Pinoy remains in jail despite bail grant

Wanchai corner where the teenagers were arrested (Google Maps photo)

A 16-year-old Filipino remains in jail custody despite being granted bail at Eastern Court, charged with possession of a prohibited weapon.

The reason is that R. San Jose,  listed in criminal complaints filed by police anti-triad squads in Wanchai and Yau Tong, Kowloon, is facing a more serious charge before the Kowloon City Court -- causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

In a hearing on Wednesday (Feb. 4), San Jose pleaded guilty to possession of a knuckleduster, a metal fist reinforcement meant to leave serious injuries on opponents in fisticuffs.

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Eastern Court’s Principal Magistrate David Cheung released San Jose on bail of $2,000 after adjourning the case to Feb. 25 to give time for community service and probation officer reports which will be used as basis for sentencing.

San Jose was charged along with Kokou Clement Kouakouvi, an 18-year-old student and asylum seeker from Togo, Africa, who was granted bail of $500 after his case was adjourned to March 25.

The Wanchai Police Anti-Triad Squad accused San Jose of violation of Section 4 of the Weapons Ordinance, after he was arrested in possession of the weapon on April 7, 2025 on the corner of Lockhart Road and Cannon Street in Wan Chai. Details of Kouakouvi’s case were not released.

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But San Jose remained in jail because he is facing a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, contrary to section 17(a) of the Offences Against the Person Ordinance, for which he was remanded by the Kowloon City Court after a hearing on Jan 30.

The charge arose from the assault on a male, Todd Warren Tomlinson, on Nov. 29 last year inside the King George V Memorial Park Kowloon in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon.

A complaint by Yau Tong anti-triad police alleged that San Jose and three other males “unlawfully and maliciously cause(d) grievous bodily harm to … Tomlinson… with intent to do grievous bodily harm….”

191 Filipinos rescued from Cambodia scam hubs airlifted to Phl

 

The trafficked Filipinos came from different parts of Cambodia (DMW photo)

A total of 191 Filipinos trafficked to Cambodia for illegal work were flown home on a chartered flight early today, Thursday, and were met at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport by Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac and other government officials.

The newly arrived workers took the total number of Filipinos repatriated from Cambodia since 2022 to 877.

The Filipinos were rescued from various regions in Cambodia - Phnom Penh (169), Pailin (13), Koh Kong (3), Mondulkiri (2), Svay Rieng (3), and Siem Reap (1) before being put on a Philippine Airlines plane.

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Cambodia is a hotbed for scam hubs that lure Filipinos with offers of high-paying jobs, often as call center agents in a neighboring country like Thailand. But they are then transported to Cambodia, where they are forced to work as online or telephone scammers.

The rescued Filipinos were escorted on the flight by Assistant Secretary Venecio Legaspi, head of the  DMW’s Rapid Response Team which assists distressed overseas Filipino workers in abusive situations.

The repatriation was facilitated by the DMW Migrant Workers Office in Singapore and the Department of Foreign Affairs led by Ambassador to Camboia, Flerida Ann P. Mayo.

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The repatriates will get support from various government agencies, including immediate financial, legal and welfare assistance from the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration; medical care from the Department of Health, psychosocial support from the Department of Social Work and Development.

Unlicensed recruitment agency in PH shut down; ‘no placement fee’ policy reiterated

 

RCEIGN office being sealed off by DMW agents

An unlicensed employment agency that recruits workers for abroad, including Hong Kong, was recently shut down by the Department of Migrant Workers over its illegal job offers.

Three women identified as being behind the operation of RCREIGN International Manpower Agency located in Cubao, Quezon City, were arrested. They were identified as Anne Marie Gladys Guevarra, Kristine Mae B. Abaygar, and Ma. Kristina Corpuz.

Among those offerered by the group were domestic worker jobs in Hong Kong, for which each applicant was made to pay a processing fee of Php35,000, the equivalent of the promised monthly salary.  This, said the DMW, violates the no-placement fee policy for all overseas Filipino workers.

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For domestic workers bound for Qatar no fee was charged, but applicants were told they would be paid only the equivalent  of Php23,000 a month, which is below the USD500 minimum salary set by DMW.

Worse, the company did not have a license to recruit Filipino workers for any job abroad, said the DMW in its press statement.

The closure order came after DMW learned that RCREIGN was also recruiting low-skilled workers for such jobs as kitchen assistant, housekeeping,  and skilled workers like marine HVAC technician, plumber and air duct installer for Greece.

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The salary offered was according to the position being applied for. However, each Greece-bound worker was asked to pay a whopping Php375,000 as processing fee.

The DMW statement did not say how many job applicants, if any,  had been victimized by the unlicensed agency.

