Ex-DH jailed 31 months for multiple charges

An overstaying Filipino former domestic worker was sentenced to 31 months in prison by a District Court judge on Dec 22 after he pleaded guilty to 16 charges, including burglary, theft, and breach of Immigration rules

Danilo T. Cayanong admitted his guilt before Judge Tim Casewell. He earlier appeared before Judge A. Kwok on Dec 1 supposedly to admit his guilt, but the judge deferred the plea-taking to Dec 22.

Cayanong pleaded guilty to three charges of burglary committed from June 26 to Aug 12 in two villages along Clearwater Bay Road, Sai Kung; 12 charges of using a stolen HSBC bank card to withdraw $22,075 in cash between July 26 and Aug. 12, and a charge of breach of condition of stay for overstaying in Hong Kong since July 16, 2011

The prosecution said Cayanong trespassed into a house in Sun On Village, Saikung, owned by his wife’s expatriate employer Christian Taylor, to steal two keys that he used to enter a second house, in Tui Min Hoi New Village. There he stole $11,000, an HSBC bank card issued to Taylor, and an Octopus card.

On Aug 2, he began using the card, withdrawing $8,000 in four transactions. How he managed to do it was not made clear in court. The next day, he took $8,025 also in various amounts, then came back for $6,025 in three transactions on Aug 4 and a final $3,000 on Aug 6  Police were alerted when Taylor discovered the burglary. When Cayanong was apprehended on Aug 14, they found out he had overstayed.

Judge Casewell imposed a three-year sentence for each of the burglary cases to be served concurrently, two years each for the theft charges to be served consecutively starting from the fifth month of the burglary sentence, and one month for each of the four years he overstayed to be served consecutively with the theft sentence

The prosecution said Cayanong and his wife had previously worked for the same employer, but he was terminated in mid-June 2011. He reportedly decided to stay on because he wanted to be with his wife.

The report noted that despite his illegal stay in Hong Kong, he had not taken on any job and received support from his wife. - Vir B. Lumicao

DH in jail for $20k jewelry theft

A 50-year-old Filipina domestic worker was sentenced to six weeks in jail on Dec 14 after she pleaded guilty to stealing jewelry worth $20,000 from her employer.

Convicted of theft on her own admission was a woman surnamed Bayog, according to information supplied by the Hong Kong Police.

A duty officer at the Police Public Relations Bureau said in reply to an inquiry from The SUN that the woman was now in prison to serve out her sentence

“Police received a report on Dec 10 from a 38-year-old man surnamed Lam about his jewelry worth $20,000 stolen by his female domestic helper in a unit on Grampian Road  in Kowloon City,” the PPRB officer said over the telephone.

She said a police team went to the address to investigate and arrested the domestic helper on the same day

“The arrested woman was charged and she appeared in court on Dec 14.

She pleaded guilty and was sent to prison for six weeks,” the officer said.

Bayog’s case was not included in the daily court list as she pleaded guilty at her initial court appearance.

But The SUN got wind of the case through reliable sources, who gave her first name as Alien .

The PPRB gave no further detail of the case. — Vir B. Lumicao

Filipina jailed 6 months for overstaying

A Filipina tourist who had overstayed her visa for nine and a half years was jailed fir six months after pleaded guilty on Dec 24 to a charge of breach of condition before a magistrate in Shatin.

Luzviminda Lazaro admitted the charge as she faced Principal Magistrate Andrew Ma for a second time in 20 days.

The prosecution report read in court said Lazaro arrived in Hong Kong in mid-2005 as a tourist and did not leave the SAR before her visa expired. She worked illegally in local restaurants and was arrested on Dec 2.

On her first appearance before Magistrate Ma on Dec 4, Lazaro’s lawyer applied for bail, telling the court the defendant came to Hong Kong because there were threats on her life arising from a land dispute back home.

Ma, however, rejected Lazaro’s bail application and remanded her in custody because she could not present evidence to prove her claim.

The magistrate set nine months as starting point for his sentence on Lazaro, meaning one month for each year that she overstayed, then reduced it by one-third because the defendant pleaded guilty.

Lazaro is expected to pursue her application for asylum when has served out her sentence. She has filed an application under the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

Jennylyn at Jericho panalo sa MMFF

Nanalo sina Jennylyn Mercado at Jericho Rosales bilang best actress at best actor para sa kanilang pelikulang “Walang Forever” sa Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2015 awards night na ginanap noong December 27 sa Kia Theater. Napanalunan din ng naturang pelikula ang best picture, best story at best screenplay.

Naging emosyonal si Jennelyn sa pagtanggap ng kanyang award, at pinasalamatan niya ang kanyang producer at director ng kanyang peliku

la na siya ring gumawa ng “English Only, Please” noong nakaraang taon, na nagpanalo rin sa kanya bilang  best actress.

Ang baguhang aktres at TV star na si Maine Mendoza (kilala bilang Yaya Dub ng AlDub tandem) ay nanalo bilang best supporting actress sa kanyang unang pelikulang “My Bebe Love”, na inaasahang magiging top grosser sa MMFF.

