Pinoy student to face rape, child-porn cases in DC

The rape allegedly took place in one of these buildings (Google Maps photo)

A case against a 16-year-old Filipino student accused of rape and publishing child pornography before the Eastern Court, was adjourned today prior to its elevation to the District Court.

Prosecutors asked for the adjournment of the case against L. U. for the preparation of transfer papers. Principal Magistrate David Cheung granted the request by scheduling a new hearing for Oct. 14.

The student is accused of raping X last Feb. 14 inside the Bonham Commercial Center in Sheung Wan, in violation of section 118(1) of the Crimes Ordinance.

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A second charge accuses him of publishing eight nude photo of X between Feb. 7 and March 21 this year, in violation of section 3(2) of the Prevention of Child Pornography Ordinance.

Hong Kong magistrate courts normally elevate rape cases to a higher court as these are beyond the magistrate's sentencing power.

 

Free tram and ferry rides, other treats on China’s National Day

 

Free tram sides are given as treats to the public on many significant occasions

A series of special offers, including free rides on all tram routes and several on ferries, will be made available to the public on October 1, in celebration of the 76^th anniversary of the founding of the People’s  Republic of China.

The MTR will give away 76,000 single journey e-tickets to the public through a lucky draw on the same day, while children can ride most bus routes of KMB, Long Win Bus, Citybus and New Lantao Bus for free.

All commercial cinemas will also provide tickets to movies at half the price, while all sports venues and museums run by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will offer free admission. Everyone can also enter the Hong Kong Wetland Park for free.

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Free guided tours and dining, consumption and accommodation offers currently provided by the Revitalising Historic Building through Partnership Scheme will be expanded from mid-September until late October as part of the celebration.

Joining in the fun are more than 1,000 restaurants and merchants that will provide discounted meals, while several public markets will also roll out different offers. Shoppers at the “Local Fresh” stores, whether virtual, physical or mobile app, will also get a 24% discount on selected products.

Ngong Ping 360 and Ocean Park, two of Hong Kong’s top tourist attractions, will offer ticket discounts, while Tai Kwun, the Peak Tram and Madame Tussauds will give out souvenirs to patrons.

The West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong Jockey Club and HK Trade Development Council as well as over 100 shopping malls and department stores will roll out shopping, dining or parking offers.

More freebies and other special treats from some government departments and organizations will be announced in due course.

To get information about the offers and special activities, check out the dedicated website, www.nationalday76.gov.hk.

 

 

 

 

Cinta-J to close down after 42 years

 

Allen Lee (in black) join his golfing buddies including ex-Labatt Bernie Julve
 (in green at back) for a final photo at Cinta-J

It was a night that recalled the happy times of the 80s and the 90s when Wan Chai was the place to be for late-night dining and drinking in Hong Kong, and Cinta-J restaurant and bar was where most Filipinos ended up in, for a taste of comfort food from back home and singers who obliged their penchant for karaoke and dancing.

After 42 years being at the center of fun and entertainment for most Filipinos in Hong Kong, Cinta-J at no 69 Jaffe Road (which explains the J in its name) is closing down at the end of the month.

On that particular Wednesday night, Sept. 3, many of its old customers who gathered there to party ended up getting nostalgic, as they realized that it could be the last time they would be spending their happy hours there.

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Among those who said goodbye to their favorite watering hole was former Labor Attache to Hong Kong Bernie Julve and his golfing and drinking buddies who used to gather at Cinta-J before, or after, a golf game.  They all realized going out on golf trips would not be as fun without their favorite pit-stop.

In another part of the restaurant, a group of longtime residents celebrated a birthday, and as before, spent the rest of the night dancing and singing with the in-house band. There could never be another place where they could let their hair down, and feel right at home.

Allen Lee with his son Bryan and daughter-in-law Cris

Cinta-J’s founder and owner, 83-year-old Allen Lee, said the Malaysian Consulate building where his resto-bar is housed has been sold, and given the current tepid catering industry and high property prices, it would not be prudent to continue operating it.

But his son Bryan and daughter-in-law Cris who have been running the place for the past several years remain upbeat, saying they are still hoping to find a new place where they can carry on the business.

Many longtime customers of Cinta-J would likely welcome a reopening, but Cinta away from Jaffe Road - - where they had the most fun eating Filipino or Indonesian food dancing and singing to their hearts’ content - would never be the same.

At its heyday, when Hong Kong was the favorite place for R&R by seafarers from all over the world, Cinta-J was often packed and pulsating. It could either be fun or rowdy, or both, but always with the best music in town.

A visit to Cinta-J is never complete without the singing & dancing

The all-night partying started to slow down about 10 years ago when China started rejecting berthing requests from ships, particularly those from the US navy, amid rising political tension.

Cinta-J managed to pull through, only to suffer another setback when massive anti-government protests erupted across Hong Kong from 2018 to 2019, with Wan Chai becoming one of the flash points.

Just as things were starting to quiet down, the Covid-19 pandemic happened, and the catering sector once more took a direct hit. Cinta-J, along with several bars on Jaffe, were among the worst hit. (See report here: https://www.sunwebhk.com/search?q=Cinta+J)

Getting back up from all those whammies have been difficult, but losing the place it has called home for decades was what hastened the Lees’ decision to shut down the business they nurtured for so long, for good.

