Filcom celebrates 126th Philippine Independence Day today in Central

 

All roads lead to Central today, Jun 9, as the Filipino community celebrates the 126^th anniversary of Philippine Independence Day with a whole-day event on Chater Road.

The traditional celebration titled “Kapangyawan Friendship Festival” and organized by the Philippine Consulate General, also focuses on promoting closer ties with Hong Kong and its people.

As before, the festivity will feature a cultural parade led by officers of the Consulate, line dances and street performances..

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In the afternoon, this year’s special guests including “Bolanteros Kulturistas” as well as the celebrity trio “Beks Batallion” will delight the crowds.

In line with tradition, the Chater Road celebration follows the Philippine Association of Hong Kong’s Independence Day Ball, which was held this year at Ritz Carlton Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui and titled “Hiraya.”

About 300 people from different sectors joined the charity event organized by the Board of Directors of the 63-year-old organization, led by chairperson Scylla Kwong.

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Consul General Germinia Aguilar-Usudan  was the evening’s guest of honor.

The gala event raised money for four beneficiaries: the Bayanihan Trust, Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge, Wimler Foundation and FullPhils. 

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Labour briefing to include anti-money laundering push

 

For the first time, a briefing by the Hong Kong Labour Department on employment rights of foreign domestic helpers will include how one can avoid getting entangled in money laundering.

The free briefing for the Filipino group of participants will be held on Jun 23, Sunday, 2:30pm to 4:15 pm, at 16/F, One Mong Kok Road Commercial Centre, Mong Kok Road, Kowloon..

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The extra topic reflects the growing number of  FDHs being lured into surrendering control over their bank accounts by scam syndicates who then use them to launder proceeds from crimes.

Often, the FDH is given only a small payment in exchange for turning over their ATM cards to criminals, not realizing that this simple act would land them in jail.

How to? is explained here

In one of the latest cases, a Filipina DH was denied bail after she was charged with laundering a total of $2.3 million which passed through her account with an online bank in just 10 days.

Under Hong Kong laws, a person who deals with property knowing, or have reasonable grounds to believe, to be proceeds from an indictable offence, can be jailed for up to 14 years and fined a maximum of $5 million.

In a statement, the Consulate expressed support for the Labour Department’s effort to disseminate information “to better capacitate Filipino workers in defending their labor rights, and to prevent instances where they are made victims of money laundering syndicates.”

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Consul General Germinia Aguilar-Usudan recently expressed concern about the money laundering cases involving Filipino DHs, after gracing a briefing on the topic by the Hong Kong Police.

Those who would like to join the labour briefing may email the completed enrolment form at f-d-h@enquiry@labour.gov.ph or by fax at 3101 0604. Make sure you email your name, contact number and the word “Group A” to fdh-enquiry@labour.gov.ph

Admission is on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline for submitting the enrolment form is on June 21, Friday. Confirmed participants will be notified through email or fax.

 

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Filipina overstayer jailed 14 weeks for taking up job in Central

Quirante was among 18 people arrested for illegal work over 4 days last week

A Filipina former domestic worker who was arrested on June 4 while doing an “odd job” in Central was sentenced to a total of 14 weeks at Shatin court on Thursday after she pleaded guilty to overstaying and illegal work.

Kareen Millan Quirante, 36 years old, was sentenced to 10 weeks in jail for overstaying her visa by more than three years. She was supposed to remain in Hong Kong only until Mar 8, 2021, but did not leave.

She was ordered jailed for 14 weeks for breaching her visa condition by working illegally, with the two sentences to run concurrently, resulting in a total of 14 weeks in prison.

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Quirante admitted violating the Immigration Ordinance which prohibited her from taking up work, whether paid or unpaid, after overstaying.

She was among 20 persons arrested by Immigration and police agents in four days of anti-illegal work raids from June 3 to 6, and reported yesterday, June 7.

The suspects included 18 illegal workers and two employers.

The suspected illegal workers comprised 11 men and seven women, aged 29 to 51.  Five of them, three men and two women, held recognizance forms which prohibited them from taking up work. Another woman was found in possession of a fake HKID card.

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The alleged employers were both males, aged 24 and 27.

Both overstaying and illegal work are considered serious offences that often result in the offender being put behind bars.

The maximum penalty for overstaying is two years in jail, and a fine of up to $50,000. The prescribed maximum jail term goes up to three years if the one caught doing illegal work was an overstayer, illegal immigrant or non-refoulement claimants.

Employers of illegal workers and those who possess fake HKID cards can be jailed for up to 10 years. In addition, employers can be fined a maximum of $500,000.

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Filipino charged with raping family’s DH granted bail

 

The neighborhood in Mui Wo where the rape was allegedly committed (Google Maps photo)

A Filipino charged with the rape of his family’s domestic helper, was granted bail on his third request at Shatin Court on Friday (June 7), after his lawyer brought up new developments that could affect the case.

