Filipina tourist found dead in Wanchai guesthouse

 

Kwong Wah Building in Wan Chai, where the woman was found dead in a guesthouse

The Philippine Consulate has confirmed reports that a 72-year-old Filipino woman was found dead in a guesthouse in Wan Chai earlier today, Tuesday.

Assistance to nationals head Vice Consul Gino Soriano said they will meet with the next of kin of the deceased tomorrow to assist them in repatriating her remains.

Hong Kong Police said they received a report at 7:43am from staff of Hotel No 1 at Kwong Wah Building, 269-273 Hennesy Road that the woman had fainted in her room at the said premises.

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Officers who responded certified the woman dead at the scene. No foul play is suspected.

"The cause of the subject's death is yet to be determined after an autopsy," said the police.

Reports said the woman had a history of high blood pressure and had complained of chest pains.

Initial reports gave two conflicting versions of the case. One said the deceased was a woman, while another said it was a 71-year-old man from the Philippines.

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It was also not clear from the reports whether the deceased had just arrived from the Philippines ahead of joining a cruise from Hong Kong, or whether she had already taken the cruise and was spending the night in the guesthouse.

The report that correctly identified the deceased as a woman said she had told her roommate at about 9:30pm on Monday that she was going to sleep.

When the roommate woke up at 7:30am she found the deceased unresponsive, cold to the touch, and was no longer breathing.

The case has been classified as “dead body found” pending the result of an autopsy.

Just six days earlier, foremost Filipino chef Margarita Fores was also found dead inside her hotel room in Admiralty, after she missed a lunch appointment.

Her family had expressed shock at her death, as the 65-year-old celebrity chef had just posted photos on Instagram of the Indian restaurant she had dinner at the night before. She was known to be relatively healthy, despite having undergone treatment for cancer twice in the past.

The police said there were no suspicious circumstances in her death.

Fores’ remains were shipped to the Philippines following a day-long wake at the Hong Kong Funeral Home on Feb. 14.

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2 Filipinas in jail on money laundering charges

 

Two of three Filipinas who appeared in separate courts today, charged with money laundering, were returned to jail after their cases were adjourned.

At the District Court, Charity Joy Paculio was returned to detention by Judge C.P. Pang after he adjourned her case to May 6. Court notices indicated earlier that she would enter a plea today to a charge of having dealt with $2.75 million in illicit funds.

Paculio, 45 years old, is charged with “dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offense,” in violation of section 25(1) and (3) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.

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The case arose from deposits and withdrawals which amounted to $2,751,387.98 representing “any person’s proceeds of an indictable offense,” in her Standard Chartered Bank account between Feb. 22 and 28, 2024.

Susana Echavaria, 57 years old, also remained in detention on two counts of money laundering, involving a comparatively small amount of $533.000.

Eastern Court Principal Magistrate Don So rejected her lawyer’s offer of $30,000 cash bail and assurances that she would attend future hearings of her case.

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The first charge alleges that Echavaria handled $413,000 in crime money through deposits and withdrawals made between 16 and 29 of August 2019 in her account with the Hongkong and Shanhai Banking Corp.

Her Hang Seng Bank account was then used to handle $120,000 of crime money on September 4 to 13, with the help of a “person unknown”, the Aberdeen Police complaint added.

In the third case, Emilyn Olarte, was able to post bail of $600, and was freed until the next hearing scheduled by Acting Principal Magistrate Veronica Heung for March 18 at Fanling Court.

Olarte, 40 years old, is accused of dealing in $321,552.22 in crime money through her ZA Bank account between Oct. 24, 2023 and Jan. 2024.

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“Sideline” results in 2-month jail for DH

 

Shatin Court 

Will doing a sideline to earn extra income be worth it for a domestic helper? Not if it means losing her job and being jailed to boot.

Jocelyn Balbuena, 37 years old, found this out after she was meted a two-month jail sentence, with no prospect of being allowed to resume work in Hong Kong after her release from prison. She pleaded guilty today at Shatin Court to breaching her condition of stay.

