5 charged with lending money to Filipinas at usurious rates back in court

 

Police seized 242 passports in the raid on the couple's home in March 2017

A Chinese couple and three Filipina domestic workers who allegedly served as their runners in a $10 million illegal lending ring appeared at the District Court again on Tuesday, six years after they allegedly committed the offence.

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Tai Ming-fung, 56 and Cheng Wai-king, 55, are charged along with Lorna M. Pingol, 48 and Alma M. Cuntapay, 57, are all charged with conspiring with each other and the couple’s Filipina helper named “Jessie” who has apparently fled Hong Kong, to lend money at an interest in excess of the legal rate of 60% per annum.

The alleged offence happened between May 1, 2016 and March 12, 2017.

The fifth accused, Milagros Anna Laderas, 46, faces a separate charge of conspiring with Jessie and other persons unknown of lending money at usurious rates at unspecified dates between July and September 2016.

The alleged offence is punishable under sec. 24 (4) of the Money Lenders Ordinance and sec 159C of the Crimes Ordinance.

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The case was again adjourned to August 1 for further legal advice, and bail was extended anew for all defendants. Tai’s cash bail is set at $80,000; Cheng at $20,000 and all three Filipina helpers at $2,000 each.

The case garnered wide interest after the police announced in April 2017 that they had arrested the couple and Jessie, their domestic helper, of lending money to some 1,000 Filipino migrant workers at an interest rate of 10% per month, or double the legal rate.

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A total of 242 Philippine passports were recovered at the time, and a large number of bank records, debt notes, and employment contracts were also seized.

The passport holders, all domestic helpers, had used them as collaterals for loans of $4,000 to $15,000 that carried a 10% monthly interest rate.

The passports of the borrowers, said to have been held by the accused as collateral for the loans, were seized by the police as evidence in the case.

Subsequently, seven more Filipina workers were arrested in connection with the illegal lending ring. But only three were eventually charged along with the couple.

According to the police, the group made as much as $12 million from the illegal dealings.

 

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Pilipinang sangkot sa kasong droga, nililitis sa High Court

 

Ang nasamsam na droga (larawan mula sa HK Customs

Nagsimula kanina ang paglilitis sa High Court ng isang Pilipinang nasangkot sa isang kasong droga dahil siya ang tumanggap ng isang karton na may lamang dalawang kilong shabu at ketamine, na dumating mula sa Malaysia.

Kinasuhan si Alma Montano, 38 taong gulang na domestic helper, ng pagtatangka na mangalakal ng mapanganib na gamot matapos siyang hulihin ng mga operatiba ng Customs and Excise noong Dec. 11, 2019.

Kasama niyang kinasuhan si Nwokeji Ifeanyi Canis, isang 50 taong gulang na Nigerian, na kinasuhan ng pangangalakal ng droga.

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Ayon sa testimonya ng unang dalawang kawani ng Customs, nasabat ang isang kahon na may markang nagsasabi na naglalaman ito ng mga parte ng vacuum cleaner, dahil may nakitang kahinahinalang laman nang idaan ito sa x-ray.

Binuksan ng isang kawani ang karton at, maliban sa mga parte ng vacuum cleaner, mayroon ding nakapaloob na pakete ng pulbos na tsokolate. Nang buksan nya ang mga pakete, tumambad sa kanya ang drogang nakabalot sa palara. Nakumpirma sa Ion Analysis Test na ang nakita niya ay methamphetamine hydrochloride (o shabu) at ketamine.

Ayon sa unang press statement ng Customs noong Dec. 12, 2019, nagkakahalaga ang mga droga ng $2.5 million. Pero ayon sa napagkasunduang salaysay sa korte, ang halaga ng nasamsam na mahigit tatlong kilong droga ay $1.8 million.

EXTENDED TO JUNE 30!!

Dumating ang karton sa Customs Control Point sa Lok Ma Chau na dala ng isang sasakyan ng UPS mula sa Shenzhen, kung saan ibinaba ito ng eroplanong galing sa Kuala Lumpur. Nakapangalan ito kay Montano, at nakalista ang kanyang tirahan at numero ng telepono.

Nang tawagan ng testigo ang numero, sinagot ito ni Montano, na pumayag din na tanggapin ang kahon sa kanyang tirahan.

Ayon sa testigo, dumating si Montano sa harap ng isang gusali sa Sham Shui Po para tanggapin ang kahon mula sa taga Customs na nakasuot ng uniporme sa UPS.  May dala siyang straw bag upang paglagyan nito.

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Doon na inaresto si Montano, na nagulat sa pangyayari. Binalaan siya ng ahente na ang mga sasabihin niya simula noon ay puwedeng gamitin sa korte laban sa kanya. Noon din siya kinausap na makipag-tulungan upang mahuli ang totoong may-ari ng droga.

