Pinay in ferry pier ‘struggle’ fined $2k and gets suspended jail term

By Vir B. Lumicao

The Filipina injured a Customs officer at the Sheung Wan ferry terminal who wanted to check her bag

A Filipina was fined $2,000 for trying to stop Customs officers at the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry terminal in Sheung Wan from checking her handbag, which was later found to contain a tiny amount of the drug “ice”.

Cheryll Salvador, 33, was sentenced to three months in jail, suspended for two years, for possessing 0.32 grams of the drug.

She was also given three months suspended sentence for possessing equipment to inhale the narcotic, and 14 days for “attempting to export” several tablets of a regulated drug.

Salvador had earlier pleaded guilty to all four charges when she appeared before

Magistrate Lam Tsz-kam in Eastern Court.

The prosecution said in a report the defendant was in the airport’s departure hall at 11:03 pm on Nov 23 when she was stopped by Customs officers for bag inspection. But instead of handing her bag, she started searching her bag, saying she needed a candy.

Suspecting that there was contraband in Salvador’s handbag, a female officer tried to take away the bag, but the Filipina resisted. As a result, the officer suffered an injury in her left hand.  She was treated at Queen Mary Hospital for tenderness and redness of the left hand and found to have suffered a fracture.

Salvador was arrested and cautioned by another officer, who searched the bag afterwards and found a plastic bag and a glass beaker containing the drug.

The arresting officer also found four foil packs containing five tablets of zopiclone, a regulated drug listed as Part 1 poison. 

In mitigation, the Duty Service-assigned lawyer said the diminutive Salvador was rushing to catch a ferry to Macau as she had to check in an hour later for a flight to Manila.

The defendant was said to be depressed at the time because she had broken off with her boyfriend just the night before. In fact, Salvador had bought the packet of “ice” for $100 outside a Wanchai bar to ease her depression, her counsel said.

Salvador, who had a clear record in Hong Kong, was remorseful and had pleaded guilty, thus a fine or a suspended sentence would be appropriate, said the lawyer.

He said Salvador was working for a sportswear company in Manila that supplied its products to Hong Kong shops, earning her “thousands of dollars a month”. 

Lam said he would impose a $2,000 fine on Salvador for struggling with the Customs officer who was just doing her job. He meted the suspended jail sentences for the drug offenses.

Pinay who died of heart attack flown home

By Vir B. Lumicao

Friends and relatives bid Avancena goodbye in Hong Kong

The remains of a Filipina who died of a heart attack on Feb 2 shortly after collapsing in her employer’s flat in Mid-Levels, have been flown to her hometown in Negros Occidental, where she will be laid to rest.

The casket bearing Donna M. Avanceña’s body arrived in Bacolod City on Friday afternoon, Feb 15, her friend Ann Apita told the SUN. The interment date has yet to be announced.

The coroner listed the cause of death as cardiac arrest.

Avanceña’s body was accompanied on the Hong Kong to Manila leg of the voyage by her elder sister Ligaya, also a domestic worker here. The sisters hail from Cadiz City, which is adjacent to Bacolod.

Danny Baldon, officer of the Consulate’s assistance to nationals section, said the employer paid for the repatriation.

A day before the flight, Avanceña’s friends and relatives gathered at Universal Funeral Parlor in Hung Hom to bid her farewell.

Avanceña, a breast cancer survivor who should be turning 56 on Feb 26, was rushed to Ruttonjee Hospital on an ambulance at dawn on Feb 2 after collapsing twice in her employer’s home. She died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

Her friends said doctors who examined Avanceña told them that she suffered a heart attack when she fell off the lower deck of a double-deck bunk bed before 1am on Feb 2. She suffered another heart attack when she collapsed in the toilet about 20 minutes later.

Eleanor Javier, who along with Avanceña and her niece Aida Ajihil worked for a 99-year-old employer on Kennedy Road, was emotional as she recounted the final moments of the deceased, her co-worker for the past 23 years and 10 months.