DMW assured that all those behind the illegal operation of RCREIGN would be charged with illegal recruitment. In addition, RCREIGN and all those responsible for operating it will be included in the DMW List of Persons and Entities with Derogatory Records which means they will no longer be able to operate or run a recruitment agency.

All the victims of RCREIGN are encouraged to contact the Migrant Workers Protection Bureau through this link: https://www.facebook.com/dmwairtip so they can be given free legal assistance.

 

 

Mother with baby jailed for 7 months for conspiracy to defraud Immigration

 

Shatin Court

A Filipina mother walked into jail today clutching her seven-month-old baby after she was sentenced at Shatin Court to seven months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to defraud the Immigration Department, by signing a fake employment contract that led to her being given a domestic helper’s visa.

Mariclaire Calagui, 41 years old, pleaded guilty in March last year but her sentencing had been postponed pending the result of a separate case in which the agent who allegedly arranged her fake contract was facing a similar charge.

Ironically, that agent, Kathleen Emily Vizcarra, 36 years old, was acquitted last Jan. 26 after a trial also at Shatin Court, over her role in the conspiracy, which was to submit to the Immigration Department the fake contract  in which Calagui signed on as a domestic helper of a certain Lee Ka Ming Billy.

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Both were charged by the Immigration Department with conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law and punishable under section 1590(6) of the Crimes Ordinance.

The conspiracy committed between September 2021 and Nov. 29, 2023. induced Immigration officers “to act contrary to their public duty,” the complaint said, “under circumstances which they would not otherwise have granted.”

Upon learning of Vizcarra’s acquittal, Acting Principal Magistrate Cheang Kei-hong asked Calagui if she would like to change her guilty plea. When she said she would stick to her plea, Magistrate Cheang was left to set the sentence.

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In mitigation, Calagui’s lawyer said Calagui committed the offense not to compete for local jobs, but to take care of her two children in Hong Kong; her husband works as a family driver.

He urged Magistrate Cheang to give her a 50 per cent discount for her guilty plea, and choose a starting point of six months in jail, based on a case decided by the High Court in the past.

But the prosecutor suggested another past case in which the starting point was higher, prompting Magistrate Cheang to call a recess twice to consider the two suggestions.

He said later that he found four relevant cases and chose one which suggested a starting point of 12 months. He then gave Calagui a 40 per cent discount, instead of the one-third (or 33 per cent) cut usually given in return for a guilty plea, resulting in a final sentence of seven months.

80-year-old cabbie gets bail over crash that killed Filipino tourist

 

Aftermath of the crash that killed Remyl Matignas

An 80-year-old taxi driver charged with dangerous driving causing death in the crash that killed a Filipino tourist last year was allowed to post a $50,000 bail when he appeared before the Shatin Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, Feb. 3.

Wong Kwong-cheung, 80, was behind the wheel of a taxi that struck 35-year-old Remyl de Leon Matignas on Aug. 5, 2025 as he was walking on the elevated pavement just outside the lobby of the Nina Hotel in Tsuen Wan.

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Matignas was declared dead about an hour after being taken to hospital.

The magistrate adjourned the case to Mar 31 at the prosecution’s request, pending a forensic pathology report.

DETAILS HERE

Video footage of the incident that circulated on the internet showed the taxi hitting Matignas as he walked out of the hotel lobby with a suitcase in hand, then pinned him to a wall before stopping.

Police report indicated the driver had complained of chest pain and injuries to his head and hand, so he was taken to the hospital for treatment. He was later arrested and detained for investigation.

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No plea was taken at today’s hearing, and the magistrate imposed as conditions for the bail that the defendant reside at his reported address and does not leave Hong Kong.

Sources at the Philippine Consulate say Matignas’ family has been granted financial aid from the Traffic Accident Victims Assistance scheme of Hong Kong’s Social Welfare Department as a result of his death. 

 

 

Overstaying Pinay who suffered stroke gets bound over for overstaying

 

A 64-year-old Filipina charged with breach of condition of stay for overstaying for almost two years, walked free today from the Shatin Court after the charge was dropped because the prosecution offered no evidence against her.

Instead, A, Agustin was bound to a promise not to commit any criminal offense for one year, otherwise she will be fined $1,500. She was also charged $500 for court costs.

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Magistrate Raymond Wong explained that the bind-over will not leave her with a criminal record in Hong Kong.

DETAILS HERE

A source said the prosecutors did not pursue Agustin’s prosecution after finding out that she suffered a stroke while working as a domestic helper. She now walks with a cane.

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She was terminated on Dec. 31, 2023 and was given two weeks to leave Hong Kong. However, she stayed on under the care of a charity operating a home for the aged, so she could get rehabilitation treatment.

