2 Pinay DHs get jail sentences for theft

 

Filipina admitted stealing jewelry and cash (Photo for illustration only)

Two Filipina domestic helpers today pleaded guilty to stealing money and jewelry from their employers, and were jailed for 12 months and two months, respectively.

Jovy Santiago, 32 years old, received  the one-year  sentence from a Acting Principal Magistrate Daniel Tang Siu-hung after she pleaded guilty at Tuen Mun Court to stealing $211,800 worth of jewelry and cash from her employer’s home in Shek Wu Ting in Pat Heung, Yuen Long.

The stolen items consisted of a pair of gold bracelets worth $85,000, two gold bracelets worth $20,000, two diamond rings worth $58,800, one baby gold bracelet worth $8,000, one gold ring worth $18,000, HK$5,000 in cash, 10,000 renminbi in cash, and one necklace worth $7,000.

The thefts were committed between Feb. 1 and March 3 this year, according to the brief facts filed in court by the Yuen Long Police.

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In a separate case, Aubrey Canusa, 37 years old, was jailed for two months by Magistrate Li Chi-ho, after she pleaded guilty in West Kowloon Court to stealing a wallet containing $25,000 from her employer who lived at Banyan Garden on Lai Chi Kok Road in Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon.

The theft took place on an unknown date between Jan. 22 and May 1 this year, according to information filed by the Sham Shui Po Police.

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Meanwhile, a third Filipina accused of theft was remanded in jail after her case was adjourned by Acting Principal Magistrate David Cheung at Eastern Court.

Magistrate Cheung set a hearing for Mylyn Masajo, 34 years old, on September 23 for plea.

She is accused of eight counts of theft allegedly committed between Feb. 15 and June 5 this year at her employer’s home in Harbour Heights in North Point.

 

 

 

New chikungunya case brings HK total to 6

 

Graphic from Centre for Health Protection

A new case of chikungunya fever (CF) was reported today, bringing the total number of cases in Hong Kong to six, all of them imported, and one probable case, according to the Centre for Health Protection (CHP).

The report came with a reminder for the public to maintain strict environmental hygiene and to take personal protective measures against mosquito bites, both locally and when travelling outside Hong Kong.

“Those who suspect they may be infected with CF should seek medical advice promptly and avoid self-testing, which can lead to delays in diagnosis and treatment,” the CHP said.

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The CHP controller, Dr. Edwin Tsui, urged the public not to self-medicate, particularly with aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen), as these drugs may cause serious side effects, for example, increasing the risk of hemorrhage or internal bleeding.

“In general, children should not take medications containing aspirin to relieve fever or other symptoms because it may lead to ‘Reye's syndrome’, a serious and potentially fatal complication,” he added.

The CHP said the new case involves a 31-year-old male with good past health who lives in Kwai Tsing District. Preliminary investigations revealed that he travelled to Foshan in Guangdong Province from August 1 to 3. He could not confirm whether he had a history of mosquito bites.

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“Upon returning to Hong Kong, he developed a fever, rash and joint pain on August 8. He travelled to Shenzhen on August 9 and attended a hospital there the next day. He was not admitted and returned to Hong Kong on the same day. He attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Yan Chai Hospital yesterday (August 11) and was admitted for treatment in a mosquito-free environment. He is currently in stable condition. His blood sample tested positive for the CF virus,” the CHP report said.

"According to information from the Guangdong Provincial Disease Control and Prevention Administration, in the past week (August 3 to 9), there were 1 387 new CF cases in Guangdong, a significant decrease compared to the previous two weeks, which reported 2 892 cases (July 27 to August 2) and 2 940 cases (July 20 to 26) respectively. All the cases were mild, with no severe or fatal cases reported. However, we must remain vigilant and continue to adopt a multipronged approach to prevent local transmission," said the Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui.

To strengthen support for ethnic minority communities, essential information on CF has also been translated into 10 ethnic minority languages (including Hindi, Nepali, Urdu, Thai, Bahasa Indonesia, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Punjabi, Sinhala and Bengali) and uploaded to the CHP website (https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/static/104022.html).

The public should call 1823 in case of mosquito problems.