Nanalo bilang best director si Erik Matti, best supporting actor si Tirso Cruz III, at si Krystal Brimmer naman ang best child performer, para sa pelikulang “Honor Thy Father”.

Bago ang awards night, napabalita na na-disqualify ang pelikulang pinagbibida-han ni John Lloyd Cruz para sa kategoryang best picture dahil nilabag daw nito ang patakaran ng MMFF na ang mga pelikulang kalahok ay kailangang hindi pa naipalabas sa mga sinehan bago ang festival. Hindi napasama sa walong kalahok na unang napili para sa MMFF ang "”Honor Thy Father” (o kilala rin sa titulong Conman), pero dahil umatras ang pelikulang “Hermano Pule” dahil sa kakulangan ng budget, ipinalit ito.

Napiling second best picture ang “Buy Now, Die Later”, at third best picture ang “My Bebe Love”.

Inihayag din ang apat na pelikulang nangunguna sa takilya sa unang tatlong araw ng festival: “My Bebe Love”, (Php 159 milyon), “Beauty and the Bestie” (Php 131 milyon), “Walang Forever”, (Php 36 milyon); at Haunted Mansion” (Php 29 milyon). Wala pa raw ibinigay na figures ang ibang pelikulang kalahok.

Ang iba pang nanalo:

Best Float: “Buy Now, Die Later”;                                                

FPJ Memorial Award for Excellence: “Walang Forever”;                     

Gatpuno J. Villegas Cultural Award: “My Bebe Love”                                                      

Short Film Best Picture: “Mumu”

Best Animation Film: “Momento”

New Wave Animation Special Jury Prize: “Lights Lights”

New Wave Full-Feature Special Jury: “Toto”

New Wave Full-Length Best Supporting Actress: Bibeth Orteza (“Toto”)

New Wave Full-Length Best Actor: JM De Guzman (“Tandem”) & Francisco Quinto (“Ari”)

New Wave Full-Length Best Director: John Paul Su (“Toto”)

DGPI, UMALMA SA PAGKA-DISKUWALIPIKA NG HONOR THY FATHER

Kinondena ng Director’s Guild of the Philippines (DGPI) ang pagkaka-disqualify ng pelikulang “Honor Thy Father” para sa best picture category sa MMFF 2015. Sa isang pahayg na inilabas nila sa kanilang Facebook page, hindi raw malinaw ang naging desisyon ng MMFF executive commission.

“The MMFF gave a technical justification for the disqualification that begs the following questions: Since MMFF already knew of the opening film screening of Cinema One Originals, why wasn’t it disqualified early on? Or at least given notice that they could be disqualified from MMFF if they pursued the invitational screening? And why was the disqualification declared only a day before the awards night?”

The DGPI also considers the disqualification an “injustice,” calling on fellow film workers to “stand united and remain vigilant against all forms of injustice.”

“The DGPI stands against arbitrary and unfair practices in the MMFF; we demand fair play, we demand transparency, and we demand change.”

Samantala, ang producer ng pelikula na si Dondon Monteverde ay nagpasalamat sa lahat ng sumusuporta sa kanilang pelikula at nakiisa sa kanilang ipinaglalaban at dumulog sa Kongreso sa pamamagitan ni Cong. Dan Fernandez para imbestigahan ang mga pangyayari.

MAINE, SA  PANALO: BAKIT AKO?

Tinalo ni Maine Mendoza, a.k.a. Yaya Dub ang mga mas matatagal nang artistang sina  Iza Calzado (“Haunted Mansion”) at Nova Villa (“All You Need is Pag-Ibig”), para sa best supporting actress sa MMFF. Dahil hindi inaasahan, gulat na gulat daw si Maine nang matanggap niya ang balita habang nagbabakasyon sa Japan kasama ang kanyang pamilya.

Ang kanyang reaksyon: “Bago pa ako i-bash ng sambayanan, mauuna na ako. Bakit ako? Pero maraming salamat po! Magandang umaga sa lahat!”

Bukod sa kanyang award, namamayagpag sa takilya ang kanilang pelikulang “My Bebe Love” na muling nagpanumbalik sa pagiging box office king and queen nina Vic Sotto at Ai Ai delas Alas. Pero, kung tutuusin, ang tambalang AlDub nina Alden Richards at Maine ang dahilan kaya patuloy na dinudumog ng fans ang kanilang pelikula. Balitang walang sawang nanonood ng paulit-ulit ang kanilang fans dahil kilig na kilig sila sa dalawa.