Alden John Apayat, 41 years old, is accused of raping the woman identified only as X, last April 10 at their house on Mui Wo Rural Committee Road, Mui Wo, Lantau Island.

Apayat, who had unsuccessfully applied for bail in the two previous hearings, was charged under Section 118(1) of the Crimes Ordinance which prescribes a maximum penalty of life in prison for rape.

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Magistrate David Chum granted the appeal of Apayat’s lawyer to set him free temporarily because he has moved out of the family house, is divorcing his wife, and is now living with his girlfriend.

Magistrate Chum set a cash bail of $50,000 and surety of $15,000 on the condition that he will surrender his Philippine passport, and will not contact any of the prosecution witnesses and the victim.

He also required him to live in the address given to the court, notify the police at least 24 hours before moving to another address, and report every Sunday to the Mui Wo Police.

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Magistrate Chum also called the person who provided the security -- Apayat’s girlfriend -- and made it clear to her that she was required to ensure that he would attend all hearings, that she would accompany him to all hearings, and she would report to police if there is any indication he would not show up in court.

If any of these terms are violated, he told her, the bail will be canceled and Apayat will be returned to jail.

The next hearing is scheduled for August 12.

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6 weeks’s jail for DH caught selling liquor without license

 

Li Yuen Street West, known to Filipinas as 'alley-alley' (Google Maps photo)

A Filipina will spend a total of six weeks in jail for possessing and selling liquor, and doing that while holding a domestic helper’s visa.

Joyce Agcanas, 30 years old, pleaded guilty today at the Eastern Court to three charges, for which Principal Magistrate Ivy Chui meted her the following penalties: 

·       For selling liquor without a license, which is contrary to the Dutiable Conmodities Ordinance, Agcanas was sentenced to two days’ imprisonment.

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·       * For possession of liquor without a license, which is also contrary to the Dutiable Conmodities Ordinance, she was sentenced to four weeks imprisonment.

·       * For breach of conditionn of stay, for selling liquor while employed as a domestic helper, Agcanas was sentenced to six weeks in jail.

Magistrate Chui ordered the sentences to run at the same time, so the total sentence is six weeks in jail.

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Agcanas was arrested selling liquor on Oct. 21 last year on the third floor of 15 Li Yuen Street West in Central, known to Filipinos as "alley-alley."

During investigation at the police station, officers discovered that she was a domestic helper, whose condition of stay as approved by the Immigration Department, prohibits her from doing any other work. 

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Filipina DH charged with laundering $2.3m

 

The Filipina appeared in Tuen Mun court to face the money laundering charge

A Filipina domestic helper appeared in Tuen Mun court yesterday, charged with handling illicit money totaling nearly $2.3 million that passed through her MOX bank account within only 10 days in March this year.

No plea was taken from Maureen Joy L. Romero, 41, and she was remanded in jail until her next court appearance on Jul 24.

According to the charge, Romero dealt with the sum of $2,296,076 which passed through her  account with MOX Bank Limited, numbered 74966154325, between Mar 14 and 24 this year, despite “knowing or having reasonable ground to believe,” that the property “in whole or in part, directly or indirectly represented the proceeds of an indictable offense.”

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Meanwhile a Filipino resident again appeared in District Court on a charge of laundering the equivalent of HK$5.5 million in his Bank of China account betweem Aug 5 and Oct 21, 2020.

Jose Rizaldo Ledesma, who is said to be also known by the names Jose Rizaldo Raymundo Ledesma and Tose Rizhido R. Leoesma, 57, is accused of having laundered a total sum of 5,500 Euros and USD706,468.21 in his Bank of China account between Aug 5, 2020 and Oct 21, 2020.

He is charged alongside Wong Chiu-sang, 51, who faces a separate count of laundering the equivalent of more than HK$7.30 million through his Standard Chartered Bank account.

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Wong’s account is said to have been used to launder a total of HK$1,705,319.28 and USD719,851.25 between Aug 13, 2020 and October 31, 2020.

The case against Ledesma has been adjourned to July 7 for mention, and his bail of $400 was extended until then.

Wong, who is out on $4,000 bail, will appear in court again on Mar 31, 2025 for plea.

Money laundering is a crime under sections 25(1) and 25 (3) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance , Cap. 455.

The maximum penalty for anyone found to have committed the offence is 14 years’ imprisonment and $5 million in fines.

In a long line of cases that have been dealt with in Hong Kong’s criminal courts, the offence has always been punished with imprisonment, even if the accused has admitted the charge.

In one of the latest cases, a Filipina DH was sentenced to two months in jail after she pleaded guilty to laundering just over $20,000 through her bank account.

