DH denies theft of employer’s tourmaline ring as trial gets underway

 By Vir B. Lumicao 

The court heard the police got an incomplete video from the scene of alleged theft

A Filipina domestic helper pleaded not guilty yesterday, Dec 23, at the start of her trial on a charge of stealing a tourmaline ring valued at $100,000 in September from her socialite female employer in Stanley.

The defendant, L.V. Narcelles, 37, was barely two weeks in her new job when she was accused by her employer, Chua Eh-fong, of taking the ring between Aug 27 and Sept 9 this year.

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She was the fifth worker in the household, where there were three other helpers and a female driver.

Chua Eh-fong, identified by local media as Cai Yifeng (her Putonghua name), wife of former ATV executive director Sheng Pinru, took the witness stand when the trial presided by Magistrate David Cheung got underway.

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The employer said she discovered on Sept 9 that her ring had been stolen, when she asked the Filipina to bring out her luggage for a cursory check before leaving her house in Regalia Bay after her dismissal.

Chua said she fired the helper, who joined her household only on Aug 26 on a monthly salary of $6,000, after the helper damaged some expensive silverware and Versace tableware while doing the dishes. 

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She also accused the helper of staining her expensive clothes and bra during washing.

The arresting officer took the witness stand today for the prosecution. He said he arrived at the scene after Chua reported the theft. He said he relied on Chua’s statement and the CCTV footage that the employer supplied the police three days after the incident.

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He said there was no CCTV footage in the masters’ bedroom and a China-made CCTV next to the printer in the dining room was reportedly working.

The defense lawyer asked the officer why it took three days before he was able to obtain the CCTV footage. The officer replied that he asked for the video three times but Chua reportedly said the footage was not yet ready.

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When Chua finally supplied the video, it was only 10 minutes long and showed the point when Narcelles brought out her three suitcases to the dining area up to when the ring fell out of a white paper bag when Chua asked the helper to pour out its contents.

The footage stopped where the helper was still kneeling on the floor crying as she talked to her former employer, Portia Cheung, about the discovery of the ring in her luggage.

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The officer said he expected the full footage but was told by the employer that she was still trying to retrieve it with the help of her husband.

This afternoon, when it was Narcelles’ turn to give evidence, the prosecutor grilled her about the events leading up to the allegation, including her Whatsapp text messages and calls to Cheung shortly after her arrival at Chua’s house and when she was accused of theft.

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She said on Sept 7, Chua accused her and another co-helper of causing the scratches on the expensive tableware. She answered back, telling the employer to check the CCTV to find out for herself who was responsible. Then the boss also accused her of staining her clothes and bra.

Narcelles said she called up Cheung for advice and the latter told her to tell the agency. The former also told her she should not pay because the things were not damaged.

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At 5pm on Sept 8, Chua told Narcelles that she was terminating her contract after one month. Then she changed her mind at 9pm and told her to pack up her things and leave. Shortly later, the employer told the helper to leave in the morning after Chua had checked her luggage.

When the lawyer played back the video of the helper opening her luggage, Narcelles broke into tears when the footage got to the point where the ring fell out of the paper bag and she picked it up and held it in her palm.

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Magistrate Cheung gave her a 5-minute break to calm down as he would not allow her evidence to proceed. When she had sobered up, the defense lawyer asked her if she knew how much a tourmaline, a peridot or a diamond would cost, Narceles said no. 

When her testimony was over, the defense lawyer said Narcelles’ former employer was going to testify for her but there was little time left for the day. Magistrate Cheung adjourned the hearing until Dec 31.

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Filipina in $14.6M theft offers to plead guilty if co-accused are freed

By Daisy CL Mandap 

Carmelita in a Facebook photo shortly before her arrest

A Filipina helper accused of stealing $14.6 million worth of jewelry from her employer last year, has offered to plead guilty to all the charges against her if the prosecution would agree to drop all charges against her three co-accused.

