Filipina faces 2nd money-laundering case at DC

 

A Filipina whose money laundering case has been elevated to the District Court because alleged crime money that went though her bank account totalled over $3 million, faced an additional charged today of  dealing in another $288,455.50 of “dirty” money.

Leahlyn Pamonag, 37 years old, was returned to jail custody after appearing before Judge C.P. Pang, who adjourned the case to Aug. 7 at the request of prosecutors who needed to conduct further investigation.

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In the latest case filed by police last April 15, Pamonag is accused of dealing in $288,455.50, “knowing and having reasonable grounds to believe that (the property) … in whole and in part directly represented any person’s proceeds of an indictable crime…”

The charge arose from the deposits and withdrawals in her Mox Bank account from 27^th to 30^th of March, 2023.

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Also heard by Judge Pang was an earlier case in which Pamonag is accused of conspiring with an unknown person in dealing with a total of $3,075,807.90 in her Standard Chartered bank account, while knowing, or having reasonable ground to believe, that the money came from crime.

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This activity lasted from March 26 to April 30, 2023.

The alleged offences are punishable under section 25(1) and (23) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.

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Judge Pang is hearing the two cases together.

 

Sentencing set for Filipina who pleaded guilty to 20 of 21 thefts

 

The thefts took place in one of the flats here (Google Maps photo)

A Filipina who is now unemployed was convicted in 20 of 21 theft charges filed against her by police after she pleaded guilty today at Eastern Court.

Elizabeth Tsai, 46 years old, was saved from the first charge of theft -- in which she was alleged to have stolen two diamond rings, 17 rings, one silver bracelet and $14,000 in cash from three women in a flat in Honor Villa on Caine Road between March 1 and July 30 last year – after prosecutors withdrew it.

After she pleaded guilty to the 20 other thefts, Acting Principal Magistrate David Cheung scheduled her sentencing for June 4 and remanded her in jail custody.

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The first two thefts she admitted involved a ring taken on May 11, 2024 and a ring taken on May 13, 2024.

This was followed by the theft of one necklace on June 11, 2024 and another ring 13 days later. These constitute the third and fourth charges.

Tsai admitted stealing another ring on July 9, 2024, one necklace and one pair of earrings four days later, one necklace 10 days later, and one necklace 17 days later. These make up the 5th to 8th charge

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The 9^th theft charge involved one ring stolen on May 26, 2024

The 10th charge involved one ring stolen on April 9, followed by one ring on May 16 for the 11th charge, one pendant necklace on June 1 for the 12th charge, and one ring on June 18 for the 13th charge.

The 14^th charge accused Tsai of stealing a ring on April 2, 2024, followed by another ring on June 2 (15th charge), a ring 22 days later (16th charge), a ring on July 4, (17th charge) one pair of earrings on July 12, (18th charge) and one ring on July 11. (19th charge)

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The 20th theft Tsai admitted involved US$4 stolen between March 1 and July 30 last year.

Another OWWA official sacked over P1.4B land deal

 

Sinclair (middle) with the late Secretary Susan Ople,
and then Undersecretaries Hans Cacdac,Antonette Allones and PY Caunan

Overseas Workers Welfare Administration deputy director Emma Sinclair has also been removed from office because of her involvement in the allegedly anomalous purchase of a P1.4 billion parcel of land using the agency’s funds.

Malacanang press officer Claire Castro made the announcement at a press briefing Wednesday afternoon, saying Sinclair was removed due to loss of trust and confidence.

Sinclair’s removal followed that of former OWWA administrator Arnell Ignacio, who was alleged to have entered into the anomalous land deal without obtaining prior approval from the OWWA board of trustees, which is required by law.

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Castro said that their removal should serve as a warning to other public servants to do their jobs with professionalism, honesty, and integrity.

