The Fiery Cook

James Rice

By Jo Campos

You don’t need to be a real chef to whip up something amazing in the kitchen. All it takes is passion, plus a little boldness in experimenting with the ingredients at hand.
Our mothers surely did this with the dishes that make reliving our childhood a pleasurable experience. Nowadays cookbooks come in handy, but some of the best dishes around must have come from mothers who tested and re-tested recipes shared through generations.
Such was the experience of James Rice, an American lawyer and professor, and a fierce advocate of human rights in Hong Kong, who has been concocting several dishes of his own.
James’ cooking skills may not be as well known as his advocacy for the rights of the underprivileged like the migrant workers, but he does get a lot of compliments for dishes he basically cooks armed only with passion, and a sense of what goes well with what.
Recently, his wife Cris brought a large box of a delicious chicken and rice dish that he cooked to share with some friends for lunch, and it left everyone impressed.
James says he never really got the recipe for what he calls his Brazilian Chicken Rice from a cookbook or any published source.
 “One time when I was a kid, my parents and I were invited to a neighbor’s house for dinner. They served something like this dish, and I loved it. Years later, and after I had moved to Hong Kong, and was living in Discovery Bay,  Cris and I were sitting in the Plaza and thinking about this dish. I tried to reconstruct the recipe in my head.”
Obviously, he nailed it.
 James, who is fondly called “Manong” to Cris’ “Manang” by their Filipino friends, often takes to cooking to relieve stress from his daily work routine, which could be heavy. Apart from his teaching job at Lingnan University, he has worked extensively in support of refugees and asylum seekers, as well as migrant workers.
He has written several books on these concerns, including “Take Your Rights Seriously”, a guide for migrant workers on their rights in Hong Kong. (this book can now be freely downloaded as and app. “MyLaw411” on Apple Store or Google Store).

Jim’s Brazilian Chicken Rice

Ingredients:

1 medium chicken, cleaned and cut into pieces
4 sausages (Johnsonville Polish sausages), cut into thick slices
1 large tin plum tomatoes
1 cup rice
Ahandful of pitted green olives
1 medium onion, cut into slices
1 eggplant, cut into thick slices
1 cup chicken stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium chili pepper, minced
3 tbsp. soy sauce
olive oil

Procedure:
1) In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, pour in a good slug of olive oil. Turn on the heat, and when the pan is hot, add the minced garlic and chili. Then add the onion and sauté till fragrant.
2) Add the chicken and let it braise over high heat, turning it in order to brown evenly.
3) At this point, grind in some black pepper. Remember that the dish is supposed to be a bit spicy.
4) When the chicken is browned, add the sausage, eggplant olives and tomatoes and soy sauce
5) Lastly, add the cup of rice
6) Cover and continue to simmer over low heat for about an hour, or cook in the over
7) When the rice is soft enough to eat, then your dish is ready. Ideally, the stock or other liquid in the mixture has all been absorbed or reduced.
8) Garnish with freshly chopped coriander.

(This dish ought to have the approximate consistency of a risotto. Good for 5-6 servings. Best served together with a simple salad and a light fruity white wine).

Employer jailed for indecent assault on maid

By Vir B. Lumicao

An elderly employer was acquitted on Apr 21 of a charge of raping his Filipino domestic helper two years ago, but was jailed for two and a half months after being found guilty of an indecent assault on her.
The split verdict in the case of 65-year-old Lee Man-biu, who owned a toy factory in the mainland, came after more than 10 hours of deliberation by a jury made up of two men and five men.
The jury returned unanimous verdicts on all three charges, one for rape and two for indecent assault, after a trial that was originally set to last for six days but stretched to eight and a half days.
Among those who testified were Lee and the victim, a 48-year-old mother of two, as well as two police witnesses.
Justice Esther Toh commended the jurors “for returning a difficult verdict” after spending the night in the courthouse to hammer out their verdicts.
The first indecent assault charge involved an incident in Mar 2014 when the maid was in the kitchen and Lee allegedly grabbed her breasts. She said she managed to film the  assault but Lee grabbed her cell phone and deleted the video.
Lee was acquitted of that charge.
However, he was convicted of a second charge of indecent assault which took place in the morning of Oct 13, 2014. In this case, Lee was found to have grabbed the woman’s breasts while she was cleaning the living room, and dragged her to the bedroom.
Lee reportedly warned the victim that he would throw her out the window if she told anyone about the assault.
He repeated the warning when he allegedly raped her on the night of the same day. However, the charge of rape was dismissed by the jury.
Toh said the indecent assault was “over the top of the victim’s clothing”, so she accepted the argument of defense counsel Oliver Davies that it was not Lee’s most serious offence.
Lee reportedly warned the victim that he would throw her out the window if she told anyone about the assault. He repeated the warning when he allegedly raped her on the night of the same day. However, the charge of rape was dismissed by the jury.
In sentencing, Judge Toh said Lee, being the victim’s employer, had committed a breach of trust, which was an aggravating factor in the case.
“The victim was in a vulnerable position because she was financially dependent on the employer and far from her immediate family,” Toh said.
In mitigation, Davies said his client was a man of good character. He also reminded Toh that Lee had been held in police custody for about four weeks after his arrest on Oct 14, 2014.
Toh said the sentence for indecent assault was three months, but she cut this to two and a half months, given Lee’s clear record and his age.
According to the victim, she used to be scared every time Lee’s wife and daughter would go to China because the employer would assault her indecently “almost everyday”, and would hit her in the head if he was angry.
But during cross examination, the woman admitted Lee paid back $5,000 she had lent him. She also admitted keeping $60,000 in her room, money that she meant to take home. This led the defense lawyer to suggest to the Filipina that Lee did not rape the maid, but had “consensual sex” with her.
But the maid was adamant during cross-examination.
“No! I was raped. He was strong and my body ached afterwards and my back was painful because he bit me when I turned and tried to get up,” she said, crying.
The Filipina said she called 999 when she noticed the TV in the employer’s room was on but he was not there. Then she went downstairs and met the responding officers but told them to stay out of Lee’s sight.
When Davies asked why, she said: “Because I did not want him to kill himself. He told me if I tell the police, he would throw me out of the window and we both die.”
Members of Lee’s immediate family and other relatives attended the trial and were in the courtroom to listen to the verdict and give moral support to the defendant.
In contrast, only a representative of the Mission for Migrant Workers, which helped the victim pursue the case, was in court to assist her.

