kailangan niyang pagsilbihan.

Mariing tinutulan noon ng tagausig ang pagtatangka niyang makalaya pansamantala sa bisa ng piyansa, dahil daw sa bigat ng ebidensya laban sa kanya.

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Libreng air ticket papuntang HK ipamimigay sa Pilipinas

 

Libo-libong libreng air ticket ang naghihintay sa mga gustong bumisita sa Hong Kong mula sa Manila at Cebu, sa World of Winners promo kung saan mamimigay ang Hong Kong International Airport ng kalahating milyong ticket.

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Ang pamimigay ng ticket ay parte ng Hello Hong Kong promotion na inilunsad ng gobyerno noong Pebrero upang makaakit ng 1.5 million turista mula sa buong mundo sa loob ng susunod ng anim na buwan.

Magsisimula ang pagtanggap ng sasali mula sa Pilipinas ngayon (March 3) at tatagal hanggang March 9.

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Ang mananalo ng libreng ticket ay kailangang magbayad ng buwis at iba pang singil.

May 20,400 round trip air ticket na mapapanalunan mula sa dalawang airline na may serbisyo sa Pilipinas. Pwedeng sumali sa website nila:

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Cathay Pacific: https://flights.cathaypacific.com/en_PH/offers/world-of-winners.html

Hong Kong Airlines: https://www.hongkongairlines.com/en_HK/readysetgo/main

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Ikatlo ang  Pilipinas sa mga bansang nagsimulang tumanggap ng sasali.

Sa Singapore, pinagkaguluhan ang promo kahapon. Nagbukas ang promo bandang tanghali upang mamigay ng 12,500 ticket, at naubos ang mga ito sa loob lang ng isang oras, ayon sa mga report.

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Nauna rito, namigay din ng 17,400 ticket sa Thailland noong March 1.

Ang mga susunod na raffle sa Southeast Asia, ang unang rehiyon na puntirya nito, ay gagawin sa:

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Indonesia - March 15 - 21 (11,510 ticket)

Malaysia - March 16 - 22 (7,000 ticket)

Vietnam - March 17 - 23 (8,800 ticket)

Cambodia - March 18 - 24 (2,390 ticket).

 

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Protests, dance and migrant service to mark Intl Women’s Day in HK

By Daisy CL Mandap

 

Speakers at the press briefing call for action to better protect women and migrants

Sunday, Mar 5 will be a very busy day in Hong Kong as various groups take to the streets to mark International Women’s Day.

The events will kick off with the 10^th anniversary celebration of One Billion Rising, a movement that aims to end violence against women and promote gender equality.

OBR groups comprised largely of women migrant workers will take to Chater Road in Central to stage the symbolic dance held annually around the world to push the movement’s causes.

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Coinciding with the OBR celebration is the “Care to Caregivers” offering of the Mission of Migrant Workers, which is holding the service festival for migrants for the first time since the pandemic swept across Hong Kong three years ago.

Several booths will be set up on Chater Road to provide free services to migrant workers, from massage therapy to a help desk for work-related concerns. 

Indonesian migrant workers are also planning an online press conference with Erwiana and Kartika, their two compatriots who both managed to get their former employers jailed for abusing them, and also won substantial compensation for their suffering. 

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Alongside these activities, about 100 people led by the Hong Kong Women Workers Association will march from Wanchai to the Central Government Offices in Admiralty starting at 11am to call for the protection of women and workers’ rights.

At a press conference held this afternoon at KUC Space in Jordan, the group’s executive director, Wu Mei-lin, said they have obtained a “verbal” permission from the police to go ahead with the march, the first such activity to be held in three years.

Wu, along with migrant leaders Shiela Bonifacio and Sringatin, and social worker  Johannie Tong, called for women all over the world to unite and protect themselves against violence and oppression.

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Bonifacio, who chairs Gabriela Hong Kong, listed what she called the discriminatory and repressive policies against the mostly women migrant workers, like the 14-day rule for those whose contracts are prematurely terminated, and the lack of statutory regulations on their work hours.

She also said the mandatory live-in rule for domestic workers which has been in effect since 2003 has caused greater suffering for migrants, as they are forced to sleep in unsuitable places like the kitchen and even toilets, because of a lack of space in their employers' flats. 

Sringatin, a spokesperson for the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body, hit out at the measly salary increases given to FDWs, and their being excluded from the financial assistance given to residents during the pandemic.

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She also denounced what she said were false allegations of job-hopping among FDWs, who she said are forced to quit their jobs only in extreme cases like abuse.

Besides, she said preventing FDWs from switching employers is discriminatory, as other foreign workers in Hong Kong are not subjected to the same restriction.