Acting Principal Magistrate Cheang Kei-hong meted a three-month sentence but gave her a one-third discount for her guilty plea.

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The Immigration Department complaint said Balbuena violated her condition of stay – to work as a domestic helper for the employer specified in her contract – by peforming work “other than approved by the Director of Immigration.”

Babuena was arrested, on Nov. 21 while doing cleaning work at Nam Fung Centre in Tsuen Wan, along with 13 other persons, during an anti-illegal work operations by the Immigration Department on Nov. 18-21.

In a press statement about the arrests, Immigration warned: "Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offense. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years' imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties."

During the anti-illegal worker operations, Immigration Task Force officers raided 30 target locations including a beauty parlor, grocery stores, a massage parlor, commercial buildings, residential buildings, restaurants, retail shops and warehouses.

Ten suspected illegal workers and three suspected employers were arrested.

In another operationn in which enforcement officers raided seven target locations in Mongkok district, one female overstayer, aged 37, was also arrested.

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OFW remittances hit all-time high of US$38.3B

 

Filipinos overseas sent more money home as the value of the peso dipped

Cash remittances from Filipinos abroad hit a record high of $38.34 billion in 2024 on the back of a weak peso.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas noted this marked a 3 percent increase from the US$37.21 billion recorded in 2023. 

A last-minute surge in remittances in December 2024 amounting to US$3.73 billion resulted in the biggest monthly cash inflow on record, and contributed significantly to the overall figure.

The BSP said that remittances accounted for approximately 8.3 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and 7.4 percent of gross national income (GNI), underscoring their critical role in boosting the local economy.

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The bulk of the remittances were coursed through banks, amounting to US$34.49 billion, up from US$33.49 billion from the previous years. The rest of the remittances we sent through informal channels and non-cash transfers.

Cash remittances from the United States, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates primarily fueled the surge in remittances last year, said the BSP. But this did not necessarily mean Filipinos in the USA have been sending the most money home.

BSP says much of the remittances were coursed through correspondent banks in the US

As explained by the BSP, the US is the main source of remittances because the “common practice of remittance centers in various cities abroad is to course remittances through correspondent banks, most of which are located in the US.”

In terms of regions, Asia recorded the second highest overall remittance of US$13.85 billion, which was just slightly less than that of the entire Americas, with an overall tally of US$15.38 billion.

Singapore’s total remittance of US$2.48 billion boosted the tally for Asia, followed by Japan with US$1.7 billion, Taiwan with US$904.9 million, and Hong Kong with US$801,831 million.

The biggest remitters in the Middle East were those in Saudi Arabia with US$2.22 billion and United Arab Emirates with US$1.52 billion.

The steady 3 per cent growth rate in remittances reflected the increase in demand and deployment of skilled Filipino workers.

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Bayan Muna-Makabayan candidates vow to lower prices, stop corruption

 

Proclamation of the Makabayan + Bayan Muna coalition candidates

Lower food prices. Higher wages across the board. Crack down on corruption and hold those responsible to account. End political dynasties.

These form the platform of Bayan Muna party-list and Makabayan candidates who visited Hong Kong this weekend, and launched their global campaign for the 2025 mid-term election in the Philippines.

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Leading the group was lawyer Neri Colmenares, chairman and first nominee of Bayan Muna, an erstwhile front-runner in the party-list vote that was dealt a severe blow in the 2022 elections, when it failed to garner enough votes to retain a seat in the House of Representatives.

Colmenares, a human rights lawyer who also failed in his bid to win a Senate seat in the last polls, said a second consecutive loss for Bayan Muna will prevent it taking part in another election.

Colmenares answers questions from Filcom leaders at Chater Road forum

“Babalik at kailangang makabalik kami sa Kongreso,” said Colmenares, at the Makabayan bloc’s Miting de Avance at Eton Hotel in Jordan on Sunday. (We will return – we should return to Congress).