Brillante Mendoza, babalik sa Cannes

Muling magbabalik ang batikang director na si Brillante “Dante” Mendoza sa Cannes dahil isa sa mga napiling kalahok ang kanyang pelikula para sa prestihiyosong Palme’ d’Or (Golden Palm) sa gaganaping 69th Cannes Film Festival, mula May 11 – 22.
Makakalaban ng kanyang pelikulang Ma’Rosa ang mga kalahok na Toni Erdmann,  Maren Ade (Germany), Julieta, Pedro Almodóvar (Spain); American Honey, Andrea Arnold (UK); Personal Shopper, Olivier Assayas (France); La Fille Inconnue, Jean-Pierre Dardenne at Luc Dardenne (Belgium); Juste La Fin Du Monde/It’s Only the End of the World, Xavier Dolan (Canada); Ma Loute/Slack Bay, Bruno Dumont (France); Paterson, Jim Jarmusch (USA); Rester Vertical, Alain Guiraudie (France); Aquarius, Kleber Mendonça Filho (Brazil); Mal De Pierres, Nicole Garcia (France); I, Daniel Blake, Ken Loach (UK); Bacalaureat, Cristian Mungiu (Romania); Loving, Jeff Nichols (USA); The Handmaiden (Agassi, The Handmaiden); Park Chan-Wook (South Korea); The Last Face, Sean Penn (USA); Siera Nevada, Cristi Puiu (Romania); Elle, Paul Verhoeven (Netherlands); at The Neon Demon, Nicolas Winding Refn (Denmark).
Ang Ma’Rosa ay tinatampukan ni Jaclyn Jose bilang Rosa, kasama sina Julio Diaz, Mark Anthony Fernandez, Andi Eigenmann, Felix Roco, Jomari Angeles at Kristoffer King.
Bukod sa pagiging director, si Mendoza rin ang executive producer at production designer ng Ma’Rosa. Ito ang kanyang ikalimang pagsali sa Cannes. Noong 2007 ay ipinalabas ang pelikula niyang “Foster Child” sa Director’s Fortnight, ang “Serbis” ay ipinalabas noong 2008 (main competition, at nominated para sa Palme d’Or ),  “Kinatay”, noong 2009 (nominated sa Palme d’ Or, at nagpanalo ng best director kay Mendoza)  at “Taklub” noong 2015 (Un Certain Regard, at nanalo ng Ecumenical Jury Prize).
Ilan pa sa mga pelikula ni Mendoza na naging kalahok at nanalo sa ibang international film festivals ay ang “Captive”, “Tirador”, “Thy Womb” at “Lola”. Ang kanyang unang pelikulang, “Masahista” (The Masseur) na pinagbidahan ni Coco Martin ay nanalo ng Golden Leopard noong 2005 sa Locarno International Film Festival sa Switzerland.

ANGELICA, HUGOT QUEEN
Usung-uso ang mga “hugot” lines ngayon, sa mga pelikula, (“That Thing Called Tadhana”, “English Only, Please”, “Walang Forever”, ang ilan), at mga tv shows, lalong lalo na sa Banana Sundae, kung saan ay tampok si Angelica Panganiban. Ang pansin nga ng marami ay may pinanggagalingan ang mga hugot ng aktres dahil sa break-up nila nila ni John Lloyd Cruz.
Ilan sa mga hugot lines ni Angelica:
Bakit pag breaking news, sa akin ibinibigay? Bakit? Porke ba break na kami? Hindi yun breaking news, old news na yon, kaya kayo mag move-on na rin kayo!
Partner? Yung dinuguan may partner, ako wala!
Dapat yung ex ko naging cellphone na lang. Nang sa ganun, kusa siyang namamatay kapag nagloloko siya.
Nauntog ka? Buti ka pa nauntog na. Ako kasi, hindi pa e.
Oo, mag-isa ako, tapos lahat ng nakikita ko puro magka-holding hands. Masaya ka na, mag-isa ako? Okay na?
Haircut: Gusto ko yung maiksing-maiksi, katulad ng relasyon naming maiksi lang.
Sa umpisa lang yan mainit. Tignan mo, pagtagal-tagal magkakalamigan din kayo, parang kami.
Napakarami mong planners, pero ako pala, hindi man lang ako kasama sa mga plano sa buhay mo!
Ayoko nang may ka-share! Ayoko nang meron ang pinagbibigyan ng kalahati ng sarili ko! Ayoko na, pagod na ako! Simula ngayon, ako na lang.
Oo, split na kami, hiwalay na kami! Bakit kailangan mo pang ipagdiinan? Ano ngayon, masaya ka na?
Dok: May taning na ang buhay mo.                                                                  
Angelica: Ganun ba? Ayos lang Dok, wala namang forever e.
Talagang pinapaasa nyo lang kami lagi. Sa umpisa:  di ba pinapasaya, ibibigay nyo yung lahat, tapos ipaparamdam nyo sa amin na yung pagsasama natin, buong pagkakamali lang pala,
Oo, nasasaktan ako, pero hindi ko yun sinasabi, dahil hanggang ngayon, mahalaga pa rin siya sa akin.
Cellphone? Aanhin ko ang cellphone? Wala nang nagte-text sa akin!
Alarm clock? Sana nga gumana na yan dahil gusto ko nang magising.
Kapag ang isang relasyon tapos na, ibig sabihin hindi na pwedeng ulitin! Ibig sabihin, nun, the end na, period, walang ulitan!
Excess baggage? E palibhasa ganyan kayong mga lalaki. Ganyan ang tingin nyo sa aming mga babae, diba? Excess baggage!
Sa bumibili: Patawad? Paulit-ulit akong nagpa-patawad a! May nangyayari ba, wala naman. Ayoko na, pagod na ako, ayoko na!
Sa Family Feud: Magbigay ng mga bagay na dahilan ng paghihiwalay ng magkasin-tahan.
Angelica: Babae! Third party, ganun!

JULIE ANN, GRADUATE NA
Maraming dapat ipag-pasalamat si Julie Ann San Jose sa buwang ito dahil may mahahalagang okasyon ang kanyang ipagdiriwang: ang kanyang ika 22 taong kaarawan sa May 17, ang pag-release ng kanyang ikatlong solo album, ang pagkakaroon ng bagong concert at higit sa lahat, ang kanyang pagtatapos ng pag-aaral sa kolehiyo.
Importante para sa kanya ang matapos ang kanyang pag-aaral dahil alam niya na ang trabaho sa showbiz ay walang katiyakan. Kaya kahit nabigyan siya ng pagkakataon na makilala na bilang mahusay na singer at may regular na TV shows ay hindi niya kinalimutan ang kanyang pangarap na tapusin ang kanyang kursong mass communications sa Angelicum College.
Ngarag si Julie Ann nitong mga nakalipas na linggo dahil sa dami ng dapat niyang tapusin at dapat na makumpletong requirements sa kanyang pagtatapos, lalo na at humahabol siya sa honors list. Kapuri-puri ang ginagawa niya na sa kabila ng napakarami niyang projects ay naisabay pa niya ang kanyang pag-aaral.
Sa May 14 ay gaganapin ang kanyang concert na ‘In Control” sa Kia Theater, kaya kailangan din niyang paghandaan ito ng husto, lalo na at itinaon din ito para sa kanyang  ika-sampung taon sa showbiz. Pasasalamat na rin daw niya ito sa lahat ng mga taong tumulong sa kanya sa kanyang career at sa mga fans na tumulong na malampasan niya ang hirap na napagdaanan niya. Binanggit din niya ang kanyang ama na noong una ay tutol sa pagsabak niya sa showbiz dahil gusto nitong pagtuunan niya ang kanyang pag-aaral. Pero dahil naipakita naman niya na kaya niyang pagsabayin ito, ngayon ay suportado na siya nito, at inihahatid pa sa kanyang trabaho.