The Immigration Department filed a complaint last Nov. 3, 2025 for breach of condition of stay, contrary to section 41 of the Immigration Ordinance.

Filipina arrested for allegedly selling untaxed cigarettes may face 4 charges

 

The Filipina refused to cooperate with FEHD agents, say police

Hong Kong Police have confirmed the arrest of a Filipina in Statue Square on Sunday, and said she is being investigated for three more possible offences.

According to a police spokesperson, the 55-year-old woman could be charged with selling duty-not-paid cigarettes, possession of Part 1 poison (believed to be vape oil), obstruction and breach of condition of stay.

Though the police spokesperson could not confirm if the woman is a domestic worker, the breach of condition charge suggests this to be the case.

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Police records show that at around 12:30pm yesterday the Food and Environmental Health Department received a report about the woman selling what appeared to be illicit goods.

FEHD agents approached her near Exit K of the Central MTR station but she allegedly “refused to cooperate” with them so they called the police. This could explain why there was a swarm of officers in the area after this.

DETAILS HERE

The spokesperson said an analysis of the cigarettes and suspected vape oil was necessary to see if charges would be laid over them.

Hong Kong law prohibits the handling, possession, sale or purchase of cigarettes for which tax was not paid. Violators could face up to HK$2 million in fine and imprisonment for up to 10 years.

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Currently, tobacco duty amounts to HK$3.306 per stick, raised from 80 cents in 2024. This hike brings the tax to around 70% of the retail price, but still slightly the price recommended by the World Health Organization.

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

Also strictly prohibited by Hong Kong law is the importing, manufacturing, selling of possessing alternative smoking products like vape.

Mere possession of the ASPs in public place could lead to one being fined up to $50,000 and jailed for up to six months. Importing could incur a far more severe penalty of a fine of up to $2 million and 7 years’ imprisonment.

Obstruction in a public place is another serious offence, with penalties of up to HK$5,000 in fine and 3 months’ imprisonment. The fixed penalty for street obstruction was raised to HK$$6,000 in October 2023.

Breaching conditions of stay in Hong Kong, such as overstaying or working without authorization is another serious crime. Convictions can result in a maximum fine of HK$50,000 and up to 2 years' imprisonment.

The jail time goes up to three years in cases of illegal immigrants, overstayers and non-refoulement claimants who are found to have worked without permission. 

In all cases, an immediate custodial sentence is prescribed for the offender.

HK reports 99.9% food safety rating

 

HK food stall (HK Tourism Board photo)

Food items sold in Hong Kong’s public markets, supermarkets and even on online portals are safe 99.9 per cent of the time, according to the latest food safety report for 2025 of the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.

“This indicates that food safety has been maintained at a high standard in Hong Kong," it added.

The CFS said the findings came from tests in which only four food samples were found unsatisfactory as against 6,600 samples (including food items purchased online) found to be satisfactory, for an overall satisfactory rate was 99.9 per cent.

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A CFS spokesman said about 1,500 food samples were collected for microbiological tests, and about 5,100 samples were taken for chemical and radiation level tests.

“The microbiological tests covered pathogens and hygiene indicators; the chemical tests included testing for pesticides, preservatives, metallic contaminants, coloring matters, veterinary drug residues and others; and the radiation level tests included testing for radioactive caesium and iodine in samples collected from imported food from different regions,” CFS said.

DETAILS HERE

The samples comprised about 2,100 samples of vegetables and fruit and their products; about 500 samples of cereals, grains and their products; about 700 samples of meat and poultry and their products; about 900 samples of milk, milk products and frozen confections; about 800 samples of aquatic and related products; and about 1,600 samples of other food commodities (including beverages, bakery products and snacks).

The four unsatisfactory samples comprised three white radish samples detected with pesticide residues exceeding the legal limits and a bamboo fungi sample detected with sulphur dioxide exceeding the legal limit.

The breaches in unsatisfactory samples were not serious and would not pose adverse health effects to the general public, CFS said.

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The CFS has informed the vendors concerned of the test results, instructing them to stop selling the affected food items and tracing the sources of the food items in question.

Police arrest Pinay for alleged sale of untaxed cigarettes

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Black bags which allegedly contained the untaxed cigarettes

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

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

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

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

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

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

High Court rejects 5 Pinoys’ asylum appeals

The High Court 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Free healing and meditation sessions offered to FDWs

 

Kriya Foundation teams up with SJMW in holding the healing sessions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To contact the MFMW, call its hotline 9529 2326.

 

Gov’t drops requirement for bus passengers to wear seatbelts

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Many of the male suspects were found carrying out renovation works

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

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

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

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

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

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