Nasirang telepono daw ang dahilan ng ‘pagkawala’ ni Cely

 

Nasira daw ang telepono ni Cely matapos silang mag-usap ng pamangkin

Pagkatapos ng ilang araw na hindi makontak ng kanyang mga kamag-anak si Cely Espero, 52 taong gulang at taga La Union, ay lipinaliwanag ng isa niyang kaanak ang tungkol sa kanyang “pagkawala.” Nasira daw ang telepono nito kaya hindi siya matawagan o sumasagot sa mga text messages.

“Walang nangyari po, nasira po ang cellphone ng anti (auntie) ko po." 

Ito ay ayon sa kanyang pamangkin na si Mayet, na siyang nanghingi ng tulong noong July 28 nang hindi na niya makontak sa telepono si Cely. Gayunpaman, hindi siya nagbigay ng dagdag na detalye kung paano niya nalaman ang tungkol sa sirang telepono ng tiya.

Dagdag pa ni Mayet, mismong siya ay hindi na niya matawagan ang dating numerong gamit ng tiya. Hanggang ngayon ay panay ang ring lang nito, na dumagdag sa palaisipan kung bakit parang ayaw pa ring makipag-usap ni Cely kahit sa mga kamag-anak.

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Nag-umpisang mag-alala si Mayet nang hindi na sinasagot ni Cely ang kanyang mga tawag o text pagkatapos nilang mag-usap noong July 22.

Lalo siyng nangamba nang subukan niyang tawagan ang amo ni Cely sa nagdaang siyam na taon, at hindi rin ito sumasagot, kahit sa text. Paliwanag niya, nagbakasyon daw ito sa ibang bansa kaya hindi sumasagot sa mga tawag o text. 

Ayon naman kay Marites Nuval, lider ng mga grupo ng mga taga La Union sa Hong Kong ay parang hindi kapani-paniwala na nasira lang ang telepono ni Cely dahil kung totoo man ito ay dapat nang pinagawa o inilipat sa ibang telepono ang SIM para makausap man lang ang mga kaanak.

Ipinarating na din ni Nuval kay Welfare Attache Dina Daquigan ang tungkol sa balitang pagkawala ni Cely, at sinabi daw nito na kahit sila sa Overseas Workers Welfare Administration ay hindi makontak ang employer ng OFW.

Pero ilang araw lang matapos humingi ng tulong para mahanap ang kanyang tiya ay agad na nag text si Mayet at hiniling na tanggalin na ang litrato ni Cely sa The SUN pero hindi nagawang magpaliwanag.

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Nauna rito ay hindi napigilan ni Mayet ang mag-alala dahil may usapan daw silang magkikita ng tiya noong July 29 pero hindi na niya ito makontak, at wala ding makapagsabi sa kanila kung nasaan na ito. Pati ang asawa nito at mga anak nito sa Pilipinas ay wala na ring balita.

Ayon pa kay Mayet, wala naman silang alam na problema ni Cely dahil maayos ang kalagayan nito sa trabaho, at katunayan ay kakapirma lang niya ng bagong kontrata sa among taga Tai Po, at may planong umuwi para magbakasyon ngayong Disyembre.

“Ang pamilya niya sa Pilipinas worried na,” sabi pa ni Mayet noon.

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Ayon naman sa mga kababayan nila sa Hong Kong, ang umabot sa kanilang balita ay dalawang linggo nang hindi nakikipag-usap si Cely sa kanyang pamilya sa La Union.

Ganito rin ang kuwento sa lumabas na apela sa Facebook page ng DWC Help, na dalawang linggo nang hindi nagpaparamdam si Cely sa pamilya. Pero agad naman itong pinabulaanan ni Mayet dahil nagkausap pa raw sila anim na araw pa lang ang nakakalipas.

Ang Facebook post ay agad kumalat, dahilan para magtanong-tanong ang mga taga La Union. Ayon kay Nuval, wala daw ni isa sa kanila ang nakakakilala kay Cely, kahit pa ang isa nilang lider na taga Bacnotan, kung saan nakatira ang nawawala.

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Gayunpaman, patuloy pa rin silang nagbabalitaan at baka sakaling may lumabas na bagong kwento tungkol sa nangyari kay Cely. 

Narinig na din daw nila ang tungkol sa nasirang telepono, pero hanggang hindi si Cely mismo ang nagpaabot sa mga kababayan o sa OWWA na ligtas siya ay magpapatuloy daw sila sa pagtatanong-tanong. 