MISS UNIVERSE: TAPUSIN NA ANG AWAY

Sa gitna ng kontrobersyang idinulot ng malaking pagkakamali ng host ng katatapos na Miss Universe 2015 napinanalunan ni Pia Wurtzbach ng Pilipinas, sari saring pambabatikos ang lumabas. Maraming mga Pinoy ang nagalit sa naging host ng pageant na si Steve Harvey dahil nauna niyang tinawag na Miss Universe si Ariadna Gutierrez ng Colombia, bago ito binawi makaraan ang ilang minuto, at  ito idineklarang ang Miss Philippines ang tunay na nanalo. Agad na humingi ng dispensa si Harvey, kasabay sa pagpapakita ng cue card kung saan makikita ang opisyal na resulta. Nadamay sa inis ng mga Pinoy ang ibang mga kandidata na nagpakita ng suporta kay Miss Colombia at kagaspangan ng ugali at pambabasatos kay Pia.

Sa gitna ng kaguluhan ay umani ng paghanga si Pia sa ipinakita niyang pagiging kalmado, at ngayon nga ay humihiling siyang tapusin na sana ang away.

“Arguing and sending hateful messages to each other defeats what the Miss Universe pageant stands for, which is about ‘uniting empowered women from all over the world.

Sa ngayon ay excited na raw siya na umpisahan ang kanyang mga tungkulin bilang Miss Universe. Ipinahatid rin niya kay Miss Colombia ang mensaheng ito: "You are an amazing woman and we are now bonded together forever by a unique experience.

Ang unang Pilipinang nanalo bilang Miss Universe (1969) na si Gloria Diaz, ay nagsabi na dapat daw na idinemanda si Harvey sa ginawa nitong gulo. Si Margie Moran, na pangalawang Miss Universe (1973) ng bansa, ay nagsabi naman na ninakaw kay Pia ang “glory of that moment.. It was unfortunate, but she won. That’s all that matters really.”

Ang higit na ikinahanga ng mga Pinoy kay Pia ay ang pagiging masigasig nito upang makamit ang kanyang gusto. Bata pa lang ay pinangarap na niya ang maging beauty queen, at talagang gumawa siya ng paraan upang matupad ito. Binuhos niya ang kanyang oras sa pagsasanay sa pagsagot ng mga posibleng tanong sa beauty contest, at sa pangangalaga ng kanyang katawan

Ipinakita rin niya kung gaano siya ka-positibo sa kanyang pananaw nang matalo sa boksing si Manny Pacquiao sa laban nila ni Floyd Mayweather, Junior, at sinabi niyang hindi bale daw, dahil babawi ang Pilipinas sa Miss Universe. Tatlong beses siyang sumali sa Bb. Pilipinas, at naging finalist/ runner up ng dalawang beses bago niya nakuha ang titulo, at nagkaroon ng pagkakataon na makasali sa Miss Universe

Samantala, sa nagiging kalakaran ngayon sa mga beauty contest, sinabi ni Gloria na noong kapanahunan niya ay hindi uso ang mga training o plastic surgery. Ni hindi nga raw niya ma-imagine sa sarili na siya ay isang beauty queen . Wala  raw botohan mula sa manonood, kundi simpleng you win or  you lose mula sa mga judges.

Ayon naman kay Margie, wala rin daw silang training noon. Siya raw ay model at nakasayaw na sa CCP at Meralco Theatre kaya marunong na siyang lumakad nang maayos at mag-project. Nag-work out at nagpa-tan daw siya bago tumulak papuntang Athens, Greece para sa Miss Universe. Nagbasa rin daw siya ng tungkol sa current events. Mas simple lang daw noon.

Man’s prayer

A married man's prayer:

Dear God, you gave me childhood, you took it away.

You  gave me youth, you took it away.

You  gave me a wife.  It’s been years now,  just reminding you.

Marital tales

Wife : Shall I prepare Curry or Soup today?

Husband : First make it, we will name it later !!!!!

-o-

A frustrated husband in tells his laptop: “Dear Google, please do not behave like my wife. Please allow me to complete my sentence before you start guessing and suggesting!

-o-

A man brings his best buddy home for dinner unannounced at 5:30 after work. His wife begins screaming at him and his friend just sits and listens in.

“My hair and makeup are not done, the house is a mess, the dishes are not done, I’m still in my pajamas and I can’t be bothered with cooking tonight! Why the hell did you bring him home for?”

Husband answers: “Because he’s thinking of getting married.”

-o-

Employee: Sir You are like a lion in the office! What about at home?

Boss: I am a lion at home too, But there we have a lion tamer!!!

-o-

A man gifted his wife a diamond necklace for their anniversary and wife didn't speak to him for 6 months.

Was the necklace FAKE?

No! That was the deal. :)

-o-

A couple was having dinner at a fancy restaurant. As the food was served, the husband said, “the food looks delicious, let’s eat.”

Wife: Honey, you say a prayer before eating at home.

Husband: That’s at home, sweetheart. Here, the chef knows how to cook.

-o-

Best Slogan on a man’s T-Shirt: “Please Do Not Disturb me, I am Married and already very Disturbed!”

Brainless

Husband: I found Aladdin’s lamp today.

Wife: wow, what did you ask for darling?

Husband: I asked him to increase your brain ten times.

