Police arrest Pinay for alleged sale of untaxed cigarettes

 

Officers swarm the Filipina who allegedly sold illicit cigarettes (Facebook photo)

A number of photos and videos surfaced online on Sunday, Feb. 1, of a Filipina being surrounded by about a dozen police officers near Statue Square, allegedly for the illicit sale of untaxed cigarettes.

The reported arrest happened at around 3pm beside exit K of the Central MTR station, and was witnessed by hundreds of people on streets surrounding the square.

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In front of the Filipina were several plastic bags containing clothes as well as three black bags that reportedly contained the illicit cigarettes.

(The SUN has sent an inquiry to the HK Police regarding the alleged arrest, but has yet to receive a reply).

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Some netizens commented that the Filipina was known to sell illicit cigarettes in the area quite openly. Others said she also peddled vapes, which are prohibited from being carried, smoked or sold in Hong Kong, but the reports have yet to be verified.

One netizen said, “Parang sya ung nagbebenta ng yosi, dyan ako nabili e (She looks like the one who sells cigarettes, I even buy from her).

Black bags which allegedly contained the untaxed cigarettes

Illicit cigarettes are those for which tax was not paid, making them way cheaper than those sold in regular retail stores.

Under Hong Kong law, handling, possessing, selling or purchasing illicit cigarettes is a serious offence. Violators face a maximum fine of up to HK$2 million and imprisonment for up to 10 years.

The incident happened amid an ongoing crackdown by law enforcers on illicit cigarette sales.

Just two days earlier, Hong Kong Customs announced that it raided three retail outlets and seized around 13,000 suspected illicit cigarettes with a market value of around HK$58,000 with a potential tax loss of around HK$43,000.

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Three people were arrested, including a store owner and two shop assistants.

The two-day operation targeted shops in Sheung Shui, Kwai Chung and Chai Wan after the police received information about cigarettes being sold there at prices lower than the statutory tobacco duty, raising the presumption that no duty was paid for them.

High Court rejects 5 Pinoys’ asylum appeals

The High Court 

Five Filipinos who appealed to the High Court the disapproval of their claims to non-refoulement, or against being sent back to their countries of origin, found out last week that their fear of personal harm was not enough to give them asylum in Hong Kong.

In separate decisions, the High Court rejected appeals for judicial review of the following:

• Mary Ann Siervo, who sought refuge in Hong Kong after she overstayed when she did not leave as required when her contract as domestic helper expired on Dec. 27, 2021. She claimed she feared she would be harmed or killed by her abusive husband over their domestic disputes if she returned to the Philippines.

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• Jenelyn Tecson, who overstayed after her DH contract as terminated on March 2, 2021, and was arrested on April 21, 2021. She claimed she would be harmed or killed by her boyfriend over her affair with another man in Hong Kong.  
• Jecel  Gardose, who stayed after the completion of her employment contract on 27 March 2021, and surrendered to the Immigration Department on July 19, 2021. She claimed that if she returned to the Philippines she would be harmed or killed by her former boyfriend for leaving him and ending their relationship.
• Charles Johnson Macasulot, who did not leave after termination of his work contract, and claimed that he will be harmed or killed by his father-in-law if he returned to the Philippines because he had an extra-marital affair with another woman in Hong Kong.

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• Pinic Anita, who overstayed after termination of her employment contract and surrendered later to the Immigration Department, where she lodged a non-refoulement claim on the basis that she will be harmed or killed by a creditor because she was unable to repay her debt. 

All five were appealing the decision of the Torture Claims Appeal Board, which sided with the decision of the Immigration Department to junk their applications because they did not meet the requirements of the internationally-accepted Unified Screening Mechanism to screen refugees.

These requirements are risk of torture, risk to right to life, risk of torture or inhuman treatment and risk of persecution “on account of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.”

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The Board rulings were one in searching for “real risks” in the applications and found none. The five High Court decisions concurred with the rulings.

Deputy High Court Judge Bruno Chan in the first three cases asserted: “… in the absence of any error of law or procedural unfairness in her process before the Board or in its decision being clearly and properly identified by the Applicant, I do not find any reasonably arguable basis to challenge the finding of the Board.”

Added Deputy High Court Judge K.W. Lung: “The role of this Court is supervisory, meaning that it ensures that the Board complied with the public law requirements in coming to the Board’s Decision on the applicant’s appeal.  The Court will not usurp the fact-finding power vested in the (Immigration) Director and the Board.”

Free healing and meditation sessions offered to FDWs

 

Kriya Foundation teams up with SJMW in holding the healing sessions

Are you suffering from stress, sadness, anxiety, hurt or simple heaviness?  