Poster for the final group farewell to Cinta-J organized by the UPAA-HK

As a tribute to those happy times, a group of Filipino residents led by the University of the Philippines Alumni Association is preparing to hold a final farewell to Cinta-J on September 24, six days before it is finally shuttered.

Special guest for the evening will be Cinta-J’s most beloved singer Nicky Flores, who will be taking to the stage again together with his wife and former singing partner, Merly. Surprise numbers will also be presented.

To book a ticket, please see the poster above or call Cath at 9536 0166

 

 

Pinoy driver jailed 6 months for stealing from unlocked car

The alleged theft happened in the carpark of Aberdeen Marina Club (photo from Facebook)

A Filipino driver was jailed for six months after being found guilty at Eastern Court today of stealing a handbag inside a Tesla car that had been left unlocked by its owner when she parked at the Aberdeen Marina Club.

No direct evidence pointed to Dionese Medallon, 46 years old, but Deputy Magistrate Chung Wing-sze cited “irresistible inferences grounded on facts” to find him guilty of the theft, which took place last Jan. 17.

Prosecution had alleged that he opened the car door and took away a brown handbag on the front passenger seat, which contained an Apple computer, a wallet with $2,000 cash inside, as well as the Tesla’s key which was left in the ignition, for a total loss of about $25,000.

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The case against Medallon revolved around the fact that he moved the Alphard he was driving from where he had earlier parked, to a spot beside the Tesla car, before driving off less than two minutes later.

Magistrate Chung described as incredible Medallon’s testimony that he moved the car because it was too hot where he was originally parked when it was winter, that he was too busy cleaning the second row of the Alphard’s seats to notice that the Tesla was unlocked and had a handbag in it, and that he drove off because he was called to pick up his employer’s child.

She also noted that no one else got near the car during the 20 minutes that it was parked, ruling out any other possible suspect.

She found the three prosecution witnesses – the Tesla’s owner, a security guard and a police officer –honest and reliable.

In sentencing Medallon, she said the value of the stolen items may be insignificant but they contained vital personal information.

She also said the theft did not involve detailed planning but was more opportunistic.

Medallon, who has worked as a family driver since 2022, has been fired from his job due to the case. He is married to a Filipina who also works in Hong Kong as a domestic helper. They have three sons, aged 20, 21 and 23.

(Read the previous story: https://www.sunwebhk.com/2025/09/pinoy-driver-denies-stealing-bag-from.html)

 

HK OFWs hold angry protest over Ph flood fund mess

 

Anger is etched on face of protest leader Baneng Mendez

Filipino domestic workers held an indignation rally outside the Philippine Consulate offices in Admiralty on Sunday morning to protest the widening corruption scandal in the Philippines over billions of pesos lost in anomalous flood control projects that date back to 2016.

The move came in the wake of similar protest actions in Manila launched as congressional inquiries uncovered a massive collusion between private contractors and government officials in pilfering money meant to stop the recurrent flooding across the country.

“Nakakagalit!” (Sickening) was the first word uttered by one of the protest organizers, Baneng Mendez of Bayan Muna Hong Kong and Macau, in expressing her anger over the years of corruption that is being uncovered only now.

PINDUTIN DITO

“Kung hindi pa tayo nagagalit sa lumalalang korapsyon sa Pilipinas, hindi tayo tunay na Pilipino,” an enraged Mendez said. (If we are still not angry over the widening corruption in the country, we are not true Filipinos).

She decried that migrant workers are given a hard time getting financial help from the government when the culprits steal P2 million each day from the public coffers.

Protest banners call for the jailing and other retribution for the culprits

Another speaker, Dolores Balladares of United Filipinos –Migrante Hong Kong said politicians in the country are using their position to amass wealth at the expense of the people they are meant to serve.

The 50-odd protesters representing various Filipino migrant groups that were given police clearance to hold the 30-minute rally held banners blaming widespread corruption for the worsening floods that have plagued the country for years, and called for retribution.

They said money that could have been spent to improve the people’s lives has been stolen by a few people who have been living in luxury, including a contractor-couple who had shamelessly paraded their fleet of about 40 luxury cars during interviews on social media.

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They called on those responsible for the plunder to be held to account, including putting them behind bars immediately.

Not surprisingly, there was no call for President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to step down, as that would mean Vice President Sara Duterte, who could soon face an impeachment trial over her alleged misuse of hundreds of millions in “confidential funds," taking over the top post.

The protest ended with Vice Consul Gino Soriano of the Consulate accepting a copy of the demand letter from the protesters addressed to President Marcos.

Labor attaché linked to flood control mess recalled

 

Labatt Maglanque has also been put in the immigraton lookout list

Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans J. Cacdac has ordered the recall of the country’s labor attaché in Los Angeles, Macy Monique Maglanque, after she was tagged by Senator Panfilo Lacson to a company linked to flood-control anomalies.

Cacdac said in a statement on Friday that the recall will give Labatt Maglanque an opportunity to personally respond to the questions about her involvement in the questionable deals.

 “Today, we have issued a recall order for Labor Attaché Maglanque so that she can return home and personally face the investigation. No penalty has been imposed yet, but it is important that she herself responds to the questions—not only from the DMW but also from any other investigations that may be necessary,” said Secretary Hans Cacdac.

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He said the recall is a routine procedure that is in line with the DMW’s commitment to due process.

“She will only be facing the investigation. This is part of our commitment to integrity and accountability in public service,” Cacdac added.

Labatt Maglanque is the daughter of Mayor Rene