Wife: Oh, darling...love you so much. Did he do that??

Husband: He laughed. He said multiplication doesn’t apply on zero.

Money

Money has many different names;                     

In temple or church, it’s called donation.

In school, it’s fee.

In marriage, it’s called dowry.

In divorce, it’s called alimony.

When you owe someone, it’s debt.

When you pay the government, it’s tax.

In court, it’s fines.

Civil servant retirees, it’s pension.

Employer to workers, it’s salary.

Master to subordinates, it’s wages.

To children, it’s allowance.

When you borrow it from a bank, it’s loan.

When you offer it after a good service. it’s tips.

To kidnappers, it’s ransom.

Illegally received in the name of service, it’s bribe.

The question is, When a husband gives to his wife, what do we call it?

The ANSWER: Money given to your wife is called DUTY, and every man has to do his duty because wives are not DUTY FREE.

For the period Jan 1-15, 2016

DAGA. Isinilang noong 1924/36/48/60/72/84/96

Magandang kapalaran ang sasalubong sa iyo ngayong taon bagamat maraming oras ang kailangang ilaan sa trabaho. Gampanan nang maayos ang responsibilidad upang hindi masisi kung sakaling may problema. Huwag mag-alangan na humingi ng tulong dahil mas malaki ang tsansa ng tagumpay kung magtutulungan.. Malayo ang mararating ng kasalukuyang relasyon pero laging isipin na dadaan sa maraming pagsubok ang tunay na pag-ibig.

BAKA. Isinilang noong 1925/37/49/61/73/85/97

Ibaon na sa limot ang hindi kaaya-ayang nakaraan para mas maganda ang pasok ng bagong taon. Iwasan ang mga negatibong bagay upang hindi maapektuhan ang masayang disposisyon. Madaling matukso na gawin ang mga bagay na maaring magsanhi ng pagkalugi ng negosyo. Magkakaroon ng lamat ang relasyon sa mga malalapit na kaibigan. Huwag mag-alangang iparating ang nasa isip sa kinauukulan lalo na kung alam mong pinagsasamantalahan ka.

TIGRE Isinilang noong 1926/38/50/62/74/86 at 98

Apektado ang emosyon at kalusugan dahil sa hindi inaasahang pangangailangan sa pera. Pilitin ang sarili na gawin ang lahat ng makakaya upang makuha ang umento o promosyon na inaasam sa trabaho. Sa kabila ng pagiging abala, tiyakin na laging may sapat na oras para magpahinga. Mahirap pagsabayin ang responsibilidad sa pamilya at lipunan pero maaring kayanin kung matatag ang disposisyon.

 KUNEHO Isinilang noong 1927/39/51/63/75/87

Mabilis na lilipas ang mga araw. Sa wakas ay malulutas din ang gusot laban sa ilang kamag-anak at muling mangingibabaw ang pagkakaisa sa loob ng tahanan. Magkakaroon ng bagong kaibigan at maaring mauwi sa mas malalim na unawaan ang samahan. May ilang taong magpapakalat ng tsismis laban sa iyo pero huwag magpadala sa bugso ng damdamin para hindi masira ang iniingatang reputasyon.

.

 DRAGON Isinilang noong 1928/40/52/64/76/88

Dahil sa pagpupunyagi, maraming biyaya ang matatanggap at aani ng maraming papuri. Laging isaalang-alang ang sariling kakayanan kapag dumating ang pagkakataon na kailangang mamili. Huwag hahayaang mawalan ng oras sa pamilya dahil sa dami ng inaasikaso. Ingatan ang perang pinaghirapan at tiyakin na makapag-impok bilang paghahanda sa kinabukasan. Para sa mga walang asawa, lmararanasan ang “love at first sight”.

AHAS Isinilang noong 1929/41/53/65/77/89

Sa wakas ay makakamit  ang tiwala ng ibang tao lalo na ang mga kasamahan sa trabaho. Harapin ng buong tapang ang mga taong nang-aapi sa iyo dahil kung malinis ang iyong intensyon ay tiyak na magtatagumpay. Huwag magbulag-bulagan at siguraduhing magtanong kung kinakailangan para matuklasan ang katotohanan. Magulo ang sitwasyon sa loob ng tahanan at maaring masaktan dahil sa daloy ng mga pangyayari pero huwag mag-alala dahil mabibigyang-linaw din ang lahat.

KABAYO. Isinilang noong 1930/42/54/66/78/90

Maayos ang takbo ng negosyo kaya tiyak ang magandang pagpasok ng pera. Huwag aksayahin ang panahon sa mga bagay na maaring maging dahilan ng pagkasira ng relasyon sa pamilya. Laging isipin na kung bukal sa puso ang pagtulong ay kusang babalik ang mas malaking biyaya. Mag-ingat ng husto lalo na kung hindi maiwasang magmaneho sa gabi. Huwag mag-atubiling humingi ng tulong sa mga kasama para hindi malagay sa alanganin.