If yes, these two free sessions of yoga and meditation to help improve mental health  set for Feb. 8 and Feb 15, 11am to 1pm and offered by Kriya Lightning Foundation, might just be the thing you need.

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Co-organizer, Social Justice for Migrant Workers, is calling in particular migrant workers who were affected by the deadly Tai Po fire in November to join the sessions.

Both "Sunday Self-Care" sessions will be held at the Singing Bowl Zentral, 7/F, 66 Stanley Street, Central (close to Lyndhurst Terrace and Central Market near the escalator).

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Kriya is a non-profit organization that offers help to those who seek “peace, inner freedom and happiness.”

Pre-registration is required as the venue has limited capacity. To book your slot, please send a message to SFMW officer  Marites Torralba or call the group’s hotline on WhatsApp, 68720498.

MFMW continues to provide all sorts of help to the Tai Po fire victims

Meantime, the Mission for Migrant Workers continues to provide all forms of assistance to foreign domestic workers affected by the Tai Po fire, including the three Filipinos who have recently been released from their contracts.

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The three are staying at the Missions’ shelter, the Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge where they get free relief supplies, clothes, and medical and mental care, plus help with their cases and in dealing with Immigration Department and other government agencies.

To contact the MFMW, call its hotline 9529 2326.

 

Gov’t drops requirement for bus passengers to wear seatbelts

 

Wearing seatbelts is optional for buses but required for all other motor vehicles

Passengers of buses will no longer be prosecuted if they do not wear seatbelts, even if these are installed, the Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB) has announced.

Instead, it will be left to them to decide whether or not to avail of the safety offered by the seatbelts, if they are available.

A provision in the Road Traffic (Safety Equipment) (Amendment) Regulation 2025 that requires bus passengers to wear seatbelts, will be repealed because of technical deficiencies in those legal provisions, TLB explained.

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The repeal will be done by publishing it as a subsidiary legislation in the Gazette, Hong Kong’s official weekly publication for promulgation of legislation, government notices and public appointments, it added.

“Those provisions do not fully reflect the legislative intent, which is to extend the statutory requirement for the wearing of seat belts to all vehicle seats, thereby providing better protection for passengers,” TLB said.

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”… for the period leading up to the repeal of relevant provisions, the Government will not enforce the provision,” it added.

The TLB emphasized, however, that “the statutory requirement for the wearing of seat belts on other types of vehicles (including private cars, taxis, goods vehicles, light buses, special purpose vehicles, student service vehicles) will remain in effect.”

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But while bus passengers have been excluded from the requirement, “we will continue to enhance publicity and education efforts to encourage the voluntary habit of wearing seat belts,” it added.

“As the next step, we will gather opinions from various stakeholders, and consider how best to ensure road safety while addressing the concerns raised during the implementation of new requirements,” TLB said. “We will further consult the Legislative Council after optimizing the arrangements, and reintroducing them at an appropriate time.”

35 people arrested in latest anti-illegal work raids in HK

 

A woman suspected of doing illegal work is led away by Immigration agents

The latest week-long sweep carried out by the Immigration Department and the Hong Kong Police have resulted in the arrest of 35 people, of whom 29 were suspected illegal workers and six employers.

The raids carried out from Jan 22 to 29 involved groups that posted housekeeping and renovation services in Hong Kong. Officers who posed as customers booked for services and subsequently arrested four illegal workers who were all from the mainland.

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Those arrested included two men and two women, aged 32 to 58. Two were working as housekeepers while the other two were renovation workers.

In separate operations, Immigration officers targeted usual business locations including restaurants, guesthouses and retail stores.

Of the 31 people arrested, 25 were suspected of working illegally. They comprised 15 men and 10 women, aged 20 to 59.

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They included three women holding recognizance forms that allow them to remain in Hong Kong to pursue asylum applications but not to work. One man was found in possession of a Hong Kong identity card belonging to another person

The six others, four men and two women aged 22 to 61, were suspected of employing the illegal workers and were also arrested.

Immigration said the investigation into the suspected illegal employment is continuing.

Many of the male suspects were found carrying out renovation works

Visitors who are not allowed to take up work or conduct business, or foreign domestic workers who should not work outside their employer’s residences face prosecution and upon conviction, face a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment and $50,000 in fine.

Overstayers, illegal immigrants or those on recognizance face a more severe penalty of up to three years’ imprisonment, and a similar fine of $50,000.