PATAKARAN SA MMFF 2016, BABAGUHIN
Ipinahayag ni Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chair Emerson Carlos na magkakaroon ng mga pagbabago para sa lalahok sa Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2016.
Hindi na sila tatanggap ng scripts, at sa halip ay finished product o mga pelikulang tapos na at handa nang ipalabas sa September 28, ang huling araw ng submission of entries. Ihahayag ang walong mapipiling entries sa October 11.
Maliban dito, tatanggalin na rin ang cash prize para sa mga mananalo. Aalisin na rin ang kategoryang Best Child Performer award, at papalitan ito ng Kids’ Choice award, kung saan ay mga bata mismo ang boboto sa para sa kanilang paboritong batang aktor.
Aalisin na rin ang pagpili ng  Second Best Picture at Third Best Picture.
Magiging batayan din sa pagpili ng kalahok ay artistic excellence, technical competence at pagkakaroon ng global appeal.
Magkakaroon na raw ng tsansa ang mga maliliit na filmmakers kahit hindi malalaki at hindi sikat ang mga artista nila basta’t maganda ang kalidad ng kanilang pelikula, lalo na at bababaan din ang bond o joining fee ng mga producers. Mula sa dating Php 500,000 ay Php50,000 na lang ito ngayon. May insentibo pang maging Php30,000 na lang ito kapag nai-submit ang kanilang entries ng maaga.
Mananatili ang Parade of Stars na naging tradisyon na sa nagdaang maraming taon ng MMFF.
Ang mga miyembro ng MMFF executive committee na naatasang pumili ng magiging kalahok bukod kay Carlos ay ang mga movie producers na sina Jesse Ejercito at Wilson Tieng, Mowelfund president Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo, Sen. Sonny Angara, screenwriter Moira Lang at MTRCB chair Eugenio Villareal.

Janet Pancho Gupta: A journey from DH to artist

By Vir B. Lumicao

Janet Pancho Gupta

There is something strangely mesmerizing and deeply religious in the works of Filipina nature artist Janet Pancho Gupta, whether they are her meticulously done watercolor paintings or her nature and street photographs.
Connoisseurs and dilettantes alike could not help but stop and take a longer look at each of her unique work to discern the philosophy behind them – from her watercolor painting of a fern bud furled in fetal form to her photo of a hibiscus silhouetted against a bronze sky breaching the sun’s rays at dusk.
The former domestic helper artist came to Hong Kong in 2000 but started painting just eight years ago. She is known for the fine details of her subjects and the deliberate hues and tones with which she addresses them to bring on the mood that she likes to impart to the beholder.
Like the subjects of her masterpieces, Pancho Gupta prefers to be inconspicuous, focusing on her creations to give them the depth and mystery that keep her followers in awe, rather than being seen in the company of other artists.
Lately, too, her art pieces have begun to transform, she explains, reflecting her perception of herself being walled in after years of boundless freedom in the Saikung countryside.
Replying to an online friend’s comment about the pixels in her new works, Pancho Gupta replied: “…Personally the bold colors, lines and patterns are something to do with my emotions. I was not so happy moving in the city but then lately I taught myself to visually color my surroundings. Haven’t you noticed the city’s color is always gray and black? I’m surrounded with all those and when the day is dull and cloudy…the scene shouts for emptiness.”

Janet Pancho Gupta's
painting “Unburden Me.”

The 39-year-old Pancho Gupta says she has done almost 100 paintings over the past eight years, 90% of them in watercolor. She has also tried oil, pastels, graphite, “everything except acrylic.”
She says she chose to start with watercolor for discipline.
“The reason why I started with water color is, they say if you can do watercolor, you can do everything,” she told The SUN in a recent interview in her home in Tin Shui Wai.
A self-taught artist, Pancho Gupta tried to go to art school in Hong Kong just so she could have formal training, but she stopped after experiencing discrimination. She recounted how one of her art tutors had boasted on Day 1 that his students included famous people in Hong Kong society, as if implying she was in the wrong place because she was a Filipina and a domestic helper to boot.
On another occasion she was in another painting school and a western female student obviously didn’t like seeing the professor praise Pancho Gupta’s work. On her way out after the session, the woman stopped in front of the Filipina’s desk and said spitefully:  “One day, I’ll be a better painter than you are.”  The artist just smiled.                                                                                                                
The leaves of art grew naturally in Pancho Gupta. She said she came to draw naturally while still a child, and she just “drew and drew”.
In the classroom she drew all the people around her. “If there’s something that I need to say, it’s part of me, I draw without even thinking. I never even appreciated it as a talent,” she said.
The artist said she lived for a long time in Bethune House, a refuge for domestic helpers thrown out or maltreated by their employers, and she had friends there and they “never knew that I know how to draw.”
Reports say it was during her stay in the shelter that she discovered her talent for painting.
She is versatile and strong in portraits as well as in nature paintings, and her surreal portrait of an Indonesian rape victim in watercolor, titled “Unburden Me,” is both touching and infuriating.
Pancho Gupta read a lot of books on painting, but the further she went, the more she found herself “like a lost child” afraid of how her reading might influence or change her. While about to give up, she was accidentally brought to her senses by a colorful coaster dropping to the rug, emitting a lovely burst of blue colors and a trace of lace as it reflected the sunlight.
“Suddenly, oh my Jesus, I shouldn’t worry anymore about what people think; the most important thing is that I paint consistently, continuously, and that’s just the beginning, when I found out the contrast of two colors was yellow and blue,” Pancho Gupta said.
Enthralled by that spectacle, she immediately went to work and finished three of her paintings that afternoon.
Her husband, journalist Mukul Munish of the South China Morning Post, encouraged Pancho Gupta to paint when he found out she was a natural-born artist. He told her to just draw, draw and draw and helped her find the art materials she needed, telling her that his own father was a master artist so he could help her pursue painting.
Pancho Gupta has branched into nature photography and, lately, into street photography. In both recent activities, her works exhibit the same depth, the same soul of the artist that she reveals in her paintings. Because she says her artworks are her own self.
On May 12, Pancho Gupta will open her first solo photo exhibition, “Finding Inner Space,” at 15 Elgin St., SOHO, Central. The show will run from May 9 to June 5.
“Finding Space is a documentary walk around images captured by a woman, mother, wife, and painter who found solace in photography from her daily chaotic life and routine,” the event invite states.