Shops pull out sodas from shelves following urine contamination case

 

Police brief the press on case (The Standard photo)

If you can’t find Coca Cola Plus and 7-Up in Wellcome or ParkNShop these days, no need to worry. They were pulled out as an offshoot of a nasty vendetta but will be back soon.

The two brands of softdrinks were pulled from their shelves as a precaution following a case in West Kowloon where a 63-year-old man surnamed Law refilled bottles of the two soda brands with his own urine and then returned them to a supermarket’s shelves as retaliation for its staff being rude.

The offense came to light after a nine-year-old boy purchased a contaminated bottle of Coke Plus, felt unwell after drinking it and was taken to hospital. It was found later that the Coke Plus he drank was contaminated with urine.

His mother complained to police, who traced the contaminated bottle to Law.

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Alerted by police, supermarket staff inspected their shelves and found more tampered bottles, which they removed from shelves.

Wellcome said it takes the incident very seriously and has pulled the two soda brands from its stores to inspect the bottles if they had been contaminated. 

ParkNShop said all branches have been instructed to remove these two items from shelves and step up store inspections, although it has yet to receive customer complaints about contaminated products.

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Police have arrested the unemployed suspect who lived alone in Sham Shui Po. Seized from him were clothes, a backpack, a bottle of urine, and several unopened soda bottles.

In a statement, the police condemned the suspect’s actions as "not only a food safety violation but also a vile crime" as it poses a serious public health risk.

He is expected to face criminal charges at the West Kowloon Court.

PBBM bares list of top contractors for P545 billion flood control projects

 

Marcos vows to go after anyone who misused govt funds for flood control

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr held a rare press conference Monday to announce the top 15 construction firms awarded flood control contracts worth a total of P545 billion during his first three years in office, and hinted at repercussions for those found to have performed shoddy work or committed anomalies.

He pointed out that the 15 construction firms collectively received 20% of the entire budget for 10,000 projects from 2022 to 2025, or Php109 billion. That meant each company received roughly P7.27 billion each

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The remaining Php436 billion was distributed among 2,391 othe winning contractors, for an average of Php182 million for each company.

The 15 top constructions firms based on the amount of contracts they bagged from the government were:

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1.     Legacy Construction Corporation

2.     Alpha & Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp

3.     St Timothy Construction Corporation

4.     QM Builders

5.     EGB Construction Corporation

6.     Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc

7.     Centerways Construction and Development Inc

8.     Sunwest, Inc

9.     Hi-Tone Construction & Development Corp

10.  Triple B Construction & Supply Inc

11.  Royal Crown Monarch Construction & Supplies Corp

12.  Wawao Builders

13.  MG Samidan Construction

14.  L.R. Tiqui Builders, Inc

15.  Road Edge Trading & Development Services

Marcos however, begged off from disclosing the names of people behind the firms and their possible connections to people in government, for now.

“We are going to keep going. This is something that is, I think, absolutely necessary. We have to clean our ranks. It might be a little painful. Some people close to us might get dragged into this. But if they are close to me, the people are closer to my heart and we will prioritize them,” Marcos said during his press conference.

However, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto was quick to point out that the two firms that occupy the no 2 and no 3 slots in the list were owned by the family of Sarah Discaya, who failed to unseat him in last May’s general elections.

Both were named among five construction firms that were awarded projects all over the country.

Sotto boldly enumerated what he called “the six stages of corruption”, insinuating that the two companies had engaged in irregularities to win the multi-billion government projects.

He claimed Sarah and her husband Curlee also owned or controlled six other construction companies based in Pasig, including St Gerrard General Contractor and Development Corp. which was suspended by the Department of Public Works and Highways in 2020 due to project delays.

Meanwhile, multi-media platform Rappler said the no 8 in the list, Sunwest, Inc. is a conglomerate based in Albay which was co-founded by Ako Bicol Representative Zaldy Co.

The report said the company had been lucrative from the time former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was in power, and between 2016 and 2024 along, won government projects worth a total of more than Php38 billion.

President Marcos’ list is part of the initial findings of an ongoing probe into flood control projects which followed his Statement of the Nation address, in which he vowed to go after substandard works that led to extensive flooding throughout the country last month.