Tong, who is the Mission’s community relations officer, spoke of the results of the study they conducted among 1,000 FDWs in late 2021, which showed the extreme effects of the coronavirus contagion on migrants. 

She said that even before the fifth and most serious wave of the pandemic hit the city, 70% of migrant workers had reported suffering from heightened stress and anxiety, with 25% of them succumbing to depression. 

At the same time, about 85% found themselves spending more of their salary, both for their upkeep in Hong Kong and for sending money back home. 

Wu said the discrimination and exclusion experienced by migrants is a reflection of the worsening social problems in Hong Kong, brought about largely by the widening gap between the rich and the poor.

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Woman fined $20k for operating unlicensed employment agency

 

The defendant was also ordered to refund the $6800 service fee charged to the employer

A woman found operating an unlicensed employment agency was today fined $20,000 in Kwun Tong magistracy and ordered to refund the service fee it collected from an employer.

The Labour Department said in a statement that it decided to prosecute the woman whose name and agency was not disclosed, after receiving a complaint from an employer in November 2018.

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The employer who agreed to act as prosecution witness was able to get back the $6,800 that he paid to the defendant,  but it was not clear what he had complained to the LD about.

The Department warned that anyone found operating an employment agency without a licence will be prosecuted.

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Under the Employment Ordinance and the Employment Agency Regulations, all business establishments offering to obtain employment for another person or supplying staff to an employer must obtain a licence from the Labour Department, whatever types of jobs are involved.

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Except for the licence holder or his/her associates, no one shall operate, manage or assist in the management of an employment agency.

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Any enquiries related to EAs or complaints about malpractices may be brought to the attention of the Labour Department by calling 2115 3667, or visiting its office at Unit 906, 9/F, One Mong Kok Road Commercial Centre, 1 Mong Kok Road, Kowloon.

 

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Sarado na ang Penny's Bay

 

Nilagyan ng malaking kandado ang pasukan sa Penny's Bay bilang simbolo ng pagsasara nito

Nagsagawa ng pasinaya ang ilang ahensya ng gobyerno bilang hudyat ng pagsasara ng Penny’s Bay Community Isolation Facility nitong Miyerkules, Mar. 1.

Pinangunahan ito ng Undersecretary for Security na si Michael Cheuk at dinaluhan ng mga opisyal ng Civil Aid Service at iba pang sangay ng pamahalaan na nagbigay ng serbisyo sa Penny’s Bay.

Sa kanyang talumpati, sinabi ni Cheuk na maraming pagsubok ang hinarap ng Hong Kong sa loob ng nagdaang tatlong taon dahil sa pagkalat ng Covid-19. Pero sa pagtutulungan ng mga taga Hong Kong at mainland ay naitatag ang ilang lugar para gamitin bilang quarantine o isolation centre ng mga naimpeksyon.

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Ayon sa kanya, mahigit 270,000 katao ang napagsilbihan sa Penny’s Bay, at ito ay dahil sa mahusay na pamamahala ng CAS, sa tulong ng mga retiradong opisyal ng sandatahang lakas, at iba pang tauhan ng iba-ibang sangay ng gobyerno at mga pribadong grupo.

Binuksan ang Penny’s Bay noong July 16, 2020 para magsilbing tuluyan ng mga close contact ng mga nagpositibo sa coronavirus. Kabilang dito ang mahigit 1,000 residente ng Tung Chung na inilikas matapos makitaan ng bagong klase ng virus ang ilan sa mga nakatira sa parehong lugar.

Noon namang September 2021 ay inireserba ang dalawang bahagi ng Penny’s Bay para gamitin sa pag quarantine sa may 4,000 na bagong dating na mga foreign domestic helper.

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Bukod dito, ginamit din ang Penny’s Bay para matuloy ang pagkuha ng Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination ng ilang mga estudyante na may sakit.

Pati ang mga may sakit na gustong bumoto sa mga mahahalagang eleksyon katulad noong para sa Legislative Council noong 2021, at pagpili ng Chief Executive noong nakaraang taon, ay dito pinatuloy.

Nang lumala ang pagkalat ng coronavirus simula ng Pebrero ng nakaraang taon ay ginamit ang Penny’s Bay para tuluyan ng mga nagpositibo pero hindi delikado ang kalagayan, lalo na ang mga bata o may edad na hindi na kayang tanggapin sa mga ospital.

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Nagtulungan ang iba-ibang grupo katulad ng Health Bureau, Auxiliary Medical Service, Department of Health, Hospital Authority, Hong Kong Police Force, Fire Services Department, Social Welfare Department at iba pa para tulungan ang CAS na masiguro ang tuloy-tuloy na pagseserbisyo ng Penny’s Bay sa mga maysakit.