Gusto din nilang malaman kung bakit pati ang amo nito ay hindi na makontak, samantalang kahit nasa biyahe ay dapat nababasa din nila ang mga mensaheng iniiwan sa kanila tungkol sa nawawala nilang kasambahay.

Nakatakda na sanang pumunta sa Konsulado ang hipag ni Cely na nagtatrabaho din sa Hong Kong para pormal na humingi ng tulong nang lumabas ang balitang hindi naman pala naglaho ang kanilang hinahanap, kundi nasiraan lang ng telepono.

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Domestic violence not enough ground for asylum, says High Court

 

Those who face torture or harm in the Philippines can seek state protection, says the court

A Filipina tourist who overstayed her visa lost an application for a judicial review of the decision by the Immigration Director and Torture Claims Adjudication Board denying her claim for non-refoulement, or being sent back to the Philippines.

Arlene B. Digma sought the review, saying the Director and TCAB erred in rejecting her claim for non-refoulement on the ground that she faced harm from her estranged husband on her return to the Philippines.

But in its decision denying her application, the High Court said, among other things, that state protection is available in the Philippines for those who face threats of violence. Relocation is also a viable option to get away from that threat.

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Digma, a former domestic helper, entered Hong Kong as a visitor on May 16, 2016 and did not leave when her visa expired. She surrendered to Immigration on June 13, 2016 and on August 4 of the same year, lodged a non-refoulement claim. She claimed that if sent back home, she would be harmed or killed by her husband Marlo.

According to Digma her husband had a drinking problem and would abuse her whenever he got drunk. She stayed with him initially for the sake of their children and did not report the abuse as her husband had a nephew who was a police officer.

In 2015 Digma came to Hong Kong to work as a domestic helper, and during that time, developed a romantic relationship with a man. Her sister-in-law who was also working in Hong Kong at the time saw them together, and reported her to Marlo. As a result, she received frequent death threats from her husband, prompting her to seek protection in Hong Kong.

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In assessing her claim, the Director took note of the risks of (1) torture, (2) violation of the right to life, (3) cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and (4) persecution and whether they were present in her case.

The Director dismissed Digma’s claim after noting that the injuries she claimed to have suffered at the hands of her husband were not severe enough and her perceived harm or ill-treatment, not imminent or substantial.

Moreover, the Director said she could avail of state protection while in the Philippines, or simply live far from her husband to avoid the alleged abuse.

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Digma appealed the decision to the TCAB, which however, sustained the Director’s findings. Moreover, the TCAB cited “significant” discrepancies in the applicant’s evidence on her interactions with her husband since she left the Philippines.

The TCAB also dismissed the applicant’s excuses for not seeking medical attention or police protection when her husband was allegedly abusing or threatening her.

Further, the TCAB said “the country of origin information indicated that state protection to women who were victims of domestic violence was available.”

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Despite filing for leave for a judicial review, Digma did not ask for a hearing so Deputy High Court Judge K.W. Lung dealt with her application on paper.

In upholding the decisions of the Director and the TCAB, Judge Lung said the role of the Court was merely supervisory. It is tasked only with ensuring that the Board complied with the law in coming up with its decision.

Citing a case law, the judge said the assessment of evidence as to the risk of harm, state protection and viability of internal relocation primarily rested with the Board and the Director.

“The court will not intervene by way of judicial review unless there are errors of law or procedural unfairness or irrationality in the decision of the Board,” said Judge Lung.

Having given due regard to this, the judge said the Court did not find “any error of law or procedural unfairness in the Board’s decision,” and as such, the application should be dismissed.

In addition, he said there was no realistic prospect of success in Digma’s proposed judicial review.

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Jobseekers share how they were lured into Canada student visa ‘scam’

 

Scam victims and Migrante supporters call on govt to speed up its investigation 

One applicant from the Philippines spoke of how he tried to get his money back immediately after being given a document he was meant to sign, stating that he could not ask for a refund whatever the outcome of his student visa application – to no avail.

Another in Hong Kong balked when told she needed to present her own proof as to why she had Php1 million pesos in her bank account –money the main recruiter had promised to lend applicants to show their capacity to pay for expenses while studying in Canada.