Javier, who is in her 60s, said she has been with their employer for 30 years while Avanceña arrived in the household in 1995. Javier said they were “closer than sisters” and were happy as their employers treated them like family.

Avanceña never complained of having a heart problem, nor did she tell Javier or other friends of any health issues.

“Ang sabi lang niya sa akin, masakit daw ang likod niya. Sabi ko naman, ‘Magpatingin ka baka kung ano iyon’. Sabi niya, ‘Wala, OK lang, bukas wala na ito’,” Javier said.

Her niece Ajihil said she did not remember Avanceña going for a check-up since she joined them three years ago.

“Hindi siya nagsasalita. Hindi nga namin alam kung high blood siya o ano dahil hindi siya nagpapa-check-up ever since,” Ajihil said.

Javier, who was every emotional as she stood by the coffin of Avanceña, said the only time the deceased had a serious health crisis was when she had Stage 3 breast cancer 11 years ago. She underwent surgery and shunned chemotherapy but survived.

Avanceña appeared strong when she spent her holiday at Tamar Park on Feb 1 but told a friend on the bus ride back to the flat that she felt cold, and complained of pain in her belly.

But on returning to her employer’s flat she told Javier that she was ok. Not long after they had gone to sleep,  Javier was awakened by the sound of somebody crashing to the floor and realized that Avanceña had fallen from her bed.

Javier asked what happened and Avanceña said her belly was aching but refused to be taken to the hospital, saying she would just sleep the pain away.

About 20 minutes later, Avanceña tried to get up for water but Javier, who slept on the upper deck, told her she would get it for her. 

Avanceña then said she wanted to use the toilet, so, Javier helped her. But before they could reach the bowl, Avanceña collapsed again and could not keep her tongue from sticking out. That was the time she agreed to go to the hospital and the ambulance was called.    

  

Ligaya said Avanceña, the fifth among five ale and five female siblings, was married with a 14-year-old daughter. Her husband is jobless.

Her family will receive a PhP100,000 death benefit and PhP20,000 funeral assistance by OWWA, plus a livelihood assistance of PhP15,000 for the husband. Her daughter will be granted a monthly high school stipend and college scholarship.

The employer also agreed to pay a long service award of $73,000 to Avanceña.

PNP identifies 700 election hotspots

PNP national headquarters.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has identified a total of 701 cities and municipalities across the country as election hotspots for the May 13 mid-term polls.

PNP chief Oscar Albayalde said in a news briefing that the number of election hotspots had increased based on the latest validated information. The 701 poll hotspots make up 42.9 percent of the 1,634 cities and towns nationwide.

Albayalde said the election hotspots are categorized and color-coded based on a set of parameters.



A total of 223 cities and municipalities are in the yellow category or areas of concern.

Cities and towns under the yellow category had a history of election-related incidents in the last two elections and intense political rivalry, and had been previously declared under Commission on Elections (Comelec) control.

Falling under the orange category or election areas of immediate concern are 382 cities and municipalities.



The orange category includes cities and municipalities where there is a serious armed threat posed by terror and rebel groups like the New People’s Army, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, Abu Sayyaf Group and rogue elements of the Moro National Liberation Front or Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

A total of 94 cities and municipalities are under the red category or election areas of grave concern.



Under the red category are cities and towns where combined factors of yellow and orange categories are present and there is chance for the area to have the motu proprio declaration of Comelec control.

Two towns are currently under Comelec control for this year’s elections: Cotabato City in Cotabato and Daraga in Albay.

Daraga was listed under Comelec control after the assassination of AKO Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe allegedly by the town’s mayor, Carlwyn Baldo. The two were supposed to fight each other for the position of Daraga mayor.



The Comelec put Cotabato City under its control ahead of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) referendum.

The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao had the most number of election hotspots with 98, followed by Bicol with 72 and the Ilocos Region with 64.