Carmelita G. Nones made the offer through her lawyer when she appeared at Eastern Court on Dec 21.

Magistrate Cheang Kei-hong agreed to adjourn the case until Jan 18 while Nones tries to work out a deal with the Department of Justice.

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But he warned that it would be the final adjournment, as he intends to elevate the case to the Court of First Instance, whether or not the DOJ agrees to Nones’ offer.

The magistrate extended Nones’ bail until then, along with that of her relatives, Marina G. Biala and Maricris G. Nones; and her fiend, Cristina N. Alagna.

Nones, 45,  faces six counts of theft involving about 200 jewelry pieces and gold bars which she allegedly took from the Deepwater Bay house of former New World Development executive director David Liang and his wife.

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The case is the biggest theft case ever to have been filed in court against an FDW.

Maricris Nones and Alagna are both charged with handling stolen goods for allegedly pawning the stolen items. Biala is accused separately of the same offence, after she was found in possession of a bag containing some of the alleged stolen jewelry.

One of the jewelry pieces allegedly pawned for Carmelita by her relative

Nones has been in police custody since her arrest on Sept 4 last year, when Liang discovered that his $100,000 Piaget watch was missing. The maid reportedly admitted to her employer that she took the watch and pawned it.  

Later, Liang reportedly discovered that a matching Piaget lady’s watch which he had bought for his wife for the same amount was also missing.

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When she first appeared in court, Nones offered to plead guilty to the theft charges against her.  But her guilty plea was discarded after police investigators traced many more stolen jewelry pieces belonging to Liang from the pawnshops where they had been hocked.

Maricris Nones and Alaga were arrested after their names appeared in the pawnshop receipts for the alleged stolen jewelry. Biala was charged for allegedly keeping some of the stolen pieces for Carmelita.

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Two HK-born sisters sent to Phl after living in shadows for 30 years

By Vir B. Lumicao

The sisters at HK airport shortly before departing for the Philippines

Two Hong Kong-born Filipino sisters, aged 29 and 30, who spent their entire lives with no legal identity and never went to school, are now in the Philippines, their parents’ homeland, after being removed from the city.

Dawn and Kaye flew to Manila on Saturday, Dec 19, with their mother Feli, a former domestic helper who had overstayed her visa, on the first leg of their voyage to the northern Philippines to be with relatives they never met.

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Not much is known about their father, although some media reports said he was a Filipino musician living in Hong Kong.

It was a quiet departure for the mother and her daughters, who were escorted up to planeside by Immigration officers from the Castle Peak Immigration Centre in Tuen Mun and seen off by staff from PathFinders, a Hong Kong charity that has helped them since they decided to surface.

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PathFinders helped them surrender to the Immigration’s general investigation office at Skyline Tower in Kowloon Bay on Oct 16, 2019, according to reports. 

The sisters obtained their birth certificates only on Oct 22 this year, enabling them to apply at the Consulate for travel documents they needed to travel to the Philippines.

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The departure of Dawn, Kaye and their mother, Feli, whose real family names were not disclosed to protect their privacy, was confirmed by both the Consulate and PathFinders.

Consul Paulo Saret, head of the assistance to nationals section of the Consulate, said it was he who signed the travel documents of the three about a month ago. Reports said that was on Nov 26.

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“The Immigration brought them here and we gave them travel documents. If you’re with the Immigration, that means they’d usher you out of their territory shortly,” said Saret.

The sisters were reportedly excited to see their mother’s hometown but were sad to be leaving Hong Kong, where they were born, but grew up moving from place to place every two years and not going to school.

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Reports said Dawn and Kaye were born at Queen Elizabeth Hospital but their father did not bother to register their births. The mother claimed she tried to do so but eventually gave up.

Feli came to Hong Kong to work as a domestic helper and overstayed after her contract was terminated prematurely. That kept her from pursuing her daughters’ registration.