In addition to the common platform of the Makabayan candidates, Colmenares promised to again lobby for the elimination of government fees levied on overseas Filipino workers, particularly the mandatory contributions to the national health insurer, PhilHealth.

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Colmenares expressed alarm at the news that PhilHealth has started sending collection notices to some OFWs, telling them they must pay for the five years that the mandatory collection of membership dues was suspended, plus 1.5 percent monthly interest.

If elected back to Congress, he said he would immediately file a bill questioning the government fees that OFWs are being forced to pay. He also said he would again push for a Php2,000 increase in the monthly pension of SSS members and senior citizens who are not receiving any pension.

PINDUTIN DITO

At a time when the two most powerful political clans in the country – the Marcoses and the Dutertes – are fighting control over the government, Colmenares said Filipinos should not allow themselves to be caught in between the forces of “kadiliman” and “kasamaan.”

Conti speaks amid a backdrop of the candidates' names and numbers on ballot

“We are not destined to choose the lesser evil,” he said, adding that there are many capable candidates that Filipino voters can choose, instead of limiting their choices to those aligned with the two factions.

Later, at a meeting with Filipino community leaders on Chater Road, Colmenares said voters should assess each candidate and choose those who like them support the impeachment move against Vice President Sara Duterte, oppose the transfer of PhilHealth funds to government coffers, and other pro-people moves.

Also at the campaign launch was another human rights lawyer and Bayan Muna’s fifth nominee, Kristina Conti.

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The candidate who gained prominence for fighting for the victims of the extrajudicial killings during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s rule said the human rights situation in the country needs to be improved. If the people no longer feel secure with officers in uniform, “kanino ka pa magsusumbong?” (where else can you seek help?),  she asked.

The rest of the delegation consisted of former or current party-list representatives in Congress, who all reported on the laws they crafted and supported, and the advocacies they championed.

They comprised Teddy Casino, current chair of Bayan (Bagong Alyansang Makabayan) and former Bayan Muna party-list representative, Liza Maza, a two-termer who represented both Bayan Muna and Gabriela Women’s Party, and Arlene Brosas, the incumbent representative of Gabriela.

They presented individual platforms that included such advocacies as getting a divorce law passed in the Philippines, providing greater protection to rape victims, expanding the coverage of laws protecting women and their children, raising the minimum wage for workers across the Philippines to P1,200; a minimum salary of P33,000 for government employees and Php50,000 for teachers, nurses and health professionals.

Shirt with the Bayan Muna party-list and names of Makabayan senatorial candidates

Their records in Congress speak well of how Makabayan lawmakers have done their jobs, said Maza.

“All the bills passed by Makabayan are breakthrough legislation,” she noted.

Casino said Makabayan candidates are true representatives of the people because they work on the ground and know the sentiments of ordinary folks, unlike the incumbent senators who represent less than 1% of the country’s population.

So, to those who ask them why they even run when they seem have little chances of winning, Casino said it is because “Ito ang tama, ito ang dapat.” (It is what’s right and proper).

He also noted that until the 2022 debacle, Bayan Muna was a forerunner in the party-list vote so that it did not have just one, but three seats in Congress.

Also part of the 11-member Senate slate of Makabayan are Danilo Ramos, a farmer; Mimi Doringo, urban poor leader; Jerome Adonis, trade union leader; France Castro, teacher; Jocelyn Andamo, nurse; Ronnel Arambulo, fisherman and environmentalist; Amirah Lidasan, Moro activist; and Mody Floranda, driver activist.

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Gov’t renews warning against seasonal flu amid rising death toll

Graphic from CHP

If you have fever, cough or colds, there is one chance in 10 that you will go down with seasonal flu.

Dr Edwin Tsui, controller of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health, issued this warning in the wake of CHP's latest` surveillance data, indicating a rising number of deaths and serious cases.

As of February 12, the CHP recorded 301 severe or death cases among adult patients, about 70 per cent of whom have not received the seasonal influenza vaccine (SIV) of this season, and about 70 per cent of them have chronic diseases.

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Among the 186 death cases, about 90 per cent were aged 65 or above.

