Mysterious images show up on Filipina driver’s car monitor

 

Mercy's dashboard shows 3 people ahead though there is nobody else around 

(Contributed by Ramon Dizon, Jr.)

Strange things have happened since the employer of Filipina driver Mercy Permales bought a new family car.

Mysterious, ghost-like images that are not visible to the naked eye have begun to show up on the sensor monitor of the Maxus-Mifa7 MPV (multi purpose vehicle) that Mercy now drives.

She started seeing them at about 3am in November last year, as she was preparing to pick up her employer from the airport. Given the time, there were no other people around their Stubbs Road carpark and everything was quiet, until the car’s sensor emitted a sound after she turned on the engine.

Mercy got the shock of her life when she saw the images of four people appear on the car’s monitor. She immediately turned off the engine, then restarted it, hoping the monitor would clear up, but the images were still there.

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Seeing that the strange vision would not disappear on her third try, Mercy decided to get off and check her surroundings. She confirmed nobody was around, but the images that were slightly moving remained on the monitor.

Afterwards, she would see the “people” popping up on the car monitor whenever she was leaving their estate’s carpark. Sometimes there would be three, other times, two; and at other times, just one.

The weirdest was the image of a child on a bicycle, a helmet covering his face, that suddenly appeared on the monitor.

By this time, Mercy had gotten used to seeing the images on her car’s monitor that she started recording the incidents on video and posting them on her Facebook page ( here is one of her reels: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1209329267435472) to the amusement – and oftentimes, horror – of her social media friends.

Mercy is  no longer spooked by 'haunted' car

What makes the experience even weirder for Mercy is that it happens not just in the evening or early morning, but also in broad daylight. The images would also appear in different parts of the ground-level carpark even if there are no other people around. 

One of her neighbors said someone who lived in the building had committed suicide, but Mercy could not independently confirm this. Another who never saw the strange sightings told her, nevertheless, that she often hears an unseen baby crying in the same location.

She has consulted with friends in the same building who drive the same car make, but they all told her that the eerie phenomenon she has experienced has never happened to them.

“Pinagtatawanan nga nila ako,” Mercy said. (They just laugh at me).

At the advice of a friend, Mercy had the car’s software updated last month, but the images still show up. 

The first time Mercy saw the strange figures there were 4 of them

Like most new electric vehicles, the Maxus-Mifa7 is equipped with the Advanced Driver Assistance System or ADAS, which is made up of cameras, sensor, processing unit, alarms and monitor.

The images caught by the system’s camera undergo a process that results in a bird’s eye-view of the space ahead showing up on the monitor. When the sensors detect the object or objects they emit an alarm to alert the driver.

However, at the very least, there should be an actual object ahead for the alarm to be triggered.

Another Filipino driver who lives in Belleview Drive, Repulse Bay, said he has also driven a Mifa7, and confirmed that he would sometimes see images that are on “standby” on the monitor screen. These would move when actual people pass by. But he has never experienced what Mercy keeps seeing on her car’s monitor.

With the passing of time, Mercy, a seasoned taekwondo practitioner, has come to take the experience in stride, attributing it merely to the car’s sensor that is so sensitive it can detect even “non-entities.” 

But to be safe, she has taken to paying respects to the images that keep popping up on the monitor.

She would say, “Excuse me, makikiraan po,” (Excuse me, please, let me pass) before driving away.

 

DMW to set up Migrant Workers Office in Cambodia

President Marcos met with some 500 Filipinos in Phnom Penh

The Department of Migrant Workers will soon set up a Migrant Workers Office in Cambodia, in line with a directive from President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., issued during his meeting with about 500 members of the Filipino community in Phnom Penh last Sunday, Sept. 7.

The new MWO will serve the estimated 10,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Cambodia, where many fall prey to syndicates operating scam hubs.

During the President’s visit, Philippine Ambassador to Cambodia Flerida Ann Mayo reported that cases of Filipinos being lured to the scam hubs there have more than doubled this year. Last month alone, at least 24 Filipino victims were rescued from the syndicates.

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DMW Secretary Hans J. Cacdac, who was among a number of Cabinet ministers who accompanied the president during the visit, said the new MWO will be immediately set up in coordination with Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro and Ambassador Mayo.

The MWO will provide legal aid, welfare assistance, reintegration programs and skills training for OFWs and complement the Philippine Embassy’s work in addressing the concerns of all Filipinos in the country.