In addition, anyone sentenced to no less than two years in jail for working illegally may be deported under the Immigration Ordinance.  

Those in possession of, or found to have used forged HKID cards, or those belonging to another person, could be punished for up to 10 years in jail and fined $100,000.

Employers face the harshest penalty of being fined up to $500,000 and imprisoned for a maximum of ten years. The High Court guidelines prescribe an immediate custodial sentence for anyone found to have employed an illegal worker.

To report suspected illegal employment activities, please call the dedicated hotline 3861 5000, fax at 2824 1166, email anti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit the "Online Reporting of Immigration Offences" form at www.immd.gov.hk.

 

DMW plug for OFW Pass gets online jeer

 

A Facebook post by the Department of Migrant Workers today promoting the OFW Pass as a faster, safer and more convenient alternative to the OEC printed Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) has been met with adverse reactions.

“Ang OFW PASS ay ang digital replacement ng printed Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC). Mas mabilis, mas ligtas, at mas convenient—lahat ay maa-access na sa eGovPH app,” the post said. “I-download lang ang eGovPH App sa App Store o Google Playstore.”

Fourteen hours after being published, the DMW post has attracted 559 comments, mostly pointing out that the new pass that OFWs should be able to use to travel abroad in lieu of the overseas employment certificate (OEC), was not being recognized at the Manila airport, both by the airlines when they check in and at Immigration.

DMW's latest push for OFW Pass

Some complained of wasted time going back to the DMW counter at the airport terminals to get the their copies of their OEC.

The post also earned 1,000 likes, 166 hearts, 47 laughing, 11 caring, eight angry, five surprised snd four sad emojis.

The post followed the one DMW posted last Dec. 11, 2025, which said: “𝗢𝗙𝗪 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀: 𝗔𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻!

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It urged OFWs to download the GovPH App from the Apple App Store or Google Play. After ID verification, they can go to the DMW section where they can access the Balik-Manggagawa service, which can automatically generate the OFW Pass.

It added that the pass has the following color codes to designate its status: Gray (not yet Generated/Voided), Green (Active), Blue (Used), Amber (Expiring Soon), and Red (Expired).

Another post quoted DMW Sec. Hans Leo Cacdac as saying that the OEC and e-Travel Pass have been combined to make it easier to process OFWs.

He said some 70,000 OFWs have used the pass in its pilot run.

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But some OFWs are  not impressed. A sampling of the comments:

Grace Altillo, who works in Hong Kong: “Hi Department of Migrant Workers opo naka- access na po kami bilang isang OFW. Na print na rin po. Pero ang problema pagdating sa Airport ng Pilipinas, hinahanap parin po pag check-in ang Print Out ng #OEC. Two copies pa hinanap. ISA for (travel tax) refund at yung isa for Immigration purpose.”

Aldrin Bautista: Napaka hassle po.. nagprepare pa din ako nung printed pero pagdating sa immigration eh magkaiba daw sa nandun sa system pinabalik pa ako ng dmw sa airport to verify tas sasabihin po ng staff nyo ay hindi makapagdecide ang immigration.. Sana mayroon kayong proper coordination dahil nakakaabala kayo. Ang haba ng pinila ko sa immigration tas papabalikin lang.. Jusko PILIPINAS!

Jojo Claros Yaun: Hassle ang ginawa nyu sa mga OFW, yung Ibang lahi na mga kasama namiin dito sa Middle East ticket, visa at passport lang (and kailangan para mag-travel)

The comments have yet to be answered by DMW.

Cold Sunday morning forecast

Victoria Harbor, photo taken by HKO at 7:55pm tonight

Those going out on Sunday will need warmer clothes, as Hong Kong will have its coolest day of the week, with the morning temperature down to 14 degrees Celsius – which could possibly hit 12 degrees if enough cold air from northern China reaches on the territory, the Hong Kong Observatory predicted tonight.

As the day progresses with sparse rainclouds arriving, the temperature is expected to gradually rise to 19 degrees due to sunny intervals during the day.

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The cold brought by the northerly airflow is expected to be felt starting late Saturday, replacing the easterlies that are now affecting the coast of Guangdong, including Hong Kong.

The present weather is mainly cloudy, with one or two rain patches. Temperatures will range between 17 and 20 degrees. Fresh easterly winds, occasionally strong offshore and on high ground, are expected until Friday, the Observatory said.

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After the cold northerlies blow past on Sunday, the easterlies are expected again to engulf Hong Kong, bringing warmer weather during the rest of next week with the highest daily temperatures reaching 24 degrees.