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DMW warns against fake OECs sold online

 

DMW's advisory against fake OECs

The Department of Migrant Workers has warned anew against fake overseas employment certificates that are offered for sale on social media.

The warning followed the detection recently of fake Balik Manggagawa OECs which two Filipinos bound for abroad had presented at the airport.

The first case involved a Filipina who presented a fake OEC she bought over WhatsApp and which she tried to present prior to her departure for Dubai, United Arab Emirates on May 24.

Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the 29-year-old woman was a former OFW who claimed she was redeployed to the UAE, but admitted buying the fake OEC for P7,200, for which she paid through GCash.

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The other case involved another Filipina who said she bought her counterfeit OEC through a Facebook group named “ZEL OEC Appointment”, and paid P500 for it through GCash.

Last year, the same warning was issued by Immigration after three Filipinos bound for Warsaw, Poland were stopped at Ninoy Aquino International Airport were also found to be carrying fake OECs, for which each paid a total of P77,000.

The three, one female and two males in their 30s, told investigators that they were recruited online and mainly conversed with their recruiter via messenger. Each paid around P70,000 in processing fees, and were charged an additional P7,000 for the alleged fast-tracking of their OECs, which were sent to them via email.

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Earlier, immigration officers at Clark International Airport also intercepted a Filipino male who presented a fake OEC as she tried to depart for Dubai aboard Emirates Airlines, saying he was returning to his job as personnel manager of a service provider.

Initially he claimed to have secured the OEC through legitimate means, but eventually admitted that he got it online, after paying P7,000.

All OFWs are advised to ensure that they are getting their OECs through legitimate channels by visiting the DMW website: https://dmw.gov.ph/onlineservices.

For Balik-Manggagawa (BM) or OFWs returning to the same employer, the following documents must be presented: (1)   Valid visa or work permit, or similar document and (2)   Employment contract with current employer or any other document to prove current employment such as a valid company ID or recent payslip.

All returning OFWs are advised to secure their OECs themselves before going home for a vacation as it is an easy process, and should ensure a worry-free travel back to their workplace.  

The DMW likewise advised all outbound workers that transactions to secure forged OECs, especially online, is illegal, and they can be charged under the “Acts that Promote Trafficking in Persons” law, for which the maximum penalty is 20 years in jail and fine of up to P2 million.

For any queries, send a message to the Facebook pages, DMW Anti-Illegal Recruitment and Trafficking in Persons Program, or Department of Migrant Workers.

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Retrospective exhibit of Araceli Dans’ art opens in HK

 

Ribbon-cutting to open the exhibit

Eleven years since she first exhibited in Hong Kong, legendary painter Araceli Limcaco Dans was again the star of an exhibit that opened at the Visual Arts Centre on Kennedy Road last night - except that this time, she was no longer around to grace the event.

Mrs Dans, widely regarded as one of the Philippines’ best watercolor artists and proponent of the intricate calado painting, passed on in the Philippines on May 18, at the age of 93 years old.

“Her passing was a significant loss to the Philippine art scene,” said Abigail Hills of Galleria Camaya  which organized the exhibit, with the support of the Philippine Consulate General and Philippine Association of Hong Kong.

Hills said Mrs Dans inspired fellow artists for her dedication and lifelong commitment to her art. She started doing mostly portraits from the age of 8, and was so disciplined she painted for 12 hours each day until Alzheimer’s slowed her down.

Hills pays homage to Dans and thanks all the participating artists

At the age of 60, she embarked on a new art form, transferring the delicate calado embroidery that adorn many Filipinas’ native costumes onto her canvas, for which she eventually became famous, both in the Philippines and abroad.

But Hills said it was not only art that fueled the Grand Dame’s artistry, but also her commitment to various social causes, especially those affecting the poor, the unborn, and those who toil abroad.

This Dans masterpieces is part of  Galleria Camaya's extensive art collection

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Fortunately, said Hills, Mrs Dans’ daughter, Marcy Dans Lee, has taken up the calado paint work that made her mother famous, and despite an initial hesitation to display her works, has agreed to do the ongoing mother-daughter exhibit in Hong Kong.

Also on show are the outstanding works of Hong Kong-based artists from a wide spectrum of backgrounds and professions, including migrant domestic workers from the group, “Guhit Kulay” led by Cris Cayat.

Cayat poses in front of her work, along with former Labor Attache Bernie Julve

They also include Filipino art veterans Jun Cambel, Manuel Rubio, Martin Megino, and the husband and wife team of Jun and Azon Canete; as well as the members of Pintura Circle, who banded together to hold art exhibits for charity, such as Stella Schapero, Grace Pineda-Camacho, Joyce Wong, Janeth Weil and Hills herself.

Two artists from the Philippines, Lei Manto and Bal Cambel, also shared some of their outstanding works.