KAMBING. Isinilang noong 1919/31/43/55/67/79 at 91

Lahat ng pagsisikap na ginagawa mo ngayon ay tiyak na pakikinabangan pagdating ng panahon. Huwag matakot na gumawa ng desisyon dahil sa ganitong paraan lamang maaring maisulong ang adhikain sa buhay. Panatilihin ang kababaang-loob at makibagay nang husto sa mga kasama para maiwasan ang gulo. Magkakaroon ng kumplikasyon ang problema sa atay kaya agad na kumunsulta sa doktor upang maagapan. 

UNGGOY. Isinilang noong 1920/32/44/56/68/80/92

Matiwasay ang relasyon ng bawat miyembro ng pamilya kaya mas masaya ang pasok ng bagong taon. Huwag umurong sa responsibilidad o sa dami ng kailangang asikasuhin dahil marami ang nakahandang magbigay ng tulong. Maalwan ang pasok ng pera kaya maari ng bilhin ang bagay na matagal nang pinag-iipunan.

TANDANG. Isinilang noong 1921/33/45/57/69/81/93

Mas mabuting umiwas muna sa mahahabang biyahe at pagtuunan ng pansin ang mga bagay na nangangailangan ng kagyat na atensyon upang hindi mabagot. Mag-ingat sa lahat ng ginagawa dahil maaring magkaroon ng aksidente. Abalahin ang sarili sa pamamagitan ng ehersisyo upang mawala sa isipan ang malungkot na mga pangyayari nitong mga nakaraang araw. Huwag lalaki ang ulo dahil sa tagumpay na matatamo sa trabaho. 

ASO. Isinilang noong 1922/34/46/58/70/82/94

Hindi magkandaugaga sa dami ng obligasyon kaya halos mawalan na ng oras para sa sarili. May hindi inaasahang problema na haharapin sa trabaho pero kayang-kaya itong lutasin sa tulong ng ilang mapagkakatiwalaang kasamahan. Ingatan ang kalusugan at iwasan ang mga bisyo na maaring magdulot ng malubhang karamdaman.

BABOY. Isinilang noong 1923/35/47/59/71/83/95

Ang sigalot sa pagitan ng minamahal ay hindi mawawala hangga’t hindi ito hinaharap.  Matindi ang tukso na gumastos sa mga bagay na hindi kailangan kaya kung hindi mag-iingat ay maaring maubos ang perang pinaghirapan. Huwag magpadala sa silakbo ng damdamin. May malaking problema sa loob ng tahanan ngunit kailangan mong magpakatatag dahil nasa iyo ang lakas ng buong pamilya.

Quiet day as only 304 voters show up on 3rd day

Voters get assistance.

Only 304 voters cast their ballots in Hong Kong yesterday, Apr 11, the third day of the overseas voting for the 2016 Philippine national elections.

This was not unusual for a weekday of voting, as most Filipinos working and living in Hong Kong keep regular work hours during the week.

The lean numbers spared the vote counting machines installed by the Commission on Elections from possible glitches, such as what happened on Day One, when one such machine conked out and spoiled one ballot.

“So far no problem, just the usual wrong spellings,” said Vice Consul Alex Vallespin, head of the Consulate’s 2016 electoral committee that is conducting the overseas voting in Hong Kong.

Bayanihan Center in Kennedy Town, where the electoral exercise is being held for a month until May 9, was quiet with few people walking around in the premises, in sharp contrast to the 3,723 who braved the inclement weather to vote last Sunday.

The Consulate announced on its Facebook site that so far 5,155 Hong Kong-based Filipinos had come out to elect their next president, vice-president, 12 senators and one partylist.

Vallespin said problems regarding the spelling of voters’ names can be easily remedied through electronic communication with the Comelec in Manila. A photocopy of the voter’s Hong Kong ID is sent to the Comelec as proof of the correct name and if the election body approves the application, the voter proceeds to the polling precincts.

He cited one case where the person’s surname on the consulate’s voters list was Arcenal while it was Arcena on the Hong Kong ID.

Voters whose names are not in the Comelec list also present another problem. In most cases, however, this is due to their registration having been deactivated because of their failure to vote in two consecutive elections. – Vir B. Lumicao

Filipina badly hurt in Admiralty stairs fall

By Vir B. Lumicao

Filipina gets emergency treatment

A Filipina domestic worker was taken on an ambulance to Queen Mary Hospital yesterday, Apr 11, after she slipped on a stairway at Admiralty Centre and could not move apparently due to a hip injury.

Officials of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office said they could not visit her in hospital because the employer could not remember the maid’s surname.

“We’ll wait until tomorrow, perhaps by then her employer would be able to give us her surname,” said Labor Attache Jalilo de la Torre.

“She is in great pain and can hardly talk,” De la Torre said.

The accident happened at about 3:20pm as the woman, who identified herself to POLO staff as Mary Jane, was on her way to Admiralty Centre Tower 1 clutching a plastic envelope of documents.