Free shuttle, legal support for MWO shelter residents

 

Chavez (with beret) meets media and NGO heads in 2nd day of Filcom consultations

Distressed overseas Filipino workers who will be accepted into the new shelter to be opened by the Migrant Workers Office in far-off Tai Po won’t have to worry about the costs of attending their court hearings or other official appointments as they will be driven there on new vehicles to be bought with funds from the Philippine government.

This was according to Labor Attache Cesar L. Chavez, Jr. during his first meeting on Wednesday with members of Philippine media and some non-government organizations supporting Filipino migrant workers.

“We want everything to be right. It should be the best that the government can do for them,” said Chavez, as he gave more details about the new and bigger shelter that the Department of Migrant Workers has secured for OFWs facing legal, health and other challenges.

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He said the Hong Kong government has yet to give its approval for the new shelter to be recognized as an extension of the Consulate but he decided to make the required payment to secure the lease for the new premises that can accommodate more than 30 residents at any given time, as well as four dedicated staff.

“We are getting four times the allocation for the previous shelter but we really need to provide temporary shelter for more (OFWs in need),” said Chavez.

The bigger funding support from the DMW will also cover the cost of commissioning four law firms to help with court cases involving Filipino migrant workers, including those at the shelter, which he said, appear to be on the rise.

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Along with this, more staff will be added to the assistance to nationals team at the MWO, including translators who should be able to read, speak and write Cantonese.

Chavez disclosed that Social Welfare Attache Rem Marcelino who is with the ATN section is already due for recall to the Philippines, but he has asked that she be retained to help with the transition.

Earlier, the new labor chief told The SUN that a bigger space in the same building in Admiralty is being eyed to replace the space that MWO is now occupying, when their lease ends in August.

Chavez bared many other plans, including making employment agencies and employers more accountable for the Filipino domestic workers that they hire.

These include requiring employers sign an undertaking that they will provide not just for free air ticket, but also luggage allowance for the return home of a Filipino worker whose contract they just pre-terminated.

 

Police probe damage to seatbelt on KMB bus

 

The seatbelt buckle on the KMB bus appears to have been cut

Police were called Wednesday afternoon after a seatbelt was found to have been deliberately cut on a Kowloon Motor Bus plying the Sha Tin to Ma On Shan route.

Two passengers aboard bus 86K told the driver about the cut seatbelt on one of the upper desk seats when the KMB bus arrived at the bus terminus in Ma On Shan at around 5pm.

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Officers who responded to a call from the bus company said they considered it a case of criminal damage.

The incident happened four days after a new regulation mandating passengers to use seatbelts on public and private buses, took effect.

Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $5,000 and up to three months’ imprisonment.

The new law presents problems for some passengers who need extra space 

The new law has drawn widespread criticism from passengers who complained of seatbelts that were either dirty, broken, too loose or too tight. Others complained of having to buckle up on short routes.

The public backlash in turn caused Hong Kong’s major political parties for a review after an adjustment period of between six to nine months.

Transport Minister Mable Chan said the department valued the lawmakers’ opinions but stopped short of responding to a call for a review.

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Instead, she reiterated that passengers’ safety was behind the new requirement which aligns with common international practice.

"I want to reiterate that we understand overall that with the introduction of this regulation, people need time to adapt," she said. With this in mind she said enforcement will take into account “legal, rational and humanistic” considerations.

She said authorities will work closely with bus companies to promptly address public feedback on practical concerns, such as seatbelt cleanliness and fit.

Earlier, Chief Executive John Lee told reporters that the recommendation for mandatory seatbelt use was given in the review of the tragic bus accident in Tai Po in 2018, which resulted in 19 deaths and 66 injuries.

“I understand the measure will require a change in behaviour, and passengers may feel inconvenient at the beginning,” said the CE.

However, he said studies showed that buckling up could reduce serious injuries by 70 per cent and deaths by 40 per cent in traffic accidents.

 

Pinay gets 16 months jail for laundering almost $1M

 

File photo

A Filipina whose bank account was one of 13 through which a crime syndicate channeled money it raised from a romance scam, was sentenced today at the Eastern Court to 16 months’ imprisonment for money laundering.

Jennifer Kiaki, 32 years old and holder of a recognizance form to serve as her identification document as an asylum seeker, pleaded guilty to dealing with HK$944,080.50 through her account with Hang Seng Bank Limited between May 20, 2020 and May 13 the next year.

 Her crime was dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offence, contrary to sections 25(1) and 25(3) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.

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Principal Magistrate David Cheung noted that the operation of the bank account lasted for a year, during which it received deposits from the victims of the love scam.