“Tanggalin ang panloloko o lokohan sa inyong pagtatrabaho,” Castro stressed. “Dahil hindi po mangingimi ang Pangulong tanggalin kayo sa pwesto. You will all be fired, kapag hindi ninyo tinupad ang inyong mga obligasyon sa bayan.”

(Do not cheat or fool around while at work because the President will not hesitate to remove you from your post. You will all be fired if you do not perform your duty to the country).

Castro said Sinclair's sacking should serve as warning to other public servants

She also emphasized that both officials were removed and did not resign, in apparent reference to a statement purportedly made by Ignacio that he resigned because of work-related stress.

''Maliban po diyan, mayroon pa pong isa na makakasama, ang deputy [administrator] na si Emma Sinclair, pareho po silang tinanggal. Hindi po sila pinag resign,'' Castro said.

(Apart from Ignacio, there is another one who was also removed, Deputy Administrator Emma Sinclair. Both were fired, they were not asked to resign.)

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A letter sent to Malacanang, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac, the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Department of Justice by “concerned OWWA employees” alleged that Ignacio and Sinclair acted together in buying the “worthless” piece of land.

Subsequent reports said the land which is located beside the Ninoy Aquino International Airport was meant to be site of a half-way house for overseas Filipino workers. However, the whistleblowers said the land was unsuitable for the purpose because it adjoins the airport’s runway.

They also claimed that the two officials and the seller, a Mr Medina, colluded in not paying the right tax for the property, allowing them to collect the Php86-million difference. A further sum of Php70 million in “broker’s fee” was also unaccounted for.

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Aside from these, the letter-writers questioned the suspicious “refund” of Php36 million made to the seller in a side contract, as well as rental payments from the commercial establishments on the land from the time the title to the property was registered in the Philippine government’s name in November last year.

Last week, Malacanang announced Ignacio’s removal and his immediate replacement by Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne Caunan as OWWA administrator.

Filipinos in HK warned against surrogacy trap in Georgia

 

PCG warns some surrogates in Georgia end up being raped or forced to undergo abortions

The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong has posted a warning to Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong against falling for offers to go Georgia to become surrogate mothers for a fee.

According to the PCG, a syndicate is targeting terminated Filipino domestic workers to accept surrogacy jobs in Georgia, a country in Eastern Europe and West Asia. Once she accepts the offer, the Filipina is sent to Georgia as a tourist, passing through either Qatar or the United Arab Emirates.

“Once in Georgia, they become victims of rape and forced abortions,” said the PCG.

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In Hong Kong, the surrogacy scam was brought to the attention of the PCG by Marites Palma, founder of Social Justice for Migrant Workers, after a victim reached out to her.

The 36-year-old victim told Palma through messenger that she was being held captive by an abuser in the Georgian capital, Tblisi, and was being forced to abort the six-month baby in her womb.

The victim also said she was terminated in Hong Kong in October 2024 and agreed to the surrogacy offer because it was tempting.

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According to Palma, the offer was for US$11,800 for nine months of carrying an implanted egg in her womb. They are assured of leaving within days on tourist visas to Georgia, all arranged by the agent.

However, once they give birth in Georgia, they are left to fend for themselves, including having to explain to authorities why they had overstayed their visas.

After Palma alerted PCG officials, the victim was rescued from her captor but is still there, waiting to give birth.

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Palma said that the recruiter, who was originally in Hong Kong, had moved on to Georgia, apparently in a bid to prevent being arrested.

Surrogacy is illegal in both the Philippines and Hong Kong, as well as many other Asian countries like Cambodia, where Filipinas who agreed to go there as surrogates recently were initially charged in court before being deported to the Philippines, still pregnant.

Palma expressed concern that other Filipinas desperate for jobs and money could be lured to also move to Georgia and other countries to become surrogates despite the dangers because of the offer of big payments by the syndicates.

She shared a Facebook post from one named Georgia Lee, apparently also a Filipina, who encouraged MDWs here to consider acting as surrogates, which she said, would spare them of having to work hard for other people at low pay.

