The SUN HK

‘Forgetful” Filipina fined $1,200 for shop theft

Posted on 19 March 2019 No comments

By Vir B. Lumicao

Eastern Court building in Sai Wan Ho

Yolanda Fernandez placed some grocery items she bought for herself in a recyclable bag, separate from goods she purchased for her employer in the same Wellcome Supermarket branch in Siu Sai Wan on Oct 19 last year.

Then she went to the cashier and paid only for her employer’s purchase.

She paid dearly for that momentary lapse.

For “forgetting” to pay for the other goods, she was found guilty of theft on Mar 19 and fined $1,200 by Eastern Court Magistrate Vivian Ho.

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The magistrate said Fernandez, 49, entered the supermarket at 8:50am and was seen by a shop manager taking some utilities and food items from the racks and putting these in her recyclable bag. Then she bought items for her employer.

The maid then went to the cashier and paid for the employer’s goods but left without paying for those in her recyclable bag.

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The manager stopped Fernandez outside the shop and found a toothpaste, two toothbrushes, an electronic toothbrush, a can of coffee powder, a pack of cheese, four packs of chocolate, and a pack of pork ribs, all without a purchase receipt.

When she was questioned in the manager’s office, the Filipina said she had money but had forgotten to pay for those goods.

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The defendant said she realized this only when she noticed outside the shop that her bag was heavy. She was about to go back and pay for the goods when the manager accosted her.

Her counsel assigned by the Duty Lawyer Service said during trial that her client might have become forgetful due to long hours of work and insufficient rest.

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He said it had been Fernandez’s practice, as many domestic workers do, to put items they buy for themselves in a recyclable shoulder bag to separate these from their employers’ purchases. He said the woman had money to pay for the goods worth $545.

The magistrate, however, said the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that Fernandez was guilty, and fined her $1,200.

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Dole issues recall order for Labatt Jolly; Filcom says, ‘not yet’

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By Daisy CL Mandap

Service as usual for Labatt Jolly in Taipo, two days after getting his marching orders

Never say die. That seems to be the prevailing sentiment of Filipino community leaders when it comes to letting go of Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre, who has just been issued a recall order by his bosses in Manila.

Just a day after the recall order was issued on Mar 15, Filcom leaders started circulating a letter asking that he be retained as the country’s top labor official in Hong Kong.

This was despite a farewell party being set up for Labatt Dela Torre for Monday, Mar 25, by the law firm Linklaters and the University of Hong Kong.

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The petition letter dated Mar 16 states that while Labatt Dela Torre’s regular three-year term is set to end this month, his recall from April to October last year “due to unfounded allegations” should not be counted as part of this period.

“Labatt Jolly has done his job exceedingly well that he enjoys wide support in the Filipino community in Hong Kong. As a topnotch lawyer, seasoned labor official and veteran administrator he is much more than we can expect from a labor attaché,” said the petition.

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Dela Torre was cited for, among several things, getting the ban on dangerous window cleaning inserted into the standard employment contract of migrant workers, and cracking down on the illegal deployment of OFWs to third countries, particularly Russia and Turkey.

The petition also took note of his Project HealthWise, where OFWs are given free medical check-ups so those who are shown to have serious health issues can seek doctor’s help immediately.

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Among the first to sign the petition were about 100 OFWs who availed of the first medical outreach of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Taipo on Mar 17.

Dela Torre himself led the outreach program, and helped issue overseas employment certificates to those planning to go on vacation in the Philippines in the next few months.

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Active parish member Rodelia P. Villar, who is also the founder of the online group Domestic Workers’ Corner, urged the OFWs queuing up for service to sign the petition, after extolling the labor attaché’s good deeds.

Several other big groups like the Global Alliance, United Filipinos in Hong Kong, Mindanao Federation, Global Ministers Association, National Organization of Professional Teachers, Filipino Nurses Association, and the Integrated Midwives Association, also support the call to retain the labor official.

Dela Torre was recalled in mid-April on orders of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, who only hinted at various allegations against him, like his supposed favoritism in dealing with employment agencies, and acting beyond his powers in issuing overseas employment certificates to Filipino workers in China.

But no clear reason emerged from the recall, and Dela Torre was sent back to his post after six months in the

Philippines

The revocation of his recall came in large part to the wide opposition from community leaders, who sought help from politicians to get Bello to rescind his order.