 

New storm expected to be felt Thursday

 

Forecast track of storm (HKO graphic)

A tropical storm veering westwards to Taiwan and on to either Guangdong and Fujian after missing northern Philippines by 1,000 kilometers, is expected to be felt in Hong Kong by Thursday as the territory falls within its 280-kilometer radius.

With winds of 100 kilometers per-hour, Tropical Storm Podul was expected to intensify at it moves west at 25 KPH through extreme northern Philippines, according to a forecast from Pagasa in the Philippines.

The Hong Kong Observatory, on the other hand, expects the storm to slow down to 22kph as it continues across the western North Pacific, over Taiwan and to either Guangdong or Fujian province, depending on how it will be affected by a high pressure area coming from the north.

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“Showers associated with the area of low pressure over the northern part of the South China Sea will edge closer to the coast of Guangdong,” the Observatory said.

Weather during the first three days of the week in Hong Kong will be cloudy to hot due to an anticyclone over southern China.

With Podul intensifying gradually as it approaches north of the territory, the weather is expected to turn, with heavy rains and gusts expected Thursday and Friday.

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“However, its subsequent movement and intensity remain uncertain, with a higher chance of moving towards the vicinity of the coast of Fujian and eastern Guangdong,” the Observatory said. 

17 people rescued after Ocean Park ride stalls in mid-air

 

The Wild Twister in operation (Ocean Park photo)

Firefighters rescued 17 people trapped for  an hour and 45 minutes after Ocean Park’s “Wild Twister” ride suddenly stopped earlier this evening.

Ocean Park said the thrill ride experienced a fault signal at 6:20pm, triggering a safety brake system.

Everyone aboard was left suspended in mid-air while the park’s staff frantically called police for help. Fire engines and ambulances were immediately sent to the scene.

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Firemen began getting people off the ride at 7:37pm. It took them another 30 minutes, or until 8:07pm, to pluck all 17 people aboard to safety.

Reports on site said the trapped people remained calm throughout their ordeal and no one was injured.

Ocean Park said the ride will undergo tests and an overhaul.

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The “Wild Twister” has six extended arms where passengers are seated, and they each swing and spin on separate axes during the ride.

MWO looking for Filipina helper who identified suicide victim

 

The Filipina's employer jumped off his posh flat on Kennedy Road 

It is bad enough to be asked to identify a recently deceased person, worse if that individual was your employer and he was found headless after an apparent suicide.

This is the reason why the Migrant Workers Office at the Consulate is seeking a Filipina domestic worker who was asked to identify her lawyer-employer after he apparently jumped off his high-rise flat at posh Monticello on Kennedy Road, Wan Chai at about 7am last Tuesday.

Press reports said that initially, it was thought that the impact from the fall had severed the victim’s head, but it turned out that it got embedded into his body, and both his legs were torn off.

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The Filipina helper ended up identifying the victim as her 54-year-old American employer who was working with a top law firm, as she rushed down after seeing their terrace door wide open, and police officers swarming the ground below.

MWO staff said they managed to confirm with the police that the helper is a Filipino, but have yet to get her name and address. They want to check on her and if needed, provide her with counseling or refer her to a specialist who could help her deal with the trauma.

They are appealing to the Filipino community to reach out to them if they know her, even if only to say that the helper is fine and does not need immediate intervention.

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Several reports later indicated that the suicide victim with the initials BS was a partner at one of Hong Kong’s top law firms specializing in cross-border transactions. He reportedly left a suicide note saying he was grappling with problems and wanted to go to “a peaceful place.”

In a statement, his law firm expressed profound grief over his death, and said his "extraordinary lawyer and beloved colleague" whose contributions were immeasurable.

His family has requested privacy in their time of grief and suggested donations to mental health or suicide prevention organizations in lieu of flowers.

Those who are feeling depressed are advised to seek professional help immediately, either through the Philippine Consulate or NGOs like the Mission for Migrant Workers. They can also call the 24-hour multi-lingual hotline of the Samaritans at 28960000. 