Filipinos in Cambodia give warm welcome to their president

During his visit, President Marcos gave recognition to the vital role that Filipinos play in strengthening economic and diplomatic ties between the Philippines and Cambodia, particularly through their contributions in the education and medical sectors, businesses, and infrastructure projects.

On his return to Manila, he reported securing five business deals and three government-to-government agreements with Phnom Penh.

He met with both the Acting Head of State and Senate President Hun Sen and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on advancing the two countries’ bilateral relations.

Those who accompanied him on his visit apart from Cacdac were SFA Lazaro, Trade Secretary Ma Cristina Roque, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Laurel, Jr., Commission on Higher Education Chair Shirley Agrupis, and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.

Currently, the DMW has 42 MWOs worldwide, and is working to establish more in countries with significant Filipino migrant populations.

New app launched to check on OFWs

 

The app may be downloaded by clicking on any of the 2 QR codes above

The Department of Migrant Workers has launched a new mobile application that will help ensure the safety and welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) wherever they may be.

The “Kumusta Kabayan” app can be downloaded on mobile phones so OFWs may easily get help in cases of emergency. They can also click on the QR codes in the poster above.

To get into the system, they will have to register by providing their names, birth date, address and other personal details, and upload a copy of their passport, plus a selfie.

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A news release issued by DMW on Monday said the digital welfare monitoring system has been put in place in response to a directive from President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr to enhance the protection of OFWs.

DMW Secretary Hans J. Cacdac said the app was developed with help from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration so they could jointly monitor the condition of  OFWs, the country’s modern-day heroes.

Cacdac said the DMW will not just wait for OFWs to reach out to them, as they will take the initiative of calling them up to check on their condition.

“Tayo mismo ang direktang tatawag sa kanila upang mangumusta, at siguraduhin ang agarang tulong sa kanilang pangangailangan,” he said. (We will call them ourselves to say hello and ensure they get immediate help for whatever they need).

The Kumusta Kabayan App is connected to the DMW-OWWA electronic system and data base for OFW registration and membership, case management and welfare reporting.

Among its features is a survey form that OFWs can fill up to update the Department on their current situation with their employers, the quality of their working and living conditions, and whether they are being paid on time.

Also shown in the app is the 1348 hotline of DMW/OWWA, which they can call anytime for any emergency. The other numbers listed are those for the DMW offices across the country.

OFWs may also use the app to call the DMW directly if they need urgent help from the Aksyon Fund, including for repatriation, legal, financial, medical or reintegration assistance.

 

2 theft cases activate Pinoy’s suspended sentence

 

The latest theft was committed in a 759 store inside this mall (Google Maps photo)

A jobless Filipino failed to get the usual one-third discount on his sentence today after he pleaded guilty at Eastern Court to two counts of shoplifting, because he committed the offenses while still under a suspended sentence.

Jeremias Sampher, 59 years old and a former waiter and transportation worker, admitted theft in the new cases, in violation of section 9 of the Theft Ordinance, and was sentenced to 14 days imprisonment for each case.

His conviction activated a suspended sentence of 14 days for an earlier theft charge.

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Instead of the usual discount of 14 days for the 42-day sentence, Acting Principal Magistrate David Cheung gave him seven days instead, for a final sentence of 35 days.

Sampher admitted stealing eight packs of chocolate from the Best Mart 360 store at the Supreme Building on King’s Road, North Point, last Feb. 21.

The second theft charge arose after he stole one pack of tissues, three packs of cheese and one bottle of juice last June 22 at the 759 Store on Farm Road, Kowloon City.

Details of the original theft, for which he was given a suspended sentence, were not made available.

 

OWWA chief decries agency’s Php3-b budget

 

Administrator Caunan speaks at 'Alagang OWWA' project launch

Administrator Patricia Yvonne “PY” Caunan has expressed dismay at the Php3 billion budget allocation that the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration gets from the government each year, especially amid news of anomalous flood control projects costing taxpayers billions of pesos.

“Ayaw ko na ngang manood ng TV ngayon, kasi sumasakit ang loob ko,” said Caunan during a news conference she held at the OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers) Global Center in Admiralty yesterday.  (I don’t even watch TV anymore now, because it makes me feel  bad).

She said it pained her to hear about so-called “ghost projects” some of which cost more than the entire annual budget of OWWA.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

But while aggrieved over the comparatively small budget allotted to OWWA, Caunan, who has just marked her 100^th day in office, remains dead-set on improving welfare and health services for OFWs.

As part of this initiative, the first Alagang OWWA Center will be set up in Metro Manila within the month. The center will provide free diagnostic and laboratory examination, eye and dental check-ups and HIV testing, in partnership with the Yakap program of the Department of Health.