Magistrate Cheung acknowledged that Kiaki had no knowledge of the scam but he was convinced, based on reasonable inference, that she was involved in the money laundering.

She even participated in withdrawing some of the money from her account, he added.

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In his plea for a lenient sentence, Kiaki’s lawyer suggested a starting point of 12 months’ jail, based on a previous case, but Magistrate Cheung cited another case that suggested a starting point of 24 months.

He arrived at the final sentence by deducting the one-third discount, or eight months, she was entitled to for her guilty plea.

Pinay DH jailed 12 months for laundering $1M

 

West Kowloon Court

Another Filipina whose bank account had been used as depository for more than $1 million that came from crime, was jailed for 12 months today after she pleaded guilty at West Kowloon  Court to money laundering.

Principal Magistrate Don So handed down the sentence to  Aurora Panes, 48 years old, after she admitted dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offence, contrary to sections 25(1) and 25(3) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.

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The police complaint said Panes, a domestic helper, dealt with $1,013,419.10 through deposits and withdrawals from her Mox Bank account between Feb. 28 and March 7, 2023.

Meanwhile, in a separate case, Magistrate So sentenced Isabelita Quijalvo, 40 years old, to four months’ imprisonment for wounding a fellow Filipina, Marianie Wanal.

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The unemployed Quijalvo was charged with violating section 19 of the Offences Against the Person Ordinance, Cap. 212, Laws of Hong Kong.

The offense took place last Nov. 29 in a flat in Siena Two, Discovery Bay, Lantau Island.

 

 

New labor attaché bares plans for bigger shelter, office space

 

Labatt Chavez promises an open-door policy during his watch

The Philippine Migrant Workers Office is set to open thus week a new and bigger shelter for distressed Filipino migrant workers in Hong Kong.

This was one of the changes disclosed by the country’s labor attaché to Hong Kong, lawyer Cesar L. Chavez, Jr, when he met with a select group of Filipino community leaders at the OFW Global Center in Admiralty on Sunday, Jan. 25.

Labatt Chavez said in an interview with The SUN afterwards that he intends to hold more meetings with stakeholders in the next few days so he can get a better grasp of the issues and concerns affecting Filipino migrant workers in Hong Kong.

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He said the new shelter in Tai Po will have 6-7 bedrooms, and can accommodate more than 30 OFWs at any given time.

This is more than three times the capacity of the existing halfway-home in Kennedy Town which has three bedrooms and can only take in a maximum of 10 residents.

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Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac first disclosed the move to set up a bigger shelter during his visit to Hong Kong in November last year (see story here: https://www.sunwebhk.com/search?q=OFW+shelter)

Secretary Cacdac said then that he wanted a more vibrant refuge for OFWs in distress, “not ostentatious but something that is clean, up to standard, spacious, and can house a whole array of activities and events.”

Chavez addresses Filcom leader at Sunday's 'meet and greet' (photo by Marie Rivera)

In line with this, Chavez said the MWO is hiring four “house mothers” to oversee operations at the shelters on a permanent basis, so that OFWs who run into trouble can seek refuge there “at any time of the day and night.”

Apart from the four new personnel who will be assigned to the shelter, the MWO is also asking the head office for six additional personnel who will be tasked with handling their frontline operations.

Chavez said one of his immediate concerns is to improve services to the OFWs through automation, installing queue ticket dispensers and providing bigger space for their transactions.

He said there are plans to move the current MWO to a bigger space, also at United Centre building, when its lease expires in August this year.

This should allow the MWO to conduct more trainings and other activities for OFWs, alongside those provided at the OFW Global Centre on the 18^th floor of the same building, which is managed by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

At his dialogue with the Filcom leaders, Chavez said many participants asked for improvement in services, in particular, to address the perennial overcrowding and long queuing time for those applying for the overseas employment certificate, especially during the peak travel season around Christmas.

The queue for OEC applications often spill out into the lift lobby, all the way to the ground floor

Asked if it was possible to get volunteers to help speed up the processing of OEC applications, he said the MWO could not share sensitive records in their system because of data accountability.

But he agreed that those who have not changed employers since they last obtained their OEC need not spend their precious time queuing at the MWO as their records do not need any updating. 

They can simply ask a friend or a volunteer to help them obtain the exit clearance they are required to present at Philippine airports online, wherever they may be.

Chavez took over as MWO head after his predecessor, Melchor Dizon,  retired and went back to the Philippines months ago. Appointed in the interim as officer-in-charge was assistant labor attache Tony Villafuerte who has since been recalled to the home office.