“Dito sarili na lang ninyo ang iintindihin nyo,di na po kayo gigising ng maaga para ipagluto ng almusal ang mga amo, di na po kayo maglilinis everyday, as a surrogate mother sarili lang ninyo ang aalagaan ninyo…”the post said.

But as the case of the Filipina victim who reached out to Palma shows, the risks involved in agreeing to be a surrogate could be huge, and long-lasting. Another likely consequence is that the woman could end up penniless, and having to raise the child she only agreed to bear for someone else.

Pinay DH, 3 African asylum-seekers charged with conspiracy to steal $259K

 

A Filipina domestic helper has found herself in jail with three African asylum seekers after being dragged into a conspiracy to commit theft.

Cherry Morbo, 31 years old, was remanded in jail with the three others after their case was adjourned to July 4 by Acting Principal Magistrate David Cheung at Eastern Court last Friday (May 16).

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It was not mentioned in court how Morbo became associated with Tanzanian Vivian Lymo, 40 years old, Tanzanian Sophia Modsony, 41 years old, and South African Aka Eba, all of them unemployed and using a recognizance form to serve as their identity document.

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It was also not mentioned how any one of  them, including Morbo, is associated, whether personally or by work, to the victim, Peter Thomas Wilkinson

According to charge filed by Wanchai Police last May 10, the four are accused of conspiring to steal $259, 300 from Wilkinson last Feb. 22, in violation of section 9 of the Theft Ordinance and section 159A of the Crime Ordinance.

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Experts urge high-risk people to get Covid shots amid spike in infections

 

The elderly are urged to get a booster shot, and young kids, their first dose

Government experts are urging high-risk individuals, particularly the elderly and young children, to get vaccinated against Covid-19 amid a rise in the number of infections and severe cases in the past two weeks.

The experts said the renewed rise in Covid-19 cases is driven by evolving virus strains and declining population immunity.

The Centre for Health Protection recorded a total of 81 severe cases of Covid-19 involving adults in the past four weeks, among which 30 resulted in death. That’s roughly one patient dying every day in about a month.

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The CHP figures also showed that 83% of the patients were aged 65 and above, and most had not received a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

For children, the CHP has recorded five severe cases so far this year, with three not having received any dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Two had underlying illnesses.

Speaking on a radio program on Saturday, Lau Yu-lung, chairman of CHP’s scientific committee on vaccine preventable diseases said that while the current toll of severe cases and fatalities remains below levels seen during last year’s peak, the public should not be complacent.

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Lau said that the low transmission rate of the virus over the past six months resulted in lower levels of antibodies among residents.

"With the emergence of a variant known as KP.3, a certain number of residents became infected, leading to more extensive transmission of the virus once it entered the community,” said Lau.

He urged high-risk groups, particularly the elderly and the immunocompromised, to get booster shots as the vaccines continue to provide robust protection against severe infections.

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In the same interview, Dr Mike Kwan, president of the Asian Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases, raised concerns about a number of young children being hospitalized with severe Covid-19 symptoms.

Dr Kwan said most of these children had not received any Covid-19 vaccinations and were at greater risk of complications.

He said pediatric wards are now full of children with Covid-19, many of them unvaccinated. These children have experienced high fever for several days, which if left untreated could lead to pneumonia or croup.

In the past two months, there were also five to six cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome involving children. This is a rare but serious condition that occur after recovery, where the liver, heart or lungs are inflamed due to the infection.

Kwan assured parents that Covid-19 vaccines are safe, so they should get their children vaccinated as soon as possible to reduce the risk of severe illness.

 

Pinoy immigrant wins CA$80M, Canada’s biggest ever lottery jackpot

 

Justin is all smiles as he receives a mock copy of his historic lottery win

A 35-year-old Filipino migrant could not help but shed tears as he was awarded the CA$80 million (or Php3.19 billion) he won in Lotto Max jackpot, the biggest lottery prize ever won by an individual in Canada.