Beside this will be a “botika” or pharmacy that will dispense medicines, again for free, to OFWs in need, especially those who have returned home and do not have the means to provide for their medical needs.

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Caunan said these undertakings all fall within her mandate to strengthen OWWA so it can better provide for the needs of OFWs.

“With a stronger OWWA we want to empower OFWs, we want to take care of OFWs. Yan ang alagang OWWA,” said Caunan.

But to be able to do this, she said she would need additional help from the government, particularly in allowing OWWA to hire more staff.

Admin Caunan with OWWA Deputy Admin Rosalia Catapang at press con

Right now, Caunan said OWWA only has 400 plantilla positions, compared with the newly created Department of Migrant Workers, which has 1,500 posts. The lack of manpower has resulted in the agency’s welfare officers and staff to work for extended hours, she said.

“The (OWWA) Board has already given approval for us to request an additional 350 plus plantilla positions, mostly for overseas, Caunan disclosed.

That request is now before lawmakers, along with a plea for more money to bolster the agency’s services. After all, she said OFW remittances account for nearly 10% of the country’s gross domestic product, or GDP.

Apart from increasing its manpower, OWWA has also embarked on a review of all its programs, to see which needs to be improved so services are delivered faster and more efficiently.

Caunan is also keen on digitalization, particularly in partnering with digital wallets GCash and Pay Maya, so OFWs who need to pay for fees like membership could easily do so without having to go to any of its offices.

But to further expand benefits to members like scholarship for their children and repatriation and burial services, she said it is also important to get more OFWs to activate their membership.

Caunan said that since the processing of work contracts for “balik manggagawa” or returning OFWs was delinked from payment for OWWA membership, the number of those with “active” membership has declined considerably.

“What does it mean? Seventy percent of the almost two million deployment each year, or 1.4 million OFWs, do not pay for OWWA membership,” she said.

She acknowledged that the situation in Hong Kong is different, as the more than 220,000 Filipino migrant workers who are here remain active members because they can only have their contracts verified after paying for OWWA membership – thanks to a supportive labor attaché.  

But while OWWA does not want to compel all OFWs to pay for membership, Caunan said it is to their advantage that they remain active members so they have better protection while working abroad.

She also gave categorical assurance that the USD25 membership fee that has been in place since OWWA was set up 48 years ago will remain unchanged, even while benefits may increase following a review.

To make membership more appealing, OWWA has recently partnered with 27 companies in Hong Kong that agreed to give discounts to OFWs who could present their E-cards, which also serve as proof of their active membership.

The benefits range from cash discounts for sending door-to-door boxes to the Philippines to lower remittance fees, and even lower down payments when buying a house from two of the country’s biggest developers.

This is just the start of providing more benefits to members, said Caunan. Come September 15, she said OWWA will launch more benefits for members in other parts of the world.

To detractors who persist in criticizing OWWA for its efforts to continuously upgrade its services to OFW members, Caunan said those who are not interested in the benefits may just ignore them.

“Dagdag benepisyo lang yan, kung ayaw ninyo ng discount, wag nyong gamitin ang E-card ninyo,” she said simply. (Those are just additional benefits. If you are not interested in the discounts, just don’t use your E-cards).

She also deflected criticism she may follow in the profligate spending of her predecessor Arnell Ignacio, who was sacked for purchasing a P2.4 billion piece of land without approval from OWWA's Board of Trustees.

Her plan to set up an Alagang OWWA Center in the capital, and eventually, at various regions in the country, will not involve buying or building any new structure, Caunan emphasized.

"I don't plan to build anything for this. I plan to use existing facilities," she said.

And while she does not see anything wrong with providing unlimited coffee or other refreshments at the OFW lounges or centers, she said she wants OWWA facilities to be more service-oriented, in keeping with her "Alagang OWWA" advocacy.

 

Senate replaces Escudero with Sotto as its president

 

Sen. Tito Sotto III takes his oath of office before his predecessor, Sen. Chiz Escudero

The Senate today elected former Minority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III is its new president, replacing Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero and reopening the possibility that the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte could finally start.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson was later elected Senate President Pro Tempore replacing Jinggoy Estrada, while Zubiri replaced Sen. Joel Villanueva as majority leader.

The change in leadership, sealed when Escudero himself swore Sotto into office, is also expected to result in changes in the chairmanship of several key committees, such as the Blue Ribbon Committee now led by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, who may be replaced by Sen. Lacson  

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

The Senate coup came right after the plenary session began, with Escudero presiding.

Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri moved to declare the position of Senate president vacant and, after Escudero asked Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada to preside over the session, nominated Sotto as Senate president. Sen. Loren Legarda seconded his motion.

“There being no other nominees for the position, Sen. Vicente Sotto, the only nominee for the position of the Senate president is hereby declared as the newly elected president of the Senate,” Estrada declared.

Sotto said his election was a result of Senators Zubiri, Lacson, Hontiveros and Loren Legarda urging fellow senators to support him. They were said to have won the votes of at least 11 more colleagues.

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Escudero’s hold was weakened mainly by his decision to start – forthwith, as required by the Constitution -- the impeachment trial of Duterte, after the vice president was impeached by a majority vote in the House of Representatives.

After the Supreme Court later declared the impeachment unconstitutional, Sotto led an effort by the then minority bloc in the Senate to keep it alive. The Senate voted 19-4 with one abstention, to archive it as proposed by Sotto, instead of dismissing it outright as proposed by Marcoleta.

Escudero was also dragged into the flood control projects mess, after he confirmed that he received $30 million in illegal campaign donation in 2022 from Lawrence Lubiano, the owner of Centerways Construction and Development Inc., one of the 15 contractors named by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as having cornered 25 per cent of flood control works.

He was also accused of making insertions in the 2025 budget that poured billions of pesos in government projects into his home province of Sorsogon, along with the bailiwicks of his allies in the Senate.

Earlier, in the same plenary hall, the Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing saw the biggest flood control contractors, the couple Curlee and Sarah Discaya, identify the congressmen, Department of Public Works and Highways officials and others they claimed had demanded bribes from them in return for getting flood control contracts.

Update: Storm Signal No. 8 raised: classes, work cancelled

 

Updated 9:29 am

Classes and work have been cancelled tomorrow morning as a result of the Hong Kong Observatory hoisting Storm Signal No. 8, which will remain in force at least until 11 a.m. tomorrow.

The MTR announced that its operations will not be affected, unless Signal No. 9 is declared.

Bus companies said their overnight operations will be suspended. Trips will resume when Signal No. 8 is taken down. 

Ferry services will be suspended at 11 tonight and will not be resumed until further notice. 

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

The storm signal came in anticipation of the approach of Tapah, which earlier developed over north China Sea from a weak organized air circulation when it was moving west from Northern Luzon.

Tapah had been moving west when it veered north this morning towards western Guangdong, and has since maintained a track that will could take it to within 200 kilometers west of Hong Kong by early morning tomorrow.

 “Local winds will further strengthen,” the Observatory said, accompanied by squally heavy showers and thunderstorms, and very rough seas with swells.

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“Members of the public are advised to stay away from the shoreline and not to engage in water sports. Under the influence of storm surge, flooding may occur over parts of the low-lying coastal areas tomorrow morning,” it added.

As this developed, the Observatory issued thw following precautions:

1. Make sure objects likely to be blown away are securely fastened or taken indoors. Check if all windows and doors can be securely locked.

2. Drains should be cleared of leaves and rubbish. People in low-lying areas should take precautions against flooding.

3. Avoid staying in areas exposed to high winds. Drivers using highways and flyovers should be alert to violent gusts.

4. Construction and property management practitioners should make sure that overhanging facilities and temporary structures outdoors are securely fastened or placed on the ground, and complete precautionary measures as soon as possible.

5. Small vessels not yet in typhoon shelters should seek shelter without delay. Use heavy anchors and check that all deck fittings are firmly fastened.

6. Listen to radio, watch TV or browse the Hong Kong Observatory's website and mobile app for the latest information on the tropical cyclone.

Deadline for business plan contest among OFWs extended

 

Poster for the Likha Global business plan contest for land-based OFWs 

Aspiring entrepreneurs among overseas Filipino workers will now have ample opportunity to present a business plan that could earn for them not just big cash prizes, but also mentoring by experts tapped by the Department of Migrant Workers.

The application deadline for “Likha Global,” a business plan competition open to all land-based OFWs with thousands of pesos in cash prizes, was supposed to have ended on Aug. 31 but has now been extended to Sept. 15.

Up for grabs is the top prize of Php500,000 for the best business plan, with the second prize winner getting Php200,000 and the third, Php100,000.

PINDUTIN DITO

These are on top of the Php100,000 given to each OFW who wins in the preliminary stage at each Migrant Workers Office abroad, and a further Php100,000 awarded to the 12 who make it to the final round.