Mula doon ay dinala niya ang straw bag sa isang lalaking naghihintay sa kasunod na kanto. Inilapag niya ang bag at nang bitbitin ito ng lalaki naglabasan ang mga operatiba ng Customs. Inaresto nila si Nwokeji.

Dinala Si Montano at Nwokeji sa istasyon ng pulis, sakay ng magkahiwalay na sasakyan, upang imbestigahan.

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Itutuloy ang pagdinig hanggang June 24 sa harap ni Deputy High Court Judge Douglas Yau at pitong hurado na napili kahapon.

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Duck craze spreads to Ngong Ping

 

The 'Flying Rubber Duck Cable' with the Giant Buddha in the background

From Tuesday, June 13, the two giant ducks swimming off Tamar in Central could also be seen flying high above Hong Kong, as their cute images are used to decorate four cable cars traveling between Tung Chung and Ngong Ping.

Two of the cars are the regular transparent ones used for the Ngong Ping 360 attraction, but with an unusual twist. Both have been fitted with bubbling bath tubs inside, which lucky riders could use if they happen to feel like swimming during the 25-minute, 5.7-kilometer journey.

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The two others, dubbed as the “Flying Rubber Duck” cable cars, are fully enclosed, and bear the cute yellow faces of the twin ducks on each of their four panels. They are not meant to take on riders, but passengers on the other cars are encouraged to take photos of them as they zip close by.

All four cars are part of the “Double Ducks@Ngong Ping 360” project which will run from June 13 to September 3, 2023 and is meant to show support for the installation in Victoria Harbour of the two giant rubber ducks created by Dutch artist Florentjin Hofman.

Fancy swimming on top of the world? Ride this cable car fitted with a bathtub

Also as part of the collaboration, a gigantic “crystal “ bathtub filled with 5,000 rubber ducks has been installed at the Stupa Square in Ngong Ping Village, which is off the right side of the exit after getting off the cable cars. 

The idea is for guests to take photos of themselves with the rubber ducks as if they are inside the 4-meter wide bathtub.

EXTENDED TO JUNE 30!!

Further down the road is a shop where another bathtub filled with the rubber ducks exclusively made for Ngong Ping can be found, as well as some bathroom installations. 

As this is set up closer to the ground, even children can have their photos taken while seemingly swimming with the ducks inside the bathtub.

Bathroom installation with the gigantic duck-filled bathtub provides a great backdrop for photos

Next door is a shop where 1,000 of the exclusively made rubber ducks are being sold for $50 apiece to raise funds for the Neighbourhood Advice-Action Council (NAAC), a charity group that looks after underprivileged families.

Just a few hours after the media launch of the Double Ducks project was held at Ngong Ping Village, only a few of the ducks were left unsold, even if buyers were allowed to buy only one piece each.

The ducks for charity are selling fast

Also at the launch, the new 360 quarterly pass was introduced, which allows a guest unlimited rides on a standard cable car from the purchase date (which should be no later than July 31) until Nov. 20, 2023.

Each quarterly pass costs $360, and a 15% discount is offered to those who buy three tickets.

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Ngong Ping 360 is a favorite destination of tourists, including those from the Philippines. It is located on Lantau island and is known for  being the longest aerial cable car system in Asia.

The 25-minute trip from end to end offer panoramic views of the North Lantau Country Park, Tung Chung Bay, and the Hong Kong International Airport.

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The breathtaking views earned for Ngong Ping 360 a spot in the lists of “Top 10 Experiences in Asia” and “The World’s 10 Best Cable Cars” by various media and travel organizations.

Most people who take the cable cars go on to hike to nearby Tai O village, where the Big Buddha and the Po Lin Monastery are located.

Regular tickets for standard cabins are sold for $235 each, round-trip; $155 for seniors and $110 for children. For the crystal cabins, the prices are $315, $235 and $190.  

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Hongkongers back to buying properties in Phl

Gumboc speaking at Ayala Land's first sales meet in HK for the year

It’s open season for buying properties in the Philippines again, and a big number of those putting their bets on the country are young Hong Kong residents.

This is according to Bing Gumboc, president of Ayala Land International Sales Inc, who came to Hong Kong over the weekend to attend various events lined up to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of its subsidiary in the city.

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Speaking to a group of media people on June 7, Gumboc happily revealed that sales of the Hong Kong office had already hit 50% of its target for 2023 in the first five months of the year alone, and that the biggest buyers were local residents, whose accumulated stake has already grown six times compared to last year.

This suggests that while tens of thousands of Hongkongers have chosen to emigrate elsewhere amid the unstable political climate and the severe pandemic restrictions in the city, many chose to buy properties in the Philippines without actually settling there.  