Justin Simporios, who is married and has a daughter, said he immediately resigned from his job at a logistics company after realizing he hit the jackpot.

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 “I’m an immigrant. I came from a poor country…With this amount of money, I will be able to spend more time with my daughter, with my wife, with my family…,” a tearful Simporios said at a media conference, where he was handed a symbolic check for the jackpot prize.

Simporios who has lived in Surrey, British Columbia for four years, bought the winning ticket for CA$12 at Central City Walmart last Friday, while buying buns and cheese for the burgers that he and his family had for dinner that day.

At 10:30 p.m., he decided to check the winning numbers in the lottery. He sat on the bed with a flashlight on, to avoid waking his daughter who was already sleeping.

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When he saw he had won the jackpot, he said he screamed, making his wife angry, saying he had woken up their daughter.

“I was like, babe, we don’t have to work anymore, this is life-changing. And then I scanned it and yeah, we can’t believe it was, it was a dream, right?”

Justin is unable to hold back tears as he reflects on his life-changing win

Simporios was the sole winner of the jackpot for the May 9, 2025 draw, betting on the numbers 06-10-16-17-30-38-48

He said he plans to seek a financial consultant “right away”, then buy his dream house.

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He also plans to spend time with his family, pay off his sister’s medical debt, help his mother retire early, and give back to his community in Surrey, the second biggest city in B.C. and home to one of the biggest Filipino communities in Canada.

 “I’ve struggled before and needed help. Even if I can give an ounce of happiness, I want to help where we can. This feels like a dream,” said Simporios.

 

9 months’ jail for fake docs, overstaying & lying to Immigration

 

Pinay's fake documents detected at airport

A Filipina arrested at the airport while returning to Hong Kong with fake documents showing she was working as a domestic helper, has been jailed for a total of nine months after pleading guilty to four charges filed against her at Shatin Court.

The final sentence on Celia Tamani, 38, was a combination of four different jail terms -- three running concurrently, with the longest at six months; and the fourth adding a further three months, all handed down by Acting Principal Magistrate Cheang Kei-hong on Thursday (March 15).

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The charge of using a false instrument, contrary to section 73 of the Crimes Ordinance, brought Tamani the six-month sentence for presenting a fake notification slip for extension of stay and and entry visa for foreign domestic helper when she returned to Hong Kong last April 23.

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An investigation by the Immigration Department revealed that when she applied for an extension of stay on April 3, 2024, she lied to an immigration officer in saying that she would work as a domestic helper for a certain Tang Kok-bun.

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For this she was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment, which would be concurrent with the six-month term.

Also made concurrent was the 20-day sentence for her breach of condition of stay, having overstayed from April 6, 2024, which should have been her last day of stay in Hong Kong had she not received a visa  extension, to her arrest on April 23 2025.

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Of the four-month penalty for the last charge – falsely representing to an Immigration officer at the airport upon her arrival on April 23, 2025 that she would continue working for the same employer – three months will be added to the six-month term, brunging the total sentence to nine months.

 

 

Migrant group urges full audit of OWWA funds amid P1.4 B land scandal

 

Ignacio in one of his final public events as OWWA administrator

United Filipinos-Migrante Hong Kong has called for an immediate audit of the funds held by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in the wake of the sacking of its administrator, Arnell Ignacio, over his alleged anomalous purchase of a parcel of land for Php1.4 billion using the agency’s funds.

In a statement released yesterday, Unifil-Migrante also urged for a quick investigation of Ignacio so he can be held accountable for misusing money set aside for overseas Filipino workers.

Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac said in an interview yesterday that Ignacio was removed from his post because of the government’s loss of trust in him following an investigation into the reportedly anomalous land purchase.

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In a phone interview with a local media outlet, Ignacio reportedly said he would address the allegations in due time at an appropriate forum.