Chikungunya cases in HK remain at 5, but anti-mosquito drive strengthened

 

 Port Health Division staff members conduct an inspection at the Hong Kong-Macau
Ferry Terminal to strengthen anti-mosquito measures

No new case of chikungunya fever was reported today and the number of this year’s cases remains at five, but the Hong Kong government continues to strengthen efforts in mosquito control and elimination to prevent an outbreak.

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) said it will continue to strengthen its surveillance work and advised residents to maintain strict environmental hygiene, control of the Aedes albopictus mosquito whch spreads the disease, and personal protective measures to avoid mosquito bites both locally and when travelling outside of Hong Kong.

CHP said all five CF cases this year were imported. From 2016 to 2019, between one and 11 CF cases were recorded in Hong Kong each year, all of which were also imported cases.

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“In view of the occurrence of multiple imported cases in Hong Kong,” the CHP said, “the risk of secondary local transmission via mosquitoes exists.”

The CHP will again remind doctors to arrange testing for patients with CF symptoms, regardless of travel history. The CHP's Public Health Laboratory Services Branch will provide free testing to ensure rapid diagnosis.

The CHP also appealed to the public, through information campaigns such as Info Stations across various districts in Hong Kong and health talks at more than 300 health promotion activities provided to the elderly and their carers, to observe precautions for preventing CF.

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The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) also appealed to members of the public to help carry out mosquito prevention and control measures early, including inspecting their homes and surroundings to remove potential breeding grounds, changing water in vases and scrubbing their inner surfaces, removing water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week, and properly disposing of containers such as soft drink cans and lunch boxes.

The FEHD also advised members of the public and estate management bodies to keep drains free of blockage and level all defective ground surfaces to prevent the accumulation of water. They should also scrub all drains and surface sewers with an alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.

“The effectiveness of mosquito control relies on the concerted efforts and active participation of stakeholders from various sectors, including pest control operators in both public and private sectors, venue management and the general public, to prevent CF,” FEHD said.

 

11 FDHs arrested for illegal abortion

 

Inspector Lam of Yuen Long Police gives press briefing on arrests (RTHK photo)

Hong Kong Police said today, Friday, that they have arrested 11 foreign domestic helpers on suspicion of performing illegal abortion, including a 32-year-old who allegedly supplied the illegal drugs for the procedure.

Their nationalities were not disclosed.

The case unraveled after a 39-year-old helper collapsed at her employer’s home in Tin Shui Wai on June 2, and blood stains were found on her lower body.

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Paramedics discovered a 35-centimeter fetus in a laundry basket near the woman’s bed. Tests showed the fetus must have been 28 weeks old.

After police were called, a positive pregnancy test and abortion drug packaging were also found in the helper’s room.

Investigators learned she had bought the medicine in May from the 32-year-old helper, who had also sold the medicine to other women. It’s believed she had bought the abortion pills from abroad.

 “Further investigation revealed that this 32-year-old woman had sold similar suspected abortion drugs to other foreign domestic helpers between May 2024 and May 2025 for abortion,” said inspector Lam Ho-yin from Yuen Long District Crime Squad.

Lam added that following the investigation, nine other women FDHs aged between 30 and 46 were arrested in various districts for administering the illicit drugs to induce abortion.

Five of those arrested have been charged, five others were released on police bail pending further investigation, while one remained in police custody.

Police said more people could be arrested in relation to the case.

Lam reminded the public that buying or taking pills for abortion is a serious crime that could lead to the offender being jailed.

As for women dealing with unwanted pregnancy, he said they should consult a registered doctor to get help in assessing the risk and understand the side effects of any medication.

“Do not blindly trust information online and take medications without the consultation with a registered medical practitioner,” Lam said.

He added that while abortion is legal in some countries, in Hong Kong the supply or use of drugs to induce abortion is a crime.

Illegal work: Pinoy jailed 54 days, Indonesian freed

 

Two domestic helpers, one a Filipino and the other an Indonesian, appeared at Shatin Court today, both charged in separate cases with breach of condition of stay by working illegally. One later walked free and the other ended up in jail.

The Filipino, Francisco Castllio Jr., 41 years old, was sentenced to 54 days’ imprisonment for doing odd jobs, “other than approved by the Director of Immigration,” when he was arrested on Feb 5, 2024 in Sai Ying Pun.