EXTENDED TO JUNE 30!!

And buy they do, with not a few locals reportedly snapping up entire floors in Ayala’s prime developments. Insiders say that if Philippine laws did not forbid them owning land, they would buy even whole buildings.

While no actual figures for the total investments from Hong Kong were readily available, the big rebound in sales has prompted Ayala Land to celebrate its local office’s anniversary in a big way.

Prospective buyers listen intently to Gumboc's pitch at Novotel 

Aside from hosting dinner for some 200 prospective investors at Novotel on June 8, Ayala Land also co-presented the Philippine Independence Day Ball at the Conrad on June 10, and the Filipino community celebration on Chater Road the next day.

Gumboc readily admitted that the global slump from the pandemic hit Ayala Land as hard as it did most other businesses. In fact, she said they were told to stop all sales activities in 2020 to cut back on the losses, even as the company remained open and did not fire any of its staff.

The gloom was felt more in Hong Kong up until early last year, when the city’s officials finally decided to ease up on the pandemic restrictions and ordered that a Covid-19 infection be treated just like any other ailment.

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“By January this year when they started opening (Hong Kong), bumalik na din ang sigla ng market, that’s why we are here,” said Gumboc.

Filipinos, particularly migrant workers, are also showing a renewed interest in putting their hard-earned money in an Ayala property.

In a recent two-day sales event in Dubai, most of those who packed the venue were Filipino migrant workers, said Gumboc, although they showed preference for the more affordable properties like those in the Amaia to the Avida range. 

These are priced upwards of Php4 million for those in the urban areas, and slightly less in the provinces.

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Ayala is hoping those who are here would turn up again in large numbers as they did during the first years of  the Hong Kong office being set up, once they realised the value of buying a property that they can be proud of, and bank on.

Gumboc said that the prices of their properties have gone up by around 85% since they set up in Hong Kong a decade ago, a rate of return that should convince even those on a tight budget  

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HK Filcom celebrates Phl Independence Day for first time in 4 years

 

Singing of the National Anthem on Chater Road

“We’re back with a vengeance!”

This was how Consul General Raly Tejada described in his opening remarks the  fun-filled, whole-day celebration of the 12^th Philippine Independence Day on Chater Road on Sunday.

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It was the first time since 2019 that the traditional street festivity was held after the Covid-19 pandemic that gripped the whole world.

Congen Tejada made his speech to a crowd of thousands, after dozens of Filipino community organizations made up mostly by migrant workers took part in a lively and colorful parade amid a searing heat.

The Igorot Dance by the Cordillerans is always a crowd-drawer

Congen said the sunny weather day was already a blessing, as a downpour early in the day threatened to derail the celebration that involved months of preparation and several hours of  rehearsals on Sundays for the mostly domestic worker-participants.

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In his speech, Congen first paid tribute to the frontliners – doctors, nurses and other medical workers – who valiantly looked after those who caught the virus during the raging pandemic, and said the migrant workers should be included in their ranks.

The Pintados Festival dancers were a show-stopper 

He also thanked those who took part in the festivity, from the Filcom groups that planned their own choreography and provided their own costumes, to the working committee that executed each part of the program.

EXTENDED TO JUNE 30!!

Apart from staff and officers of the Philippine Consulate, those who were part of the planning, preparation and the execution of the event were Global Alliance, Philippine Alliance, Filipino Leaders Active Group and Philippine Association of Hong Kong.

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The non-stop celebration was highlighted by the lively and meticulously-performed regional dances as well as a parade of colors featuring various migrant organizations, some of whom took to the street barefoot, despite temperatures of well over 30 degrees at some point.

The colorful Mango Festival dance

Guest performers, the Hong Kong Police Marching Band and the Tultugan Group, which flew all the way from Maasin, Iloilo at their own expense, received a hearty applause from the crowd for their outstanding presentations.

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The young performers from Tultugan later told The SUN how happy they were to be included in the celebration as it was the first time outside their home province that they were able to show off their talents and skills.

The HK Police marching band was met with hearty applause

The day started with ecumenical prayers, which was followed by a Catholic mass presided over by Filipino chaplain Fr Jay Flandez. The message from the various leaders focused on the meaning of independence and how it reflects on one’s faith.

Providing a fitting finale to the memorable event was the performance by GMA actor Ruru Madrid, who delighted the mostly female crowd by going past the barriers to shake hands and hug some of them as he sang a few catchy songs.

Ruru Madrid reaches out through the barriers, delighting OFWs

Madrid said it was his first time to be in Hong Kong, and he was delighted by the warm reception given him. He promised to be back soon.

 

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