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A third recounted how she had to withdraw all her savings, borrow from a friend, and pawn her jewelry just so she could pay the $18,700 processing fee to the recruiters, only to learn later on that she needed to pay hundreds of thousands of pesos more to get into any of the schools in their list.

A fourth spoke from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to share how he and his partner paid the Php104,000 asked by the recruiters during a recruitment drive in Ilocos Norte, only to be left stumped afterwards when told they needed to present proof of financial capacity to support their visa application.

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These were among the stories shared by Filipino jobseekers during a press conference held on Sunday and organized by Migrante Hong Kong to draw attention to the student visa recruitment scheme offered by the Cebu-based PinoyCare Visa Center/Opportunities Abroad Visa Processing Services and its chief executive officer Prisca Nina Mabatid.

Complainants in Riyadh and Manila share their stories online

All the disgruntled applicants called on the Philippine government to take immediate action to stop what they said was a scam, and order the two companies and Mabatid to return their money.

Migrante International chairperson Joanna Concepcion said they now have 15 sworn affidavits from complainants in the Philippines and abroad to support the petition they filed with the Department of Migrant Workers and the National Bureau of Investigation on July 14.

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These are apart from the 11 complainants in Hong Kong who had submitted their statements to the police and the Consulate earlier, on June 18 and 25.

All complainants are asking the DMW to hold PCVC-Opportunities Abroad, Nina Mabatid and others in her group, liable for large-scale illegal recruitment, despite their claim that they had offered only student visa processing.

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Separately, the complainants in the Philippines are asking the NBI to prosecute the recruiters for syndicated estafa, which occurs when five or more people work together to gain money or property from unsuspecting victims through fraud or misrepresentations.

Both offences are non-bailable, and offenders face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Migrante International's present and past heads join the presscon

Concepcion said she plans to ask for a meeting with DMW Undersecretary Hans Cacdac to discuss the complaints, noting his statement last week that there had been a rise in the number of recruiters enticing Filipino jobseekers to apply for student visas abroad instead.

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USec Cacdac was appointed by Secretary Susan Ople to look into the alleged student visa scams which was initially brought to their attention by the Hong Kong victims, with help from the Mission for Migrant Workers.

In a new twist to the recruitment saga, Migrante International’s founding chairperson Connie Regalado revealed that the Cebu office shared by PCVC and Opportunities Abroad appears to have been shut, and their signage taken down.

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Regalado said their search showed that Opportunities Abroad obtained a business permit only on March 16 this year, which meant that it had been operating without a licence when it conducted the relevant recruitment seminars, and collected money from the victims.

The complaints in Hong Kong stemmed from money collected within three days after Mabatid’s group held a recruitment seminar on February this year. The other complainants were recruited months earlier.

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Bilang ng mga nagpapakamatay, pinakamataas mula noong 2007

477 sa mga biktima ay edad 60 pataas, ang pinakamarami sa nagdaang 49 na taon 

Umabot sa 1,080 katao ang nagpakamatay noong nakaraang taon, ang pinakamataas na bilang sa nagdaang 15 taon, ayon sa Samaritan Befrienders.

Ibig sabihin, 14.73 sa bawat 100,000 katao ang kinitil ang sariling buhay noong nakaraang taon.

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Ayon sa grupo na nagbibigay-payo sa mga dumaranas ng depresyon at mga nag-iisip na magpatiwakal, ang datos ay galing sa Coroner’s Court.

Halos kalahati, o 477 (44%), ng mga biktima ay edad 60 pataas, ang pinakamataas na bilang simula noong 1973, o 49 taon na ang nakakaraan.

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Mas marami, o 60 porsyento ng mga nagpakamatay, ay mga lalaki. Umabot sa 676 ang mga lalaking biktima, samantalang 404 naman ay mga babae.

Ayon sa Befrienders, ang pagdami ng mga may edad na nagpapatiwakal ay maaring dahil din mas mahaba ang buhay ng mga tao sa Hong Kong ngayon.

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Posible din na ang mga problemang dinulot ng pandemya, kabilang ng pagbagsak ng kakayahang kumita o makisalamuha sa mga kaibigan, ang nagtulak sa ilang may edad na tapusin ang kanilang buhay.

Gayunpaman, tumaas din ang bilang ng mga nagpakamatay sa mga kabataan na nasa mga edad na 20, at yung mga edad 50.

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Kasama sa talaan ang ilang mga migranteng manggagawa na hindi na nakayanan ang mga problema sa trabaho at pamilya.