The SUN alerted Assistant Labor Attache Henry Tianero after the building’s management staff were seen assisting the woman lying in extreme pain on the steps of the stairway of the footbridge to United Centre. 

Tianero was at the scene in two minutes, followed by Overseas Workers Welfare Administration nurse Joshua Villa. The nurse asked for the victim’s name and phone number and Tianero called her employer.

The employer was reportedly shocked by the call and promised to confer with POLO officials immediately.

Mary Jane struggled to tell her name to Villa but she managed to say that she was descending the stairs when she felt dizzy and did not know what happened next. The OWWA nurse said the woman could have injured her hipbone.

The management staff immediately attended to her and called for an ambulance to take the Filipina to hospital.

Mary Jane could not move her left hip and leg and cried in pain each time the ambulance attendants tried to carry her onto a foldable wheelchair. She waited for a few more minutes until they returned with a stretcher.

Heavy rain fails to dampen 4,000 voters' enthusiasm

Heavy rain pelted Hong Kong yesterday, Apr 10, but that did not stop about 4,000 Filipinos from going to Bayanihan Center in Kennedy Town to cast their votes for the 2016 Philippine national elections.

The voting went on smoothly even as only nine vote counting machines were operating after one of the 10 shipped by the Commission on Elections to  Hong Kong conked out on Day One of the vote. 

As a remedial measure, Consulate officials replaced the defective VCM in precinct No 6 with the unit in precinct No. 10, and directed voters of both precincts to cast their ballots in room No 6.

“VCM No.6 will be shipped to Manila and according to the Comelec, it would replace the machine by Monday (April 11) or Tuesday,” Vice Consul Alex Vallespin told The SUN.

Comelec Commissioner Arthur D. Lim, who was in Hong Kong for the final testing and sealing of the machines on Apr 8, would bring the defective machine back to Manila on Sunday afternoon, Vallespin said.

The Consulate announced on its Facebook page that a total of 3,723 people had cast their votes by the close of voting at 5 pm.

Hundreds of wet but eager voters lined up the stairs and were herded inside Bayanihan, then directed in batches to the upper floors of the center where the voting was being conducted.

By 3pm when the rain had let up, several hundred more voters arrived and the flow steadied until the final hour.  No glitches were reported this time, but some incidents in voters were caught taking or about to take pictures of their ballots with their cellphones in violation of Comelec rules.

The number could have easily exceeded 4,000 had it not been for the rain and the failure of at least 50 people to vote because their names were not on the voters list.

Consulate officials explained that the missing names were a result of the Commission on Elections’ delisting on Sept 21 of nearly 14,000 voters in Hong Kong allegedly for not voting in two consecutive national elections, as mandated by Section 13 of the Overseas Voting Act.

Comelec had originally ordered the de-listing on Sept. 21 and gave those who were purged only until the end of September to file a protest or to register all over again during the regular OVR that ended on Oct. 31. They were given a Dec 31 deadline to re-register.

Months before the delisting, the Consulate had turned away about 6,000 active voters who wanted to register in the OVR and they were overtaken by the purge, Vallespin said. Of this number, only around 1,000 had re-registered, he said.

Ten of these voters failed to cast their ballots on April 9 and about 50 more could not vote on Day Two, Vallespin said.

“The delisted voters are now blaming us for an act that wasn’t ours but the Comelec’s,” said Vallespin.

The first day of overseas voting hits a snag just before the closing

Marilyn Marasigan arrived late at the Bayanihan Center on Day One of the 2016 Philippine elections on April 9 and got her voting precinct assignment slip just six minutes before the 5pm closing.

By the time the day’s last voter fed her ballot into the vote counting machine in Room SB06, it was past 5pm and the device scanned the document but did not read it. She would have been the 1,129th voter on Day One.

The last-minute glitch suddenly became a cause for concern among officials of the Consulate who had just reviewed the events of the days in order to pinpoint any bug that should be fixed ahead of the expected surge of voters the next day, a Sunday.

Vice Consul Alex Vallespin, head of the Consulate’s cultural section who was in charge of this year’s overseas voting in Hong Kong, rushed to SB06 along with Consul Charles Macaspac and other consular officers after the room’s special board of canvassers reported the bug.

There they saw Marasigan, 40, a domestic worker from Yuen Long, who looked worried about what happened to her vote.

Coincidentally, it was in SB06 where the first Hong Kong-based Filipino voter Baneng Mendez cast her ballot.

Vallespin took pains explaining that her ballot was possibly spoiled and she had to wait for the Commission on Elections IT support technician who had been called to find out what went wrong.

When the technician did come at around 6pm, Marasigan was asked a few times to insert her ballot, but the machine still refused to read it.

“What happened to (Marasigan’s) ballot was, the VCM refused to read it despite our efforts to fix its orientation,” Vallespin said.

“So (the technician) again conducted a diagnosis several times, but the machine just wouldn’t take it, so what happens is this is now a spoiled ballot,” he said.