Those qualified to enter the contest must be currently working abroad, have worked as documented OFWs for at least five years, must be active OWWA members (meaning membership payments are up to date), and not own or are affiliated with an established business in the country.

After hurdling the initial phase of the contest, all semi-final winners will be asked to attend the Likha National Business Bootcamp to be held in December this year, where they will be asked to present their business plan before experts, and receive mentoring so they could further enhance their business plans. All travel expenses to be incurred by the winners in the initial round will be borne by the DMW.

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Attendance to the boot camp is a must, and preliminary winners who fail to go home and join the sessions will not be allowed to claim their cash prize immediately. They will still be required to attend business mentoring sessions in the Philippine anytime within the next year, but they will have to cover their own travel expenses.

Business plans submitted as entries to the contest will be judged according to the following criteria: Presentation, 40%; Quality of business plan, 30%; and Feasibility of enterprise, 30%.

Entries may be submitted here: https://sites.google.com/dmw.gov.ph/likha-ofw/home

For the competition mechanics, click this link: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CZnfofPKS/

For more information, email likha@dmw.gov.ph  or you may also visit the Facebook page of the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO) here: https://www.facebook.com/NRCOCentral

‘Imported’ workers among 16 people arrested in anti-illegal work raids

 

The 6 imported workers were said to have worked illegally in restaurants 

Six people arrested in restaurants for allegedly working illegally were described as “imported workers” in a statement issued by the Immigration Department on Friday.

They were among 16 people arrested during anti-illegal work operations carried out by law enforcers across the city for four consecutive days, from Sept. 1 to 4.

In raids conducted at six restaurants, six suspected illegal workers and two employers were arrested.

PINDUTIN DITO

The suspected illegal workers were said to comprise two men and four women, aged 26 to 58, and they were described as imported workers, which apparently meant they were recruited from overseas but were not hired through legal channels.

One man aged 59 and a woman aged 52 were also arrested on suspicion of hiring the illegal workers.

Separately, 23 locations including industrial and residential buildings and garages were targeted in similar operations. Six suspected illegal workers and two employers were arrested.

Basahin ang detalye!

Those held for working illegally were all women aged 28 to 55. Four of them held recognizance forms, signifying their attempt to prevent deportation; while the other two were in possession of forged HK identity cards.

Two men, both aged 37, were suspected of being their employers, and were also arrested.

Earlier, eight Mainland tourists were also arrested in a sting operation by Immigration officers for working illegally as photographers and make-up artists.

Two local residents were also arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting the illegal work.

The Mainland residents comprising one man and seven women aged between 19 and 39, reportedly used social media platforms to offer outdoor photo sessions for fees ranging from $300 to $2000, with makeup services priced as little as $80.

Officers posed as customers and lured the suspects to Hong Kong where they were caught red-handed.

Tourists and anyone found working without permit from Immigration, including those on foreign domestic workers visas or hold recognizance papers, are liable to be sentenced to a maximum jail term of two years and a fine of $50,000.

The maximum jail term could go up to three years if the illegal worker is an overstayer or an illegal immigrant.

Those who possess or use a forged HK ID card could be jailed for up to 10 years and fined a maximum of $100,000.

Employers of illegal workers face as much as $500,000 in fine and imprisonment for up to 10 years.

Lying to Immigration lands Filipina in jail for 10 months

Immigration Department

Lying to Immigration officers has resulted in a 10-month jail sentence for a Filipina, who had earlier pleaded guilty at Shatin Court to two charges arising from her applications for domestic helper visas.

Acting Principal Magistrate Cheang Kei-hong sentenced Annabelle Isidro, 56 years old, to eight months in jail for “making a false representation to an Immigration Officer lawfully acting under or in the execution of Part III of the Immigration Ordinance.”

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

The charge arose from Isidro lying when she declared to an Immigration officer on Nov. 5, 2022, when she was extending her stay, that she would work for a certain Chu Ka-kit.

Two years later, she conspired with a certain "Gege" in "dishonestly and falsely representing" to Immigration that she would work for a certain Choy Wa-yee, as a result of which she was granted another DH visa on December 2024 and was cut off on March 15, 2025.

The charge said she induced Immigration officerss to grant her permission to remain in Hong Kong "under circumstances in which they would not otherwise have granted such permission.”

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For committing a crime of "conspiracy to defraud," she was meted another eight months in jail by Magistrate Cheang.

But the magistrate ordered that only two months of the second sentence run after the first, resulting in a total sentence of 10 months.