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For the same reason, Feli did not bother to apply for the right of abode for both her daughters, and decided instead to take them with her to the Philippines where they could lead normal lives, after three decades in hiding.

Catherine Gurtin, chief executive of PathFinders, said the possibility of obtaining the right of abode was raised in initial meetings of the sisters with the NGO’s lawyer.

“But [this was] discussed as being slim given the girls may be considered an ‘unlawful stay’ – meaning they did not have a visa/any documents allowing them to enter or be in HK in the first instance,” Gurtin said.

“Additionally, once the girls turned 18 … they would be considered as adults, further complicating the case. Regardless, this was not an area we explored further, due to a preference by the family to return to the Philippines,” she said.

Growing up, the sisters never went to school as they had no identity documents of any kind. Feli made up for that by patiently teaching them English and Tagalog, and using a friend’s library card to borrow books from the public library that the sisters could read.

She must have been an excellent teacher as the sisters grew up so articulate that Gurtin was left amazed.

“These sisters are quite simply the most resilient, articulate and confident girls we have ever met! Thank you so much Dawn and Kaye for your incredible bravery and desire to share your story to help and encourage anyone else in a similar situation to come forward and seek our help,” she said on PathFinders’ website yearender.

“On Saturday, the family finally flew ‘home’ to celebrate Christmas in the Philippines with their Grandmother and extended family. We wish them all the best and a bright future as they embark on a bold new chapter!” Gurtin said. 

Before Dawn and Kaye’s ordeal became public, two similar cases were uncovered in Hong Kong four and five years ago, one triggered by tragedy that stemmed from a child’s frustration over her living in the shadows.

The girl, then aged 15, jumped off a bathroom building in the luxury flat in Repulse Bay she shared with her mother, former helper Herminia Garcia; father, insurance executive Nick Cousins; and a younger sister.

After the girl’s parents were arrested it emerged that Garcia had overstayed for more than 20 years after her DH contract was terminated. She was jailed for 12 months, while Cousins got eight months in jail, suspended for two years, for failing to register the birth of his daughters.

Cousins and Garcia during happier times

Both girls never went to regular schools and were privately tutored while forced to hide their parents’ dark secret.

The same thing happened in the case of two other girls, aged 18 and 19, whose lack of personal identity was discovered only during a routine check of their house in Aberdeen by police, following a report about a suspected crime.

Their mother, Ma Lorena Escanillas, 43, and Reynaldo Pangan, 58, both FDWs, both pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to register the birth of their children following their arrest on Apr 27, 2016.

Both girls said they never went to school as they had no birth certificates, and were only taught at home by their parents.

 

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Govt quashes lockdown rumors as Covid-19 cases drop to 63

 By The SUN

All public transport will stop at 9pm today, according to the rumour

 

The government quickly dismissed rumors today, Dec 22, that the Chief Executive was to give a press briefing in the afternoon to announce harsh new anti-virus rules, including a shutdown in public transportation services starting at 9pm today.

A brief statement issued at 3:57pm today via the government information website said:  "We strongly condemn the spread of the rumours and appeal to the public to stay united in this difficult period as we fight against the disease.”

The statement said that the rumor that quickly circulated on the internet was “absolutely unfounded” and “totally fabricated.”

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The rumour circulated a few hours after all flights from Britain were halted as a result of the spread there of a coronavirus strain that is said to be 70% more infectious than the usual variety.

All new arrivals from Britain will also have to spend an extra week in home isolation after the first 14 days of mandatory quarantine. They also must return a negative result for a third Covid-19 test to be done on the 19^th or 20^th day in quarantine.

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But today, health officials said 63  coronavirus cases were recorded as of midnight Monday, the lowest in a month.

The new infections included 53 that were locally acquired, 13 of which were of unknown sources, also the lowest number for the past several days.

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Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said the lower figures was a welcome sign, but warned against complacency.

“I hope this will be a continuing trend, instead of just one or two days (of drop in figures). We have to be prudent,” she said.