Kasabay ng kanilang pahayag ay umapela ang Befrienders sa mga dumaraan sa matinding pagsubok na humingi ng tulong, kundi sa mga kaibigan ay sa mga doktor at espeyalista.

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Ang mga taong nakapaligid naman sa kanila ay dapat silang tulungan at huwag kutyain.

Nanawagan din ang grupo sa gobyerno na maglaan ng dagdag na pondo at tao para matulungan ang mga dumaranas ng problema sa pag-iisip.

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Paliwanag nila, 67 sa mga nag suicide ay may sakit sa pag-iisip, at ayon sa isang ulat ng World Health Organization, depresyon ang kadalasang sanhi nito

Tinatayang 3.8 porsyento ng lahat ng mga tao sa buong mundo ay nakakaranas ng depresyon. Kapag may kundisyong ganito ang isang tao ay tumataas ng mula 15 hanggang 20 beses ang posibilidad na magtangka silang magpakamatay.

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8 linggong kulong dahil sa pananakit sa alagang paslit

 

Walong linggong pagkabilanggo ang naging parusa ng isang Pilipinang domestic helper dahil sa pananakit sa kanyang alagang batang babae na isang taong gulang.

Nasentensiyahan si Florena Dulla, 53 taong gulang, sa katapusan ng paglilitis sa Eastern Courts noong Biyernes (July 28).

Inamin ni Dulla na pinalo niya ang kamay ng bata nang tatlong beses matapos itong mahulog sa sofa, at pagkatapos ay inihagis niya pabalik sa upuan.

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Ang pananakit ay nangyari sa bahay ng amo ni Dulla sa Ap Lei Chau bandang 8pm noong June 20.

Nalaman ng mga amo ang nangyari nang ikuwento ito sa kanila ni Dulla mismo, at humingi ito ng tawad, kaya nirepaso nila ang CCTV video at nakita ang pananakit.

Dahil limang linggo nang nakakulong si Dulla, tatlong linggo na lang ang ilalagi niya sa loob. Mababawasan pa ito kung iaawas ang mga piyesta opisya at discount sa pagiging mabait habang nakakulong.

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Inaasahan ang pagpapakulong ni Dulla, dahil sa nakaraang pagdinig noong July 14, sinabihan ito ni Magistrate Philip Chan na hindi niya maiiwasan ang pagkabilanggo matapos niyang aminin na sinaktan niya ang kanyang alaga.

Ipinagpaliban ni Magistrate Chan ang pagpataw ng parusa kay Dulla noong Biyernes para sa background check at panonood ng CCTV video na nagpapakita ng insidente, upang gawing basehan ng sentensiya.

Sa kanyang paghiling kay Chan na magpataw ng magaang na parusa, sinabi ng abogado ni Dulla na sa 15 taon na pag-aalaga nito ng bata sa Hong Kong ay ngayon lang ito nakapanakit, at nagawa lang niya iyon para disiplinahin ang bata at nang hindi na ito ulit mahulog sa sofa.

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Dahil sa pagsisisi ay nagbitiw si Dulla sa trabaho at nawalan ng kitang $6,000 buwan-buwan, dagdag ng abogado.

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Drowning of Filipina DH off Tuen Mun suspected to be suicide

 

Police tried to revive the Filipina after fishing her off the sea, but failed (Photo from TheStandard)

Hong Kong Police say they are still investigating the cause of death of a Filipina domestic helper who was found to have drowned off Golden Beach in Tuen Mun early on Friday.

However, earlier reports said the 42-year-old Filipina appeared to have taken her own life due to financial problems.

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The police said they were called to the scene by passersby who reported seeing someone fall into the sea late on Thursday, July 27.

Police officers, firefighters as well as the Government Flying Service were all called to help in the search operations. They later found the victim, a 42-year-old Filipina domestic helper, floating at sea shortly after midnight on Friday.

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Photos taken from the scene showed officers trying to revive the helper, before she was sent to Tuen Mun Hospital in a comatose state. She was declared dead at the hospital.

Police said no suicide note was found on site. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.

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A check with the profile of three Filipinas reported missing within days of each other in the past fortnight did not match the brief description given by the police of the victim.

The death came just 13 days after police reported that a body found wedged on the side of  Tsing Yi pier belonged to a Filipina DH who was reported missing five days earlier. Subsequent reports said the deceased also had financial issues.

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