The questionable transaction first surfaced after a letter sent to Malacanang and various governemnt agencies by "concerned OWWA employees" alleged that apart from using OWWA funds to buy a "worthless" parcel of land, Ignacio also pocketed an undisclosed amount in rent from commercial spaces on the property starting in November last year, Php84 million from not paying the correct tax on the purchase, and Php70 million as "broker's fee."

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Ignacio also allegedly executed a side contract that allowed the seller, a certain Mr Medina, to get a "refund" of Php36 million, but demanded that it be handed back when news of the irregular sale was first reported to the administration in September last year.

The letter was dated March 31 this year, but it mentioned another one sent five months earlier.

Ignacio, Cacdac and Caunan (3rd,5th and 9th from left)
 pose with legislators who approved the DMW and OWWA budget for 2025

Unifil’s call came as the new OWWA administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan assured the public in an interview that an investigation is already underway into the alleged anomalous transaction which Ignacio entered into without the knowledge and consent of the OWWA Board of Trustees.

Caunan also pledged to lead the “necessary audit” of OWWA after getting a legal opinion from the Department of Justice and consulting with the Commission on Audit.

But she hastened to add that the money used for the apparently anomalous land purchase did not come from the OWWA Trust Fund, but from the General Appropriations Act (GAA) or national budget.

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Reports said budget records show that the OWWA Fund stands at P2.973 billion while the GAA funding for the agency is at P3.409 billion.

Caunan also disclosed that an OFW dormitory was supposed to be built on the controversial property which is near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Under the law that created OWWA the Board is headed by the Secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers while the OWWA administrator is vice chairman.

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The members include the secretaries of the Departments of Labor and Employment, Foreign Affairs, Finance and Budget and Management , as well as the president of the Social Security System. There is also a representative each from the women, land-based and sea-based sectors, as well as the  recruitment and manning sectors.

Caunan said that under the same law, any land purchase could only be done with the consent of the Board of Trustees.

Ignacio doing the zumba with OFWs on Chater Road: Unifil says he downplayed their problems

In its statement Unifil said it was just right that Ignacio was sacked over his mishandling of OWWA funds.

It was not the first time that Ignacio had used OWWA’s money without prior consultation, said Unifil, citing his move to set up the OFW Global Centre on an entire floor of upmarket United Centre in Admiralty at a cost of HK$8 M each year.

“Samantalang pahirapan  ang pagbibigay ng direct assistance sa mga may problema kagaya ng mga OFWs sa mga bansang may gera at stranded sa Pilipinas,” said Unifil.

The group also recalled Ignacio saying that OFWs in Hong Kong only wanted to be happy and entertained, in blatant disregard for the many challenges that they face daily while working on foreign soil.

16 arrested in anti-illegal worker raids

 

One of those arrested is escorted for investigation 

The Immigration Department (ImmD) arrested 10 suspected illegal workers, four suspected employers and two overstayers in a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations, and joint operations with the Hong Kong Police Force on May 12 to 15.

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During the anti-illegal worker operations codenamed "Greenlane", "Lightshadow", and "Twilight", ImmD Task Force officers’ raids on 70 target locations including an exhibition hall, residential buildings and restaurants, resulted in 10 workers and four employers being arrested.

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The workers comprised six men and four women, aged 27 to 57. Among them, two women were holders of recognisance forms, which prohibit them from taking any employment. In addition, one man and one woman were also suspected of using and being in possession of a forged Hong Kong identity card; one woman was suspected of using and being in possession of a Hong Kong identity card related to another person.

One man and three women, aged 35 to 61, were suspected of employing the illegal workers and were also arrested.

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During operation "Champion" carried out with Police, officers raided 72 target locations in Central, Eastern and Mong Kok districts. Two overstayers were arrested. The arrested overstayers comprised two women, aged 31 and 53.

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"Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence,” the ImmD said. 

“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."