May Day Protest March

May 1, 2pm-5pm, Assembly: Victoria Park, Causeway Bay
Destination: Central Government Offices, Tamar. FDWs who want to join may contact Eman,  9758 5935 or Dolo, 9747 2986. Organizer: Asian Migrants Coordinating Body

Liturgy Seminar
May 2, 10am – 4pm. Venue: Sing Yin Secondary School, Choi Hung. Speaker: Fr. Randy from the Philippines
Open to all commentators (readers), lectors, altar servers, extraordinary Eucharistic inisters, choir members, and all who want to serve during the Eucharistic celebration
Organized by: Filipino Chaplaincy

Summer Saya
May 2, 8am-6pm. Repulse Bay Beach
Organizer: Official AlDub MaiDen HK Chapter

Shaolin Fez Unplugged
Featuring: Cherry Jennifer Palor
May 5, 7:30-10:30 pm. Dairy Fringe Club, Central
Tickets @ $175 for 7:30pm show and $200 for 9:30pm show
Includes: one standard drink and show

Sunday Basic Cantonese
May 8 – Aug 21, 10am—1pm (total: 50- hours)
Open to all ethnic minorities with HKID
Fee: $100 per head for materials (CSSA recipient: HK$50)
Venue: G/F, 28-A Fortress hill Road, Hong Kong.
Inquiries: 2147 5988

Finding Inner Space:
A Solo Photo Exhibit of Janet Pancho-Gupta
May 12, 6-9pm. 15 Elgin Street, Soho

ICM Annual Banquet
Oct 24, 6pm onwards, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wanchai.
This is an annual fundraising for the “poorest of the poor” in the Philippines. Table prices with 12 persons each range from $30,000 to $100,000. For more information or any questions, please email banquet@caremin.com or call +852 2548 9038.

Consulate Announcements

The Philippine Consulate will be closed on May 1, 2 and 9 in observance of Hong Kong and Philippine holidays. There will be no official business transactions including OEC issuance on said dates.

The Overseas Voting is now underway at the Bayanihan Centre in Kennedy Town. Schedule:
Monday to Saturday: 9am -- 5pm; Sunday, 8am – 5pm
Ends May 9 (Voting is from 8am—5pm)
Please bring any of the following: HKID, Philippine passport, OR Voter’s ID

Kapangyawan 2016 ‘Sayaw Pinoy’ Auditions
Auditions will be held on the following dates at the Philippine Consulate General for cultural groups that have signed up for the “Sayaw Pinoy” performance in the Kapangyawan Friendship Festival 2016 as part of the Philippine Independence Day celebrations on June 12.
May 8 (Sunday), 5pm to 7pm – Cordillera & Maria Clara Suites
May 15 (Sunday), 5pm to 6:30pm – Muslim and Rural Suites
Venue: PCG Conference Room
Groups are required to bring USB drive with their musical piece in MP3 format. For more information, please contact the PCG Cultural Section via email: cultural_hk@yahoo.com with the subject line: SayawPinoy  

Wisdom

One Oriental philosopher says:

• When without money, keep pigs; when have money, keep dogs.
• When without money, wish to get married; when have money, wish to get divorce.
• When without money, eat at home with wife; when have money, dine with women in fine restaurant.
• When without money, wife becomes secretary; when have money, secretary becomes wife.
• When without money, act like a rich man; when with money, act like poor man.

Making a baby
The Smiths were unable to conceive children and decided to use a surrogate father to start their family. On the day the proxy father was to arrive, Mr. Smith kissed his wife goodbye and said, “Well, I'm off now. The man should be here soon.”
Half an hour later, just by chance, a door-to-door baby photographer happened to ring the doorbell, hoping to make a sale. “Good morning, Ma'am>>,” he said, “I’ve come to...”
“Oh, no need to explain,” Mrs. Smith cut in, embarrassed, “I’ve been expecting you.”
“Have you really?” said the photographer. “Well, that’s good. Did you know babies are my specialty?”
“Well that's what my husband and I had hoped. Please come in and have a seat.”
After a moment she asked, blushing, “Well, where do we start?”
“Leave everything to me. I usually try two in the bathtub, one on the couch, and perhaps a couple on the bed. And sometimes the living room floor is fun. You can really spread out there.”
“Bathtub, living room floor? No wonder it didn't work out for Harry and me!”
“Well, Ma'am, none of us can guarantee a good one every time. But if we try several different positions and I shoot from six or seven angles, I'm sure you'll be pleased with the results.”
“My, that's a lot!” gasped Mrs. Smith..
“Ma’am, in my line of work a man has to take his time. I”d love to be in and out in five minutes, but I'm sure you’d be disappointed with that.”
“Don't I know it,” said Mrs. Smith quietly.  
The photographer opened his briefcase and pulled out a portfolio of his baby pictures. “This was done on the top of a bus,” he said.
“Oh, my God!” Mrs. Smith exclaimed, grasping at her throat.
“And these twins turned out exceptionally well - when you consider their mother was so difficult to work with.”
“She was difficult?” asked Mrs. Smith.  
“Yes, I'm afraid so. I finally had to take her to the park to get the job done right. People were crowding around four and five deep to get a good look.”
“Four and five deep?” said Mrs. Smith, her eyes wide with amazement..
“Yes,” the photographer replied. “And for more than three hours, too. The mother was constantly squealing and yelling - I could hardly concentrate, and when darkness approached I had to rush my shots. Finally, when the squirrels began nibbling on my equipment, I just had to pack it all in.”
Mrs. Smith leaned forward. “Do you mean they actually chewed on your, uh...equipment?”
“It’s true, Ma’am, yes. Well, if you’re ready, I'll set-up my tripod and we can get to work right away.”
“Tripod?”
“Oh yes, Ma'am. I need to use a tripod to rest my Canon on. It's much too big to be held in the hand for long.”
Mrs. Smith fainted

Covers the period May 1-15

DAGA. Isinilang noong 1924/36/48/60/72/84/96
Hindi ka magkandaugaga sa trabaho ngunit huwag panghinaan ng loob dahil masusulit din ang lahat ng hirap at pagod. Maaring mabigo sa pag-ibig ngunit mabilis ding makakabawi lalo na kung mananatiling positibo ang pananaw. Madaling mapagod kaya maglaan ng sapat na oras sa pahinga para mabawi ang nawalang lakas. Magkakaroon ng problema dahil sa asal ng mga anak.

BAKA. Isinilang noong 1925/37/49/61/73/85/97
Huwag hayaang matali sa responsibilidad lalo na kung napipilitan lang upang hindi masayang ang oras, dahilan upang sisihin ang sarili sa bandang huli. Tiyakin na matiwasay ang paligid bago sumabak sa laban upang maiwasan ang panganib at posibleng kumplikasyon na dulot nito. Mag-ingat sa mga taong mapagsamantala at kilalanin ng husto ang mga kaibigan.

TIGRE Isinilang noong 1926/38/50/62/74/86 at 98
Asahan ang malaking pagbabago na maaring magdulot ng matinding dalamhati pero huwag mag-alala dahil maganda ang resultang kaakibat nito.  Huwag magpaapekto sa hindi kanais-nais na pag-uugali ng mga anak dahil kailangang ipakita sa kanila na kontrolado mo ang sitwasyon. May problema sa sikmura kaya iwasan ang mamantikang pagkain pati na rin ang kape at alak.

 KUNEHO Isinilang noong 1927/39/51/63/75/87
Ihanda ang sarili sa pagdagsa ng maraming biyaya. Pagtuunan ng pansin ang mga pagbabago na kailangang isakatuparan sa trabaho para mas madaling maabot ang tagumpay. Malaking leksyon ang matututunan dahil maaring mawala ang perang ipinautang sa kaibigan at magiging dahilan ito upang masira ang relasyon na hinubog ng matagal na panahon. Unti-unti nang magkakaroon ang katuparan ang mga pangarap.
.
 DRAGON Isinilang noong 1928/40/52/64/76/88
Matindi ang pangangailangan sa pera at makakatulong ng husto ang pagkakaroon ng kontrol, lalo na sa pagbili ng mga bagay na hindi naman kailangan. Huwag hayaang matali ang sarili sa relasyon na walang patutunguhan. Sa mga walang asawa, maaring makilala ang taong magpapatibok sa puso. Maglaan ng sapat na panahon para sa sarili upang makapagpahinga ng husto at agad na makabawi ang nanghihinang katawan.

AHAS Isinilang noong 1929/41/53/65/77/89
Malaking pagbabago ang magaganap dala ng magandang takbo ng negosyo. Sa mga mag-asawa, maglaan ng panahon para seryosong pag-usapan ang plano sa buhay upang magkaroon ng linaw ang patutunguhan ng relasyon. Pag-aralang mabuti ang hakbang bago gumawa ng desisyon upang hindi mapahamak . Matinding pananakit ng ulo ang mararanasan kaya iwasan ang mataong lugar o magulong paligid.

KABAYO. Isinilang noong 1930/42/54/66/78/90
Maganda ang pasok ng pera sa linggong ito kaya maari nang mabili ang isang bagay na matagal nang inaasam. Makikilala na ang taong magbibigay o magpupuno ng iyong kaligayahan. Maraming oportunidad ang uusbong sa trabaho kaya samantalahin ang bawat pagkakataon na ipamalas ang tunay na kakayahan.

KAMBING. Isinilang noong 1919/31/43/55/67/79 at 91
May malaking problema sa pera ngunit malaking tulong ang naimpok sa bangko upang malampasan ang sitwasyon. Maglaan ng oras sa pamilya gaano man kaabala sa ibang bagay. Huwag matakot magkamali sa trabaho dahil sa ganitong pagkakataon higit na nahuhubog ang tunay na kakayahan. Makakatanggap ng sulat na naglalaman ng magandang balita. Mag-ingat sa mga patibong ng mga kasamahan sa trabaho.

UNGGOY. Isinilang noong 1920/32/44/56/68/80/92
Angkop ang panahon para gumawa ng desisyon na base sa sariling sapantaha at sentido kumon. Panatilihing masaya ang disposisyon sa buhay kahit maraming problema na kailangang harapin. Sa mga mag-asawa, punan ng pang-unawa ang nakikitang pagkukulang ng bawat isa. Asikasuhing mabuti ang pangangailangan ng mga anak.

TANDANG. Isinilang noong 1921/33/45/57/69/81/93
Makakatulong ng husto ang lakas ng loob upang maiwasan ang matinding pagkakamali. Malaki ang pangangailangan sa pera pero hanggat maari ay huwag kumapit sa patalim. Makakakuha ng positibong tugon kung magpapamalas ng tunay na pagkagiliw sa taong napupusuan. Sa kabila ng pagiging abala, tiyakin na laging may oras para sa pamilya. Aani ng tagumpay ang mga proyekto kaya linangin ng husto ang sariling kaalaman.

ASO. Isinilang noong 1922/34/46/58/70/82/94
Maaring magkaroon ng malaking problema lalo na kung sobrang pabaya sa buhay. Huwag hayaang maloko ng mga kasama sa trabaho kahit na nangangahulugan itong dadami ang mga kaaway. Maayos ang kalusugan pero huwag magpabaya para manatiling masigla ang isip at katawan. Matiwasay ang sitwasyon sa loob ng tahanan.

BABOY. Isinilang noong 1923/35/47/59/71/83/95
Madaling maibagay ang sarili kaya maaring pakinabangan ang lahat ng pagkakataon. Babalik ang lakas mula sa hindi maipaliwanag na pananamlay kaya kailangan ibaon na sa limot ang masamang alaala. Kontrolin ang sarili at huwag magpadala sa silakbo ng damdamin. May malaking problema sa loob ng tahanan kaya kailangang maging matatag alang-alang sa pamilya.

FDHs seek $5k minimum salary

By Daisy CL Mandap

Foreign domestic workers who will join the annual Labor Day rally on May 1 are set to call for their minimum wage to be raised to $5,000.
This was revealed by Eman Villanueva, a spokesperson of the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body, which is organizing the FDW contingent in the protest.
Participants who will mostly come from trade unions will gather at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay and after a brief program, march to the Central Government Offices in Tamar.
Villanueva said the higher wage demand by migrants is based on the $38 per hour minimum pay being sought by local workers, up from the current rate of $32.50.
After factoring in the latest data on the “per capita” expenditure of workers, he said the figure should actually be $5,300.
But even with the reduced amount of $5,000, he agreed it would be difficult to get the Hong Kong government to yield to the wage demand, given its track record of being stingy where migrants were concerned.
For the past three years at least, migrant workers had pushed for their so-called minimum allowable wage to be increased to $4,500, to no avail. The minimum salary is currently set at $4,100 per month.
“Pero mahirap namang masyadong maging conservative sa demand namin dahil we have to base it also on the prevailing cost of living and the current minimum wage given to other workers,” said Villanueva.
With the $38 per hour demanded by local workers, he said the monthly minimum wage would already be in the region of $12,000 which is far more than what the migrants are asking for.
Alongside the minimum wage hike, the FDWs are again demanding shorter working hours.
“Local workers are asking for a maximum of 44 hours of work per week, while we are willing to extend it to 60 hours,” said Villanueva. That means, a migrant worker should be working for only 10 hours a day on average for a six-day work week.
Studies show that on average, they work for between 12 and 16 hours daily.
The demands will also include the long-standing issues over the live-out ban and the two-week rule for foreign domestic workers.

Secret bank account linked to Duterte a game-changer?

Deposit confirms Duterte account. Photo: Ellen Tordesillas

Rodrigo Duterte had been leading public opinion surveys, even widening his lead over the field by capturing 33 per cent in the latest poll of the Social Weather Stations, a nine-point lead over second-placer Grace Poe-Llamazares.
This, despite public uproar against his joking about wanting to be first to rape an Australian who died in a Davao City hostage incident in 1989, which his opponents wished would tarnish his appeal.
Gimmicks such as signing an art board with his vice presidential candidate Alan Cayetano pledging to waive their right to keep their bank accounts from scrutiny under the bank secrecy law – and daring the other candidates to follow suit –were lapped up by his supporters.
Last April 27, however, his dare appears to have put his popularity to the test just two weeks before election day on May 9. Vice presidential candidate Antonio Trillanes accused him of accepting P211 million in deposits on his birthday in 2014 through a bank account he jointly held with his daughter Sara.
Trillanes said Duterte did not include the amount in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth, which showed the Davao City mayor only had Php21.9 million in net assets.
When Trillanes challenged Duterte to waive his right to bank secrecy, Duterte refused, saying the accusation was fabricated.
“I will make it difficult for him,” Duterte said, “I will not play into his game.”
Trillanes answered with a threat to expose more such secret accounts.
While Duterte has remained aggresive, the tide in the comment section of major newspapers that carried the story is turning; those bashing Duterte appeared to have outgunned the normally dominant Duterte supporters.
Counter-propaganda against Trillanes that appeared on  social media was weak.
A photo showing a San Miguel Corporation check for Php500 million payable to Trillanes was quickly umasked as a fake when San Miguel denied it issued that check, and Banco de Oro said the account number in the check did not exist in its system.
Another social media offensive originating from Duterte’s spokesman Peter Lavina was a photo of Duterte with his vice presidential bet Alan Peter Cayetano, showing off the art board they signed as a pledge to waive their right against scrutiny of their bank accounts.
But this raised even another question: If there is such a waiver, why then is  Duterte refusing to open the account that Trillanes specified?
Chatter inside pro-Duterte Facebook pages also centered on Trilanes’ revelation -- mostly how to answer them.
The latest center of such attention was an April 28 Facebook post by journalist Ellen Tordesillas, who said her friend deposited Php 500 in the account cited by Trillanes. The deposit slip confirmed not just the existence of the account, but that it was owned by the Dutertes.
Thus, when asked about this by reporters during a campaign trip to Balanga, Bataan, the same day, Duterte said he indeed had accounts in the Pasig branch of the Bank of the Philippine Islands that Trillanes identified. But he said the deposits in these accounts were no more than Php50.000 and Php17,000.
Unable to deny the existence of the account, Duterte's camp was telling its followers the deposits in those accounts were just Php500 and less than Php50,000 -- not the millions that Trillanes mentioned.
Instead of opening the account and proving that Trillianes was a liar -- that his SALN was an honest statement of his net worth -- Duterte’s attitude appears to be a reminder of Vice President Jejomar Binay.
After Trillanes initiated the Senate investigation into the billion-peso anomalies in Makati, Binay refused to attend the hearings. Instead, he answered the charges in press conferences where reporters were not allowed to ask questions. With the hearings broadcast live on radio and television, Binay is now trailing in the surveys.
But Binay had choice words for his rivals: “Kung wala tayong itinatago, kung lahat tayo ay naniniwala na dapat ihayag natin ang lahat sa ating mga kababayan, kung lahat tayo nagsasabi na pabor tayo sa freedom of information, pirmahan ninyo ang waiver. Magpa-AMLC (Anti-Money Laundering Council) din kayo.”
Other presidential aspirants have jumped into the fray.
Poe, whom Duterte’s camp accused of instigating Trillanes to make the accusations (because she was Trillanes’ choice of president), said: “The easiest way to do it is for him to open the account for public scrutiny. He was the first to dare his rivals to sign a waiver. He said he was willing to die for the country, this is one of the ways of doing it.”
Administration candidate Mar Roxas offered to sign his own waiver, and challenged Duterte to prove that his hands were not as dirty as his mouth.
On April 24, in the last of three presidential debates, Roxas dared Duterte to quit the race if he proved that the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. had brought its services to Davao City. He was referring to Duterte’s claims that Philhealth had not reached his city.
The next day, Duterte dismissed as fake the documents showing that Philhealth had 1.4 members in his city and paid billions of pesos for their hospitalization.
Trillanes, for his part, issued his own challenge to Duterte. If his accusations are proven false, he would withdraw from his own race and resign as senator. But if it is true, then Duterte should withdraw from the race.

(Note: this is a running story so check for updates)

DAY 19: Voting ‘mirage’ livens up dull day

HK Police are on hand to keep the peace.

A little drama at the voting precinct provided some excitement on Apr 27, on an otherwise dull day at Bayanihan Centre, where only 466 came to cast their ballots in the ongoing 2016 Philippine general elections.
The day’s votes nudged up the total count to 24,628 after 19 days of the month-long balloting to elect a new president, vice-president, 12 senators and one partylist. The total translates to a 24.8% turnout from 93,000 registered voters.
A voter in Room 603 roused members of the Special Board of Election Inspectors when she raised a howl over why the names printed on her tear-off ballot receipt were not those of the candidates that she had marked on her ballot.
Vice Consul Alex Vallespin, head of the election board that conducts the voting in Hong Kong, rushed to the room when the issue was relayed to him.
“We told the voter that looked impossible, but we asked her to file a complaint so that we would send it to the Comelec,” Vallespin told The SUN in a telephone interview.
He said the voter declined to fill out a pro forma affidavit stating her complaint.
Vallespin said SBEIs were supplied the affidavit forms starting this week so that voters who complain about what they perceive as cheating in the precincts can file a formal complaint that would be investigated by the Commission on Elections.
“It seems some people are seeing mirages,” a puzzled Vallespin said of some voters’ claims about mismatched ballots and receipt printouts.
“I can’t still make out how such things happen,” he said.
He said he was doing a report to the Comelec about the various voter complaints relating to the vote counting machines installed in the polling precincts.
Vallespin said so far there was only one voter who filed an affidavit on Tuesday, complaining that her receipt showed more than the 10 senatorial candidates she had picked.
Two spare vote counting machines shipped by Comelec would be delivered to Bayanihan on April 28, Vallespin said. He requested for four of these machines after four spares that the poll body sent to Hong Kong earlier were used to replace broken machines.
Still, Vallespin was amazed that despite only nine vote counting machines operating, the election at Bayanihan has not been disrupted. – Vir B. Lumicao

DAY 18: VOTING QUIET BUT SOCIAL MEDIA ABUZZ WITH CHEATING CLAIM

The voter who claims to have been cheated

More than 500 people took advantage of the fine weather today, Apr 26, to cast their ballots at Bayanihan Center in Kennedy Town for the month-long overseas voting for the Philippine general elections.

Overseas Filipinos are voting for president, vice president, 12 senators and one partylist for the House of Representatives.

“Everything went on smoothly,” said Consul Charles Macaspac, the officer-of-the-day in the month-long overseas voting.

However, there were more people whose registration were deactivated for failing to vote in two consecutive elections, or who registered but whose names did not show up in the list provided by the Commission on Elections.

The election officials have yet to hear from the Comelec regarding their request for additional vote counting machines after another one broke down last Saturday.

Four VCMs have broken down so far, but three have been replaced by spare machines sent by Comelec in the first week of voting.

The Consulate is asking for at least four more spares, with about two more weeks to go before polling ends on May 9.

But amid the quiet day at Bayanihan was a big fuss on social media over a cheating claim by a supporter of presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte.

(https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=eva%20ocate%20villa%20video)

The supporter who cast her ballot on Apr 17, returned to Bayanihan last Sunday, Apr 24, to complain about an SBEI (special board of election inspectors) who allegedly threatened to file a case against her for taking a photo of her ballot receipt.

The voter said she took the photo because the receipt did not show the names of her chosen president and vice president.

But according to Consulate officials, the receipt just got crinkled on top so the names overlapped. Taking a photo of the receipt is indeed, a violation of Comelec rules.

After some explaining by Consulate officials in the presence of media representatives and poll watchers, the voter eventually calmed down.

However, a video of her being interviewed by Duterte supporters about the alleged cheating immediately circulated on social media.

By today’s end, a total of 516 people voted, taking to 24,162 the total figure for the 18 days of voting since Apr 9. This represents 26% of the more than 93,000 registered Filipino voters in Hong Kong. – with a report from Vir B. Lumicao

DAY 17: VOTE TALLY DIPS DESPITE GOOD WEATHER

Fair weather took over yesterday, Apr 25, but work had apparently kept most Filipino voters in Hong Kong from trooping to the Bayanihan Center in Kennedy Town to cast their votes for the Philippine presidential elections.

By the day’s end, only 334 voters were recorded, one of the lowest in 17 days of voting.

Laging dagsa ang mga tao tuwing Linggo kahit maulan

The total figure now stands at 23,646, representing just over 22% of the more than 93,000 registered to vote in Hong Kong.

With just 14 days left in the month-long overseas voting, Consulate officials are still optimistic they could hit their target turnout of between 45% to 50%.

They described Monday’s voting at Bayanihan Centre as quiet and smooth, and with none of the technical glitches involving the vote counting machines.

Only nine VCMs are being used at the polling place, instead of the 10 originally designated for Hong Kong.

Comelec sent four replacement units in the first week of voting, but three have already been used in place of those that had broken down earlier. The fourth is not configured, so is useless.

A request for additional units has yet to be met.

Name change holds up poll tally

What’s in a name? A bit of trouble, as one voter realized last Sunday, Apr 24.

Aling Carmen

Old timer Carmencita D. Han caused the tallying of the votes to be delayed by an hour after the scheduled closure at 5pm, all because she had used a different name when she registered.

Aling Carmen arrived at Bayanihan Center where the overseas voting is being held at about 4:30 pm, after taking a circuitous two-hour trip by bus, train and taxi from her home in Tsz Wan Shan. Then she took 15 minutes to limp her way up to the secretariat because of her arthritic legs.

At the information desk, her name could not be verified because the name on her Hong Kong ID did not appear in the list of voters. She did, however, present a passport which bore the name she had used to register an as overseas voter.

“I registered as Carmencita D. Bautista, but I remarried about six years after my husband died in 1995,” she said.

She related she married a Korean trader surnamed Han, and decided to get a new HK ID card using his surname.

She said she last went to the polls in 2010, when she voted for incumbent President, Benigno S. Aquino III.

What encouraged her to travel all the way from Tsz Wan Shan to vote? She said she wanted her candidate to win and even placed a bet on him.

She is hoping the government will give farmers more help, provide children better education, and the country is rid of rape, drugs, and killings.

“Kung sinong gusto natin, yung nakikita nating may ginagagawa para sa bayan,” Aling Carmen said.

After checking with the Commission on Elections which gave the all-clear, Consulate staff helped Aling Carmen secure a ballot and feed it into the vote-counting machine.

Aling Carmen came to Hong Kong in the 1960s with her first husband, Ruben, a musician. Their children who were all born and raised in Hong Kong, are now grown-ups with families of their own and have adopted different nationalities.

Vir B. Lumicao

DAY 16: LESS THAN 6,000 TURNOUT AS RAIN, INCIDENTS MAR VOTING

The rain did not deter them
from casting their ballots 

Seasonal rain marred the third Sunday of overseas voting for the 2016 national elections today, dampening hopes for a new record tally in the month-long exercise.

At the end of the day, 5,659 cast their votes, about 1,000 fewer than the tally for the previous Sunday.

But more than hobbling with one vote counting machine down, the bigger concern yesterday was the growing list of people being unable to vote because their names were not in the list furnished by the Commission on Elections.

As of 3pm, 34 voters found to their dismay that their registration had been deactivated because they failed to vote twice consecutively in previous elections.

Another 80 who registered last year were not on the list.

Those whose names were deactivated did not stand a chance, but those who had been mistakenly left out of the list were made to wait while the secretariat texted Comelec to try to get them cleared to vote.

These were among those whose names
were not in tne list of voters

Two incidents were noted by poll watchers, one involving a voter who was mistakenly given two ballots that were stuck together, and another who complained about being threatened with a suit because she had taken a picture of her receipt.

In the first case, the poll watcher said the ballots could not be inserted into the vote counting machine so the SBEI (special board of election inspectors) marked the ballots as spoiled.

But according to Vice Consul Alex Vallespin, the voter was made to choose which of the two ballots she wanted to insert into the machine: the first where her choices for president, vice president and senators were marked, or the second with her partylist vote.

The voter chose the first.

In the second case, the voter returned to her precinct with two media representatives to confront the SBEI member who allegedly threatened to file a case against her afer taking a picture of her receipt.

But Vallespin assured her that her complaint had already been forwarded to Comelec, so there was no need to take a picture of her receipt, which was really prohibited under election rules.

The Consulate’s total tally after the 16^th day of the month-long balloting was 23,312 votes, or 25% of the 93,000 registered Filipino voters in Hong Kong. – Vir B. Lumicao

CNN's Haiyan experience recalled at HK conference

Clark (exreme left) and Watson (extreme right) in a huddle with AFP's Mark Levine and Eric Wishart

"We let them down."
That was how Roger Clark, CNN Hong Kong's bureau chief, described how he felt when the network's news crew was stranded in the aftermath of super typhoon Haiyan's onslaught in the Philippines in November 2013.
Clark was speaking at a forum on "Covering Conflict and Disaster" at the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Hong Kong earlier today, Apr. 23.
He recalled how senior correspondent Andrew Stevens and his crew were cut off for days in Tacloban after Haiyan (Yolanda in the Philippines), slammed hard, unleashing a water surge that wiped out the city and left an estimated 10,000 people dead.
http://ewn.co.za/Media/2013/11/11/philippines-reporters-notebook-typhoon-haiyan)
Clark said the experience taught them the importance of arming their people sent out to conflict or disaster zones with enough provisions to last for at least three days.

Watson with the 'grab bag'

He, along with CNN's senior international correspondent Ivan Watson then displayed what they called a "grab bag" which reporters on dangerous assignments are made to carry. The black traveling-size bag contains, among other things, mobile phones and battery packs, instant noodles, water purifying tablets,and even tampons.
The two also spoke of how the journalism profession has veered away from its tough, macho image to one that recognizes human frailties and vulnerabilities.
Watson, a veteran war correspondent, admitted to undergoing counseling as a result of the trauma that he's been subjected to in the course of doing his job. - Daisy CL Mandap







http://ewn.co.za/Media/2013/11/11/philippines-reporters-notebook-typhoon-haiyan

DAY 15: FOURTH VOTE COUNTING MACHINE CRASHES

The defective machine has been shipped back to Comelec

Another vote counting machine crashed today, Apr 23, at Bayanihan Centre, the fourth to break down since overseas voting began here two weeks ago.

The incident which happened at around 2:45 pm, caused Consulate officials to scramble to come up with contingency arrangements ahead of what is expected to be another heavy voter turnout tomorrow. Sunday.

The day ended with a total of 1,179 voters casting their ballots, the highest Saturday count so far in the month-long overseas voting for the Philippine national elections.

This brings the total tally in 15 days of voting to 17,653, or 19%  of the more than 93,000 registered voters in Hong Kong.

Three voters who failed to insert their ballots into the machine in room 501 were asked to put them inside sealed individual envelopes which they were asked to sign, then hand over to the Special Board of Election Inspectors for safekeeping. They will have to reinsert their own ballots into another machine at a future date.

Vice Consul Alex Vallespin who heads the electoral board, immediately sent out an urgent request for the Commission on Elections to send four new spare machines to Hong Kong by Monday.

He is, however, optimistic that the latest machine breakdown will not cause too much of a problem tomorrow, when another voter surge is expected.

Last Sunday, Apr 17, more than 6,000 people cast their votes, the biggest tally for a single day in the ongoing election. – Vir B. Lumicao

Voter’s rage

There was more drama at Bayanihan Centre today when a woman claiming to be a resident reportedly blew her top upon learning that she could not vote because her name had been deactivated by Comelec.

According to a Facebook post by Consul Charles Macaspac, the woman failed to vote in the past three overseas elections.

Comelec has deactivated the registration of voters who failed to cast their ballots in at least two successive elections. If they wanted to get back on the voters' list, they should have applied for reactivation during the prescribed period which ended in December last year.
"We were not informed! You should have texted us, trabaho ninyo yan! Ang hirap sa inyo, OFW lang inaasikaso ninyo! OFW lang sila, residente kami!", the woman reportedly shouted.

That led Macaspac to step in and tell her she should have read the reports in community newspapers and watched Philippine television. The woman retorted by saying she only read the SCMP and watched ABS-CBN.

Macaspac’s post about the irate voter drew the ire of many Filipinos, who were particularly incensed by the woman’s arrogant assertion that she, as a resident, had better rights than an OFW.

Obviously miffed himself, Macaspac closed his post with the statement: “Isang boto po para sa bawat isang rehistradong Filipino. Walang residente, walang OFW, lahat Filipino.”

MORE STORIES IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE SUN

Elderly employer jailed for indecent assault on maid

An elderly employer was acquitted at the High Court yesterday, Apr 21, of a charge of raping his Filipino domestic helper two years ago. However, he was jailed for two and a half months after being found guilty of a separate charge of indecent assault on her. A third charge of indecent assault was also dismissed.

Guilty of indecent assault but not of rape

The split verdict in the case of 65-year-old Lee Man-biu, who owned a toy factory in the mainland, came after more than 10 hours of deliberation by a jury made up of two men and five men.

The jury returned unanimous verdicts on all three charges, one for rape and two for indecent assault, after a trial that was originally set to last for six days but stretched to eight and a half days.

Among those who testified were Lee and the victim, a 48-year-old mother of two, as well as two police witnesses.

Justice Esther Toh commended the jurors “for returning a difficult verdict” after spending the night in the courthouse to continue their deliberations.

The first indecent assault charge involved an incident in Mar 2014 when the maid was in the kitchen and Lee allegedly grabbed her breasts. She said she managed to film the  assault but Lee grabbed her cell phone and deleted the video.

Lee was acquitted of that charge.

However, he was convicted of a second charge of indecent assault which took place in the morning of Oct 13, 2014. In this case, Lee was found to have grabbed the woman’s breasts while she was cleaning the living room, and dragged her to the bedroom.

Lee reportedly warned the victim that he would throw her out the window if she told anyone about the assault.

He repeated the warning when he allegedly raped her on the night of the same day. However, the charge of rape was dismissed by the jury.

During cross examination, the defense lawyer suggested that Lee and the maid had consensual sex, but the victim vehemently denied this.

She also said she used to be scared every time Lee’s wife and daughter would go to China because the employer would assault her indecently “almost everyday”, and would hit her in the head if he was angry.

But during cross examination, it was revealed that the woman had lent $5,000 to Lee at one point. She also admitted keeping $60,000 in her room, money that she meant to take home. – Vir B. Lumicao

Pinay who molested young ward gets 4 1/2 years in jail

A 45-year-old Filipina domestic helper was sentenced yesterday, Apr 21, to a total of 4 years and six months in jail for indecently assaulting her young male ward more than three years ago.

The sentencing of the self-confessed lesbian, SRM, came more than a month after her conviction on Mar 4 for three counts of indecent assault committed against the boy, then 8 years old, between July 1, 2011 and Aug 31, 2013.

In sentencing, District Court Judge Johnny Chan said: “The defendant has done much damage to the boy. The defendant’s duty was to take care of the victim when his parents were away, but she flagrantly breached that duty and assaulted the boy.”

He said the boy would need a long time to recover and would have to be undergo therapy.

The impact report presented to the court cited the child victim’s “recurrent nightmares” and “crying in the middle of the night” following the assaults.

But earlier, another report submitted by a clinical psychologist said he interviewed the boy three times before the trial and found him “calm and settled”.

Because of the apparent discrepancy in the two reports, defense lawyer John Hemmings advised the defendant to immediately ask for legal aid so they could appeal her case. – Vir B. Lumicao

MORE IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE SUN