Before Marasigan left the voting precinct, she watched the chairman of SBEI No 10 seal the ballot in a brown envelope for transmittal to the Comelec head offices in Manila.

Comelec technician Dexter Beronio explained that humidity could have moistened the ballot paper to a point where the VCM’s sensitive scanner could not read and validate it.

He said the machine should be observed when the first ballot on Sunday is cast to see if still misbehaves. If it does, then the glitch is in the machine; if it works, then Marasigan’s ballot is indeed spoiled.

“If that the case, Marasigan could no longer be given another ballot because her ballot is spoiled, and according to the General Instructions, she can no longer be given another ballot,” Vallespin said.

Marasigan was upset. “Sayang naman ang aking boto, piling-pili pa naman ang mga ibinoto ko pati sa mga senador,” she said, admitting that she voted for Rodrigo Duterte and Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Macaspac said that in case machine No 6 is declared unusable on April 10, when thousands of OFWs are expected to cast their ballot, those assigned to SB06 would be directed to SB10 until the 1,000 ballots there are used up.

Afterwards, the SD card of VCM No 6 would be installed on the machine in SB10 so that the 3,000 ballots in SB06 could be used in that room.

Consulate officials hoped the bug would be gone on Day Two. -- Vir B. Lumicao

Hong Kong Pinoys start month-long overseas voting

Prayers for peaceful and orderly voting,

Filipinos in Hong started voting today for the next president of the Philippines, vice president, 12 senators and one party list representative in Congress.

The voting period will last until May 9, which is also the date when voters in the Philippines will decide who to install as their leaders for the next three or six years, depending on the position.

An initial crowd of about 40 people queued under tents in the basketball court of the Bayanihan Center in Kennedy Town, armed with identification documents to present to the Voter Search section -- their first stop -- where officers found their names and voting precincts.

The actual voting started about 8:15am, after some prayers, the blessing of each precinct, and the singing of the national anthem.

Catalla and Lim.

On hand to welcome the early-birds were officials of the Commission on Elections and the Consulate, led by Comelec Commissioner Arthur Lim and Consul General Bernardita Catalla. Both later lined up at the Voter Search section when the crowd thinned.

Catalla also asked Consulate staff manning the computers and the members of the Special Board of Election Inspectors to vote when they had the chance, while the crowd was still thin. The first expected big day is Sunday, April 10.

Issued with pieces of paper that showed what floor and precinct they should go, the voters went up to their assigned rooms to vote.

But the process did not go without a hitch.

Comelec's Lim, for example, was allowed to vote in the wrong precinct. The vote counting machine rejected his ballot. Since his ballot was already filled up, it was declared spoiled and he was allowed to vote in the correct precinct.

Asked later if this could result in a shortage of ballots, he said this will happen only when there in a 100 per cent turnout.

Deputy Consul General Kit de Jesus also said his name could not be found in the lists at the precunct to which he was sent. However, he went to the next precinct and found his name there, and he voted without a hitch.

Catalla said these minor problems could be expected, especially since this was the first day.

Voters can claim their IDs, too.

As a bonus, voters could also claim their voter's ID in a room beside the Voter Search section. A group of OFW volunteers, led by the Consulate's welfare attache Elizabeth Dy, was on hand to give out the IDs.

Several thousands of IDs of voters who have registered since the first overseas voting in 2004 have remained unclaimed.

(This story will be updated during the day. Stay tuned)

Election trims Consulate staffing; POLO boosts services

Secretariat being set up to receive voters.

The month-long election which begins today is expected to downscale services at the Consulate, because most of its officers and employees will be tied down at the Bayanihan Center in Kennedy Town.

According to several officials at the Consulate, a skeleton staff will remain to provide basic and emergency services. However, sources said, essential staff will be available on call in cases of emergency.

On the other hand, services at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in a nearby building will not be affected according to Labor Attache Jalilo de la Torre.

De la Torre said that the election will hardly affect POLO operations because only a few of its staff will be harnessed for the exercise.

In fact, he added, services will even expand because the processing of the Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) will be done even on Saturdays at the Worldwide House shop of Smart Telecom, when POLO is closed.

De la Torre noted a growing number of OFWs who are taking their days off on Saturdays, which would make assigning staff to the additional service worthwhile.

He said talks are also ongoing to enable OEC applicants to use the Octopus card to paying the $20 fee for the OEC.

The possibility of the payment also being accepted at 7-Eleven stores is being considered, he added.

How the election will be conducted.

Members of SBEI No. 1 in Hong Kong demonstrate the steps to be taken in the conduct of the election.

Hong Kong declares itself ready for 2016 elections

Members of SBEI No. 1 demonstrate voting process.

Hong Kong's voting precincts tested election equipment installed at Bayanihan Center in Kennedy Town today, and declared themselves ready to accept voters tomorrow -- the start of the one-month exercise for overseas Filipinos worldwide.

Baneng: ready for vigil
to be first voter.