DH jailed 5 weeks for 4 counts of shoplifting

 

The Filipina was sentenced at Fanling Court

A Filipina domestic helper was jailed for a total of five weeks after pleading guilty at Fan Ling Court to four counts of shoplifting.               

Ma. Jazel Cabab, 46 years old, was sentenced Friday to 12 days' imprisonment after she pleaded guilty in an earlier hearing to the first charge of theft, five weeks for the second, 10 days for the third and 20 days for the fourth.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

In handing down the sentence, Magistrate Kenneth Chan cited the principle of totality and ordered that all the prison terms meted on Cabab run at the same time, resulting in a total of five weeks.

The first theft charge arose after Cabab left without paying for four bottles of essences worth $1,178.80  that she took from a Mannings store In Yuen Long Centre last Aug. 14.

Basahin ang detalye

In the second charge, she was accused of stealing one box of essence, six boxes of supplement and five boxes of medicines with a total value of $3,849 from a Mannings shop in Long Ping Estate in Yuen Long last Aug. 24.

Four days later, she stole one box of Mentholatum wrth $59.9 from another Mannings shop, this time located at Kau Yuk Road in Yuen Long.

She then moved a few minutes later to a nearby Watson store, also located at Kau Yuk Road in Yuen Long, and stole a bottle of skin cleanser worth $210.

Apart from imprisonment, Cayabyab faces a ban on working in Hong Kong again, after her expected deportation as soon as she finishes serving her sentence.

Filipina, US national arrested for allegedly running fake money syndicate

 

The seized counterfeit bills (Police handout)

A Filipino woman and an American man have been arrested in Wan Chai on Tuesday afternoon for allegedly running a syndicate printing fake HK$100 bills.

According to the West Kowloon Regional Crime Unit, officers raided a guesthouse on Hennesy Road in Wan Chai at about 1pm after receiving a tip-off, and arrested the two.

Basahin ang detalye

During the raid, police seized 66 counterfeit HK$100 bills, along with tools used to print them, including a computer, an inkjet printer, metallic pigments, and paper with a texture similar to that used for genuine Hong Kong bills.

Printing equipment used to manufacture the fake bills

Further investigation reportedly revealed that the 50-year-old Filipina held recognizance papers, meaning she is applying to remain in Hong Kong and avoid deportation. With her was a 54-year-old man said to be a US national.

According to the police, the group ran by the two was connected to several cases last month in which counterfeit HK$100 and HK$500 banknotes were passed off as genuine, usually to pay for taxi fares.

The two suspects remain in custody while an investigation is ongoing.

High Court confirms 10-week sentence for theft after Pinay withdraws appeal

 

Place where alleged theft happened (Google Maps photo)

A Filipina who appealed to the High Court against her conviction for theft, for which she was sentenced to 10 weeks in jail, started serving her term Tuesday after withdrawing her appeal.

Lilibeth Fabros, 51 years old, sent a letter to the High Court last Aug. 12 saying she was withdrawing her appeal against an Eastern Court magistrate’s decision rejecting her defense that she actually owned the gold ring and gold necklace worth $1,000 in total that she was alleged to have stolen from her employer.

When asked by Deputy High Court Judge E. Lee to confirm her change of mind, she said yes.

Basahin ang detalye!

“Is that you decision?” he asked.

“Yes,” she answered.

“In that case, I am now dismissing your appeal and confirming your 10 -week sentence,” he concluded.

With the ruling, the $4,000 bail she posted at Eastern Court would be returned to her.

Fabros indicated through her duty lawyer after she was convicted last April 16, that she would appeal the decision to the High Court, on the ground that Magistrate Frances Leung did not give proper weight to her testimony.

The lawyer explained that Magistrate Leung instead gave more weight to the testimony of her alleged victim, Linda Chan, who claimed ownership of the two items but testified that the last time she saw them was in 1982, or 43 years ago.

Fabros was accused of stealing the ring and necklace from her employer at the latter’s flat in Dragon Garden, Tai Hang, on Nov. 15, 2021. 

“Her evidence is direct and fair. She has told us when and where she put her jewelry,” Magistrate Leung said in her ruling. “I cannot imagine why she would invent a story.”

On the other hand, Leung said she does not believe that Fabros was telling the truth when she claimed that she bought the two items at a bargain from a Filipino reseller in Central, packed in a resealable plastic bag, and had no receipt.

She noted that Fabros, who had a salary of $5,200 a month, testified that she was in financial difficulty at that time and could not explain during the trial how she could afford such a purchase.