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Ipapulis daw kapag pumayat ang alaga

Posted on 18 March 2019 No comments

Kamakailan ay gigil na gigil na nag post sa isang online group ng mga bagong dating na OFW si Gigi, dahil sinabihan daw siya ng kanyang amo na ipapupulis siya kapag pumayat ang kanyang mga alagang bata.

May isang pilya na agad nagpayo sa kanya na sabihan din ng amo ng, “ipapapulis din kita kung namayat ako.”

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Sabi naman ni Gigi, pigil na pigil siyang sumagot dahil dalawang buwan pa lang siya sa mga amo, at ayaw niyang mawalan agad ng trabaho.

Sabat ng isa pang nagpapatawa, “bigyan mo ng pataba sa halaman.” Ang iba naman ang sabi ay nakakaloka ang mga amo dahil kapag tumaba naman ang kanilang mga anak ay pilit pinapadiyeta.

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Sabi ng isa, kapag pilit naman niyang pinapakain ang alaga, sabi ng amo huwag dahil maliit lang daw ang bituka nito.

Marami naman ang galit sa sinabi ng amo, dahil ang mga magulang daw dapat ang kailangang managot sa kalusugan ng sarili nilang anak.

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Sila ang bumibili ng kinakain ng bata, at sila rin ang may karapatan at katungkulan na disiplinahin ang mga anak para ganahang kumain ng masustansiya at sapat.

May ilan naman na nagpayo na huminahon muna siya at wala pa naman talagang seryosong bagay na nangyari sa kanya. Isulat na lang daw muna niya ang ginawang pagbabanta ng amo, kasama ng petsa at oras at kung sakaling kailanganin niya sa hinaharap ay may maipapakita siya.

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Sabi naman ng isa, “baliw ang amo mo!”

Ang grupo ay sadyang itinayo para kahit paano ay maibsan ang dinadala ng mga bagong dating, hindi lang sa mga bagay na may kinalaman sa amo, kundi pati na rin sa mga problemang iniwan nila sa Pilipinas. - DCLM

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Walang lusot

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Nanggagalaiting kumunsulta si Banang kamakailan kung paano niya mapapabayad ang isang dating kaibigan na nanuba sa kanya.

Pinagamit daw kasi niya sa kaibigan ang kanyang pangalan at dokumento para mangutang, pero hindi nagbayad, hanggang lumaki ng mahigit sa $15,000 ang utang.

Ayon kay Banang, nagmakaawa lang daw ang kaibigan na tulungan siya dahil ang pasaporte nito ay nakasanla noon at kailan niyang mabawi agad.

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Kung hindi niya daw ito natulungan ay tiyak na napasama ang pasaporte nito sa mga nasamsam sa isang Intsik na hinuli sa North Point dahil sa pagpapautang sa mga Pilipinas na may pataw na sobra-sobrang interes.

Sa kabila ng ginawa niyang pagtulong ay hindi raw binayaran ng kanyang kaibigan ang utang.

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Nagpunta si Banang sa Konsulado noong nakaraang linggo para humingi ng payo, at sinabihan siyang magsampa na lang ng kaso sa Small Claims Tribunal, lalo at may pinirmahan naman silang kasunduan na nagpapatunay na ang utang ay para talaga sa kanyang kaibigan.

Maari daw niya itong magamit sa paghahabol sa kaibigan kahit sa Pilipinas.

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Pero nang magtanong siya sa isang lider sa komunidad ay sinabi sa kanya na malabong bayaran siya ng kaibigan manalo man siya sa Tribunal.

Ni hindi nga siya mapipilit na magpunta sa korte, at kung matalo man ay kakailanganin daw niya ng tulong ng bailiff para mailit ang kung ano mang kagamitan meron ang kaibigan niya.

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Mahirap ding ipatupad sa Pilipinas ang anumang desisyon ng korte sa Hong Kong, lalo na at utangan lang ang dahilan.

Sinabi din sa kanya na malabong samahan siya ng pulis para maningil katulad ng balak niya.

Nasabi tuloy ni Banang na ipahuli na lang ito dahil laging nagsusugal sa Central sampu ng iba pa nitong kaibigan. Malaking aral din daw ang nangyari para hindi na siya lubusang magtiwala pa sa iba, lalo na kung utang ang ipapakiusap sa kanya. – DCLM

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