At least one voter has also occupied the first slot in the queue of voters at the Bayanihan Center entrance downstairs, preparing to spend the night to hold on to her position. 

Baneng Mendez arrived at 2pm today, ready with food and drinks she would need for the vigil. Several colleagues from Migrante were on hand to take her place in case she had to go to the toilet.

She hopes to break the record of Rowena de la Cruz, who was able to be the first to vote in the previous three elections: 2007, 2010 and 2013.

The polling begins at 8am Saturday.

Comelec Commissioner Lim

Commission on Elections Commissioner Arthur Lim, said he will be voting in Hong Kong
on the first day of the month-long process.

The Comelec, he added, hopes fort a turnout of 80 per cent of the registered voters, not just in Hong Kong but in cities all over the world where the overseas voting will be held.

Hong Kong has 93,049 registered overseas Filipino voters in Hong Kong, or nearly 50% of the total Filipino population of 190,000.

However, the highest turnout registered in Hong Kong was 60 per cent in the 2010 presidential elections, where Benigno S. Aquino III was the winner in the presidential race.

During today's tests, members of the 10 Special Boards of Election Inspectors at Bayanihan Center demonstrated to the media the process of voting, scanning and tallying of the votes.

Representatives of political parties also went through each of the 10 polling precincts to test the machines and ensure they would be working on the 31 election days.

Lim said that ifthere are cases where some of the machines malfunction, the ballots will be fed into the machines of nearby precincts.

Shading the "ovals" of the ballot.

At the SBEI No. 1, which was opened to the media, chairman Manely Gomez and her members Onie Macleod and Joel Limsiaco began the routine by showing an empty ballot box. They then showed the process of starting up the vote counting machines.

They then gave ballots to some members of the media who then "voted", indicating their choices for president and vice president by shading the ovals opposite the respective candidates, and then inserting their ballots into the machines.

The SUN editor Daisy C.L. Mandap, one of the test voters, said the receipt churned out by the machine after she voted, was accurate in listing her choices.

(Note: Read a more exhaustive coverage of the presidential elections in Hong Kong in the April Mid-month issue of The SUN, which comes out on the 15th of April, 2016)

‘Vigan’ is Philippine booth's theme in HK Flower Show

A booth with Vigan as its theme was this year’s Philippine entry in the annual Hong Kong Flower Show held from Mar 11-20 at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay. As in the past 13 years, the Knights of Rizal under Pieter Nootenboom took care of decorating the Philippine booth.
The KoR, in cooperation with Kababaihang Rizalista HK chapter and other Filipino community organizations and individuals, presented a cultural show depicting traditional songs and dances. Performers came in colorful national costumes which proved to be a hit with the crowd.
The Philippine booth, which was included in the non-proft category, focused on racial harmony and unity, and was dedicated to the national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal.

Quicker delivery of Philhealth benefits to OFWs pushed

Risa Hontiveros (Photo by Frederick Suarez).

Overseas Filipino workers would get Philhealth refunds for their hospitalization expenses more quickly under a plan being proposed by senatorial aspirant Risa Hontiveros.

Hontiveros, a former director of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, explained her plan in a dialogue between Liberal Party candidates Mar Roxas and Leni Robredo, and OFW leaders in Hong Kong last April 3. 

“Mahirap na nga magkasakit, mas mahirap di hamak na magkasakit nang malayo sa pamilya. Kung maari nga itulak natin ang reciprocal arrangements sa mga bansa na may OFW para kilalanin ng kanilang mga ospital ang Philhealth discount para agad-agad nang idededuct," she added.

As long as the OFW is updated in their Philhealth records, they can avail of Philhealth benefits However, many OFWs find the process cumbersome. 

Hontiveros also said she will help simplify the process of Philhealth reimbursements for OFWs who find themselves hospitalized in their host countries. 

"Ten million na mga Pinoy ay nasa ibang bansa, higit two million ang OFW. Sa panahon ngayon na laganap ang mga sakit gaya ng Zika Virus, kailangan ng dagdag na tulong pangkalusugan," Hontiveros.

She said many OFWs hold precarious jobs with no or minimal health insurance.Many are also undocumented and cannot access social protections in their host countries. "Yung mga may regular employment contracts, or agency-hired, walang problema. Pero madami pa din na bulnerable na dapat tulungan. Halimbawa, sa Middle East, kung tumakas sa amo dahil siya ay hinaharass, wala siyang residency ID na mapapakita at hindi siya basta-basta makakapunta sa ospital kapag may sakit.” 

Hontiveros said she will also push for satellite clinics in embassies and consulates to provide assistance during pandemics. "Ang abot kaya at dekalidad na serbisyo medikal ay dapat makuha ng bawat Pilipino -- saan man sa mundo," she said

Ang mga "yellow dancers."

Mga panukala ni Leni Robredo para sa OFW kapag naging bise presidente siya.

Ang mga plano ni Mar Roxas para sa OFW

Presidential candidate Mar Roxas answers questions
from the press, Hong Kong, April 3, 2016.