Sabi pa ni Leung, sa loob ng 31 buwan na bukas ang Penny’s Bay ay pinalaki ito, kaya ang orihinal na 1,500 na kuwarto dito ay naging 10,000, at sumakop sa lupang may sukat na1,000 square meters.

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Sa pagtatapos ng seremonya ay isinara ng mga tauhan ng CAS sa huling pagkakataon ang gate ng Penny’s Bay at nilagyan ito ng malaking kandado ni Cheuk bilang tanda ng pagtatapos ng kanilang serbisyo at ang pagbabalik ng normal na takbo ng buhay sa Hong Kong.

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Filipino in Peng Chau shooting finally appears in court, denied bail

By Daisy CL Mandap

 

An injured Arimas being subdued while the officer who fired 3 shots at him lay nearby (File)

A Filipino male resident who had just come out of hospital after being shot three times by a police officer for allegedly resisting arrest on Jan. 24, received bad news when he appeared in Eastern Court earlier today, Tuesday.

Oliver D. Arimas’ plea to be allowed bail in the sum of $5,000 was denied by Magistrate Minnie Wat after the prosecution vigorously opposed the application, saying the defendant was charged with a serious offence.

It was the first time the 43-year-old Arimas had appeared in court, as he spent more than a month in Eastern Hospital where he was initially listed in critical condition. He was charged in his absence with one count of assault with intent to prevent lawful apprehension.

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While in hospital, his case was included in the court list each week, indicating the authorities’ effort to get him to personally appear to face the charge against him as soon as possible.

According to the prosecutor, the incident started with a noise complaint being made against a group of people inside a subdivided unit at no 6 Wing On Street in Peng Chau. When an officer went to the unit to investigate, Arimas rushed out and attacked him, then pushed him down the stairs.

The officer reportedly retreated but the defendant chased after him. After giving a verbal warning the officer fired three shots from his pistol, and all hit Arimas in the body.

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The prosecution then presented photos of the crime scene to the court.

In response, the defense counsel said the officer did not suffer serious injuries, and that it was Arimas who had to spend more than a month in a custodial ward in hospital.

“Right now he is wearing a colostomy bag that requires regular cleaning so home care is important,” said Arimas’ counsel in pressing his application for bail.

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The lawyer said the defendant was also needed to look after his three young children, aged 9, 7 and 3, as his wife needs to tend to her beauty parlor in Central.

If allowed bail, he said Arimas was willing to report daily to the Central police station, preferably between 12 noon and 3pm, while his children are in school. He was also willing to surrender his passport and continue to reside in the address he furnished to court.

But after hearing the arguments from both sides, Magistrate Wat decided to reject the bail application, saying that based on the nature of the offense it was likely that the case would result in a conviction.

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She granted the prosecution’s plea for the case to be adjourned to Mar 29 for further legal advice. But she told Arimas to appear in court again on Mar 7 for the regular bail hearing. Alternatively, he can make the application directly with the Court of First Instance at any time.

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EOC files sexual harassment case vs FDH employer

 

Unwelcome sexual advances or remarks at the workplace
constitute sexual harrassment, even towards FDHs

The Equal Opportunities Commission said today, Mar 1, that it filed a case for sexual harassment at the District Court on behalf of a foreign domestic helper who said she had been harassed by her former employer on a number of occasions.

According to the EOC, among the acts that the FDH had complained about was her employer coming up close to her to sniff her hair and body after she had taken a shower.

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The claimant also said the respondent employer repeatedly asked her to have sex with him and uttered other vulgar sexual remarks, like asking her to help him have babies.

After being rejected repeatedly, the employer reportedly became furious and used severely abusive language to press his demand for the worker to have sex with him.

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No other details of the case, including the dates of the alleged offences and the amount of claim being sought, if any, were mentioned.

Under the Sex Discrimination Ordinance, any unwelcome sexual behavior which results in another person being offended, humiliated or intimidated, constitutes sexual harassment.

This includes unwelcome sexual advances, unwelcome requests for sexual favours, and other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature.

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“The SDO covers sexual harassment in the employment field,” said the EOC.

According to the EOC, there has been a considerable number of cases where employees were subjected to sexual harassment at the workplace.

From 2020 to 2022 alone, the EOC said it received 504 sexual harassment complaints, representing 51% of all the complaints filed under the SDO.

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By taking this case to court, the EOC said it hopes to raise public awareness that sexual harassment against employees, including FDHs, is unlawful, and will attract serious legal consequences.

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