Lei Manto shows off his work, along with The SUN publisher Leo A Deocadiz

Also part of the collection are the works of former Hong Kong OFW turned professional photo journalist Xyza Cruz Bacani and those of young Filipinos born and raised in the city.

Cutting the ceremonial ribbon for the exhibit’s opening were Vice Consul Alan Revote, PAHK chairperson Scylla Kwong, The SUN editor Daisy CL Mandap, and Edwina Antonio of Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge, which will benefit from a portion of the proceeds from the show.

All the artworks on show except for a few “for display only” pieces, are up for bidding, starting at $980 to $203,000 for two of Mrs Dans’ priceless works.

The exhibit will run from today, June 6 until Monday, June 10.

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Inconsistent answers get DH in trouble with Immigration

 The charges were filed by the Immigration Department

When you resign from work, you must remember your reason for terminating your employment contract and be consistent when asked about it later, especially by the Department of Immigration. If you change your story, you could find yourself in trouble.

This was the lesson learned by domestic helper Cherryl Danipog, 46 years old, who pleaded guilty to two charges of making a false statement to Immigration, when she appeared at Shatin Court on Wednesday (June 5).

Magistrate David Chum convicted her of both charges, but put off her sentencing to July 3 because the prosecution said Danipog had volunteered to help Immigration prosecute the employment agency personnel who allegedly advised her to commit the offense.

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Her cooperation in this regard could help reduce her sentence.

Danipog first pleaded guilty to making a “false statement for the purpose of obtaining an entry permit”, which violates Section 42 of the Immigration Ordinance.

She admitted that she answered “husband will go in Brazil” when asked in the application form for entry permit, for her reason for termination. She was prosecuted for giving the answer “knowing the same to be false or not believing the same to be true….”

The second charge – possessing a false instrument, a violation of the Crimes Ordinance – arose from having in her possession a notification of termination of an employment contract signed last Jan. 24, “which was false and which (she) knew or believed to be false.”

Since she had no bail application, Danipog was returned to jail to await the next hearing.

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Alleged taking of abortion drug lands Filipina in court

The attempted abortion case was heard at Shatin Court

A charge of taking a drug to induce abortion has landed a Filipina domestic worker in Shatin Court for violation of the Offenses Against the Person Ordinance.

But the case against T. Abaya, 35 years old, was adjourned to July 31 at the request of the prosecutor to await the report of the forensic examination on the evidence police had taken from her. 

She was not asked for a plea and was freed on bail of $2,000 until her next court appearance.

Abaya is accused of taking “a poison or other noxious thing, with intent to procure (her) own miscarriage” at her employer’s house last April 6.

Under Hong Kong laws, abortion is illegal unless (1) the continuation of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life, physical or mental health of the pregnant woman greater than if the pregnancy were terminated; or (2) the unborn child would be severely handicapped due to physical or mental abnormality.

The assessment of any of these conditions would have to be made by two doctors, and the legal abortion can only be done at designated clinics or hospitals.

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When she appeared Wednesday (June 5) before Magistrate David Chum, he noted that Abaya was not represented in the hearing, although a duty lawyer had appeared for her previously.

She replied that her employer had told her she would have a lawyer, and so assumed that he would provide one to her. It turned out that what the employer was referring to was a duty lawyer, which she herself should arrange, as she did previously.

When asked how she was able to talk with her employer, Abaya said she went to his house to take her things.

It was then that Chum reminded her that one of the terms of her bail is not to talk to her employer.

“Do not do that again, otherwise bail will be cancelled,” he added.

Before releasing Abaya, Chum reminded her to get a lawyer provided for free by the government though the Duty Lawyer Service office, which has an office on the fifth floor of the court building.

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Filipinos can still enter Taiwan without a visa until July 2025

 

Filipinos can continue to enter this islang state without a visa, if they meet certain requirements

Taiwan's Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA) announced yesterday, June 4, that it has extended its visa-exempt policy to Philippine passport holders for up to 14 days until July 31 next year.

The Philippines' current visa-free benefit which was announced on June 30 last year is set to expire on July 31 this year.

However, Filipino seafarers, aircraft crew members or service personnel who are intending to board to report for duty are ineligible for the visa-free entry.

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The requirements for the visa-free access for Philippine passport holders are:

-          A passport with remaining validity of at least six months as of the date of entry

-          A confirmed return air/sea ticket or air/sea ticket and a visa for the next destination, and

-          A confirmed seat reservation for a return flight or departure to another desitnation

-          Proof of accommodation such as a hotel booking, and/or host /sponsor's contact information and sufficient travel funds.

Wallace Minn-Gan Chow, representative for the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the Philippines, has previously said that Taiwan had seen "great potential" in its tourism partnership with the Philippines because it is geographically the closest country to the island state.

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