Castillo was granted permission on Aug. 30, 2023 to remain in Hong Kong for employment as a domestic helper, with a condition of stay requiring him to work exclusively for the employer named in his work contract, in their home address.

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He pleaded guilty to the charge before Acting Principal Magistrate Cheang Kei-hong.

In the case of Indonesian DH Nina-Agustin, the prosecution proposed a bind-over agreement under which she promises not to reoffend in the next 18 months,  otherwise she will be fined $2,000.

When she agreed to be bound over, the charge against her – breach of condition of stay by performing odd jobs in Mongkok on Feb 8 this year – was withdrawn.

Instead, Magistrate Cheang charged her $500 for court costs, which was taken from her bail money of the same amount.

Overstayers lead to more arrests

 

4 women were among those arrested for working illegally in the logistics warehouse

Immigration officers have arrested a number of suspected illegal workers hired by a logistics company during a covert operation yesterday, August 6, after two overstayers were arrested in an earlier operation.

Together with the previously arrested overstayers, a total of 12 suspected illegal workers and two employers were arrested in the logistics warehouse in Yuen Long.

The arrested illegal workers comprised eight men and four women, aged 24 to 53.

They were all suspected of engaging in various logistics tasks, including handling, packaging, and unloading goods at the warehouse.

Also arrested were two male Hong Kong residents, aged 46 and 50, who were alleged to have hired the illegal workers.

Immigration said in a statement that after the arrests of the two overstayers, investigators suspected that they had engaged in illegal work during their stay in Hong Kong. The investigators decided to do more in-depth analysis and uncovered the Yuen Long warehouse.

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The arrested illegal workers included three men who had fake HKID cards, as well as a woman who was carrying somebody else’s identification card.

Immigration reiterated that illegal work is a serious offence in Hong Kong. Tourists are not allowed to take up employment, paid or unpaid; while foreign domestic workers are allowed to only perform domestic duties.

Offenders face a maximum penalty of $50,000 and imprisonment for up to two years.

Overstayers and those holding recognizance papers are punished more severely, with the maximum penalty being imprisonment for up to three years.

Possession or use of fake HKID cards, or those belonging to another person, is punished with up to 10 years in jail and a fine of $100,000.

Employers of illegal workers face the harshest penalty of up to $500,000 in fines and 10 years in jail.

Immigration said its investigation is continuing, and further arrests are likely.

 

 

Pinoy jailed 2 years for drugs, contraband found in his luggage

 

Macau Ferry Terminal (Google Maps photo)

A Filipino intercepted by Customs officers at the Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan, was jailed today for a total of two years, two months and five days and fined $200 after he pleaded guilty at the District Court to four charges, including drug trafficking. 

Domingo Nunag, a 58-year-old Chinese citizen who requested a Tagalog interpreter in court, has been detained since he was arrested on May 17 last year. He was denied bail at Eastern Court where his case was initially heard, until it was elevated to the District Court.

Customs officers arrested Nunag at the Customs Hall of the Macau Ferry Terminal on his arrival from Macau last May 17 after they found in his possession 2.47 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu or ice) contained in four ziploc plastic bags.

He pleaded guilty to the charge of trafficking in dangerous drugs, in violation of Section 4 (1)(a) and (3) of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, and was sentenced by Judge Isaac Tam to two years and two months in Jail.

After a sildenafil (Viagra) tablet was found in his possession, Nunag was also charged wth violating the Phamacy and Poisons Ordinance, for which he was jailed for 10 days, from which Judge Tam took three days to add to the first sentence.

His third conviction came after he pleaded guilty to importing goods to which Section 17(6) of the Dutiable Goods Ordinance applies.

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Customs officers had found a two-liter bottle of whisky and 40 pieces of dutiable cigarettes in his luggage. For this, Judge Tam jailed him for eight days, two of whch will be added to the first sentence.

Since he did not declare these two items upon arrival, he was also slapped with a charge of failing to declare them to a member of the Customs and Excise Service, also in violation of the Dutiable Goods Ordinance, for which he was fined $200.