Five Metro Manila cities are listed under the yellow category: Mandaluyong, Manila, Caloocan, Malabon and Pasay.

The campaign season for Senate and party-list candidates officially kickstarted on February 12 and the PNP assured the public that they have deployed enough men to monitor and secure peace and order in campaign areas.

Colmenares vows to question mandatory insurance for OFWs

Neri Colmenares

By Daisy CL Mandap

Senatorial candidate Neri Colmenares has promised to lead an inquiry into the legality of a Philippine Overseas Employment Administration resolution that requires all overseas Filipino workers to be covered by insurance.

Colmenares, who was previously Bayan Muna partylist representative in Congress, made the statement on Feb 9 during a forum with Filipino community representatives at Kowloon Union
Church in Jordan.

“Titingnan natin ang batas that allowed it,” said Colmenares when asked what could be done to reverse POEA Resolution No. 4 issued in August last year which requires “principals” (employers or recruitment agents) to pay for the insurance coverage of both new and rehired
OFWs.

But when told that the Resolution effectively repealed Republic Act 10022 which provides that only agency-hired OFWs leaving the country for the first time should be covered by mandatory insurance, Colmenares said the issue should immediately be raised at the next session of Congress.

Mandatory insurance was only among the issues raised during the forum with Colmenares, held on the eve of the Hong Kong launch of his senatorial bid. His campaign pitch is that he is the
“tunay na boses ng OFWs at pamilya sa Senado at Kongreso.”

But Colmenares promised to do more than just make speeches or promises. “We can make the best speeches pero walang kuwenta yan without your support,” he said.

The left-leaning politician minced no words when asked how he felt about the recent influx of thousands, maybe even millions, of Chinese nationals into the Philippines.
“Para sa akin, hindi mapagkakatiwalaan ang Chinese government,” he declared boldly, adding that the undocumented entry of a huge number of its citizens into the Philippines raises security concerns.



He also brushed off President Rodrigo Duterte’s claim that asserting the country’s right to the West Philippine Sea could result in war with the mighty China.

“Ang tanong ko, may basis ba siya? Parang anecdotal lang kasi,” he said, citing as examples Vietnam and Taiwan which never spoke of the same apprehension despite their consistent opposition to China’s claim on disputed territories.



“Kasi pag nilusob sila, magagalit ang international community,” he said.

Compared to these two territories, the Philippines has more reason not to fear China because of its big win in the arbitral court on the dispute over the West Philippine Sea.

“Tayo ang nanalo, pero bakit astang talo tayo?,” he asked.



He also reminded his audience that leftist lawmakers like him were the only ones to challenge the joint exploration deal between China and the Philippines during the time of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

They also questioned the highly anomalous deals involving Chinese firms like NBN and ZTE, and those involved in the construction of the North and South Expressways.

Colmenares said he will push for the creation of more jobs in the Philippines, instead of supporting the government’s labor export policy.



This, he said could be done through industrialization and real agrarian reform. Right now, he said the country is heavily reliant on foreign investments, to the extent that it has neglected its own industries.

What has been happening, he said, is that the Philippines is expected to produce raw materials and crops like copra and abaca, and buy its supply of finished products from other countries.

He asked, “Pako lang hindi natin ma-produce?” and “Magbenta ka ng copra, tapos bibili ka ng electric fan?,”

Colmenares urged Filipino voters to go beyond platforms and campaign promises, and see what the candidates have already done to promote their interests.

“Kami sa Bayan Muna, we walk the talk,” he said.

While he is not an absolutist, in the sense that he is willing to court the support of even big industries, he said he will never compromise on the people’s interests.

“Ang tama ay tama, ang mali ay mali,” he said.

Colmenares said he decided aspire for a seat in the Senate because he will have a “bigger voice” in the 24-seat chamber, unlike in the House of Representatives which has nearly 300 members.