In the week ending February 8, CHP found that 10.23 per cent of respiratory specimens have tested positive for seasonal influenza viruses.

The influenza admission rate in public hospitals is 0.67 cases per 10 000 population, indicating that the overall influenza activity remains at a high level, he added.

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"Hong Kong entered the influenza season in early January this year, and it is now the sixth week. The Influenza A (H1) virus is predominant this season, accounting for nearly 90 per cent of the subtyped influenza virus detections. In terms of severe or death cases caused by influenza, this season, as in the past, mainly affects the elderly and young children," Dr Tsui said.

He urged everyone aged 6 months and above to get the vaccine immediately to protect their health and that of their family members.

"The number of severe or death cases recorded in the first five weeks of this season is higher than that of the same period last season, but similar to the 2018/19 influenza season, i.e. before the COVID-19 pandemic, which was also dominated by influenza A (H1). Based on historical data, the entire influenza season usually lasts for two to four months. Whether it will last for 28 weeks, as in the past influenza season, will depend on any change in the circulating strains of viruses, including any increase in the activities of influenza A (H3) and influenza B viruses," Dr Tsui said.

PINDUTIN DITO

\He pointed out that, according to the virus analysis conducted by the CHP, the strains of influenza viruses that are circulating in Hong Kong nowadays are similar to the strains of viruses in the seasonal influenza vaccine currently available in Hong Kong, which means that the vaccine is effective in lowering the risk of serious complications or death from the infection. Data analysis also showed that the rate of serious complications in residents of residential care homes for the elderly who did not receive SIV was 2.2 times that of vaccinated residents, highlighting the protective effect of SIV.

As of February 9, a total of about 1.9 million doses of vaccines were administered under various vaccination programs, an increase of about 8.4 per cent over the same period in the last SIV season and a record high, surpassing the total number of doses administered under various vaccination programs in the year 2023/24 (about 1.8 million doses).

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For the more information, members of the public can visit the CHP's seasonal influenza (https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/14843.html) and COVID-19 & Flu Express (https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/resources/29/100148.html) webpages.

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Free consulations with HK lawyers set

 

Can Filipinos obtain divorce in Hong Kong? How do they go about it? Where will this divorce be recognized?

These and other questions about Hong Kong laws will be answered in a whole-day free legal consultation, to be be held on on March 9 at the Philippine Consulate General’s conference room,

Idulog Mo Kay Atorni: Access to Justice, is a joint project of the Consulate and Pro Bono Hong Kong, an organization of Hong Kong lawyers.

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PINDUTIN DITO

A total of 30 people, who are required to pre-register, will be accepted for slots in the one-on-one sessions with the lawyers from 9am to 5pm.

Ten people will be scheduled in the morning session and 20 in the afternoon.

Walk-ins will be accepted if unused slots are available.

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Basahin ang detalye!

Deadline for registration is Mrach 2.

To register, click this link: https://forms.gle/i4oHbt1EMYeVrEWa6

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Makabayan to launch global campaign in HK

 

The full Bayan Muna and Makabayan lineup for the 2025 mid-term election

BAYAN Muna partylist and senatorial candidates from the Makabayan bloc will hold their first 2025 global miting de avance in Hong Kong tomorrow.

 

Slated to meet with overseas Filipino workers are Makabayan senatorial candidates Liza Maza and Arlene Brosas, as well as BAYAN Muna first nominee Neri Colmenares.

 

The group’s proclamation rally will be held at an indoor venue in Kowloon where space is limited, so attendance is by invitation only from Bayan Muna Hong Kong.

 

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In the said global meeting overseas Filipino workers from various countries will be attending, in person or online. The candidates will share their platform and programs with the attendees.

 

But in the afternoon starting at 2pm, the Makabayan an d BAYAN Muna candidates will be on Chater Road in Central to meet and consult with OFWs in Hong Kong.