The Filipina tested negative at the airport, but positive on her second test while in quaranttine

Included among the 10 imported cases was a 32-year-old Filipina domestic helper who arrived on Dec 9 and tested positive while in quarantine. The others were two male returnees from Indonesia, two from the United Kingdom and two from India.

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The details of the three others were not immediately available.

Hong Kong’s total tally has gone up to 8,301, but only 1,081 confirmed patients are still receiving treatment in 22 public hospitals and the community facility at AsiaWorld Expo.

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Among them, 67 are in critical condition, 63 are seriously ill, and 951 are in stable condition.

One more death was recorded, that of an 86-year-old male patient who passed away early this morning at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. There are now 128 Covid-related deaths recorded in the city.

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There were more than 30 preliminary cases detected.

Among the notable cases was a doctor who runs a clinic in Tin Shui Wai, identified as Wu Xioachun. He reportedly treated two infected patients in his clinic on Dec 15 and 18, but had worn proper protective clothing.

Dr Chuang said all patients working in Wu’s clinic will be quarantined. Patients who saw him between Dec 19 and 20 have been told to get tested.

There were also a number of new cases reported from housing estates, including Lotus Tower in Kwun Tong, Yau Ma Tei Court, Ming Wah in Shau Kei Wan, and Ping Shing House in Lam Tin.

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Migrante Pier captures 1st prize in online Christmas carol contest

 By The SUN 

Migrante Pier cops first prize in Filcom's first online caroling contest 

Filipino migrant workers who are unable to gather for street parties or traditional merrymaking this holiday season due to coronavirus-triggered social distancing rules have found a sophisticated way to push their events – by going online. 

That was the option Filipino Migrant Workers Union took when it successfully staged its annual caroling contest last weekend.

Only four workers’ groups took part in the contest, the first to be held via the Internet, as anti-pandemic restrictions were keeping foreign domestic helpers from going to their  favorite hang-outs on their day off.

“Dahil po nagka-social distancing ng dalawang katao lang, at mostly mga members ng mga organizations ay hindi na nakakalabas kaya nagkaroon ng limitasyon ang pagsali nila,” said Bing Yungco, chair of FMWU Chater Road Chapter, which staged the event.

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(“Because of social distancing and the two persons per group protocol, most organization members had been unable to go out, thus limiting the number of participants.”)

The competition was declared open on Nov 25. Contestants were required to submit videos of their Christmas caroling entries no later than Dec 13.

The winners were judged based on their video entries on Dec 18 on the following criteria: voice quality (50%), stage presence or performance (20%), costume (20%) and social media impact (10%).

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The videos were emailed to the judges, Lita Licudine from Creative Eyes, Vir B. Lumicao from The Sun Hong Kong, and Rey Asis from the Asia-Pacific Mission for Migrants, who returned their judgments on Dec 18. Tess Aquino was the adjudicator.

The first place winner was Migrante Pier. The second place went to Mission Movers Hong Kong, and FMWU- City Hall was third.

In the special prizes category, Migrante Pier was adjudged best in choreography, while FMWU- City Hall and Migrante Pier shared the best in costume award.

Movers takes second place

Mission Movers HK captured the best in social media impact award, whose selection was done by supporters who voted by viewing and liking the contestants’ videos on Facebook.                                                                   .

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This Sunday, the prizes will be delivered to the winners by members of the four chapters of FMWU, said Yungco, who thanked all supporters and sponsors for the successful event.

“To the organizations that participated to make this event happen this year, we thank you. Even if we are in the midst of the pandemic, we were able to continue the Christmas tradition of FMWU- CRC that started more than a decade ago. We are truly grateful,” the 25-member group said.

Here are the links to the winning entries:

https://www.facebook.com/106579001021541/videos/671110097103482

https://www.facebook.com/106579001021541/videos/710703123218142

https://www.facebook.com/106579001021541/videos/735525513744133

 

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