 

Earlier, OFW leaders in Hong Kong had convened to come up with a 10-point agenda that they hope to present to the candidates. The issues they plan to present are:

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1)    Internet voting preparedness – they fear massive disenfranchisement due to the seemingly inadequate preparation for the first even online voting for overseas Filipinos

2)    Abolition of mandatory fees and halting of premium hikes collected by the government, such as for PhilHealth, SSS and Pag-IBIG.

3)    Scrapping the Universal Health Care Law that mandates all OFWs and other self-paying members to contribute 5% of their monthly salary. They call for a true and comprehensive health care that will not make membership mandatory, provide for premium hikes and interest payments for missed contributions.

PINDUTIN DITO

4)    Stop requiring PhilHealth membership mandatory for all medical students

5)    Make OWWA benefits more accessible to all OFWs

6)    Government intervention to halt inflation and stop the increase in prices of food and other living expenses

7)    Provide for a Php1,200 daily minimum wage for workers in the Philippines to reflect the real cost of living and frequent price hikes

8)    Greater accountability against corruption and abuse of power by public officials

9)    Better protection for indigenous people’s rights

10) Clemency for Mary Jane Veloso, who remains in jail after being repatriated by Indonesia where she was sentenced to death for trafficking drugs her illegal recruiter had loaded into her bags

 

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Bayan Muna Hong Kong chairperson Lai Besana said, “Our collective voice aims to influence legislative change and foster better policies that address our unique challenges.”

 

She said OFWs in Hong Kong are confident the issues they intend to take up with the BAYAN Muna and Makabayan candidates will be brought to the House of Representatives and Senate.

 

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Philippines' top court denies ex-HK resident's bid to nullify bigamous marriage

The SC's majority decision says that only an innocent spouse can seek to nullify bigamous marriage

Voting 11 to 4, the Philippine Supreme Court en banc has ruled that a spouse who knowingly entered into a bigamous marriage cannot ask the court to nullify the same.

In a 14-page ruling promulgated on Nov. 5, 2024 but released only today, Feb. 14, 2025, the SC denied the application filed by Maria Lina Quirit-Figarido  to have her marriage to Edwin Figarido declared null for being bigamous.

Maria Lina first married Ho Kar Wai, a Chinese national living in Hong Kong, with whom she had a child. While working as a bank teller here, she met Edwin and they had an affair. She later returned to the Philippines and married Edwin. They had two children together.

After a few years, Ho obtained a divorce in Hong Kong, and had it recognized by a Parañaque court.

Maria Lina remained married to Edwin for 14 years, but later decided to file a petition to nullify their marriage, with the intention to remarry. She argued before the Regional Trial Court that her marriage to Edwin was void from the beginning for being bigamous.

The RTC denied her petition, and it was affirmed by the Court of Appeals. This prompted Maria Lina to elevate the case to the Supreme Court.

In the majority decision, the SC ruled that only the offended spouse, not the offender, can ask the court to nullify a bigamous marriage. In this case, it was the petitioner’s first husband who held that right, but he lost it after obtaining a divorce. This right did not transfer to the petitioner, who is considered the guilty spouse.

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But the court emphasized that denying Maria Lina’s petition is not tantamount to legalizing bigamous marriages, as the parties in such a marriage may still face civil and criminal charges for bigamy.

The SC also did not find merit in Maria Lina’s claim that it would not hurt anyone if the court would grant her petition.

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In the majority decision penned by Associate Justice Ricardo Rosario, the SC said that allowing a party who intentionally entered into a bigamous marriage and benefited from its convenience for a long period “will inevitably bastardize the institution of marriage to the prejudice of the State."

PINDUTIN DITO

Four justices, namely Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, Associate Justices Amy Lazaro-Javier, Rodil Zalameda, and Ramon Paul Hernando, dissented.

“To be abundantly clear, even unfaithful wives who cheat on their husbands are entitled to the full measure of the law, as morally objectionable as their infidelity may have been,” Lazaro-Javier said in her dissent.

Zalameda said the court “should have granted this petition as it is the only way for AAA to rectify her grave mistake and formally put an end to an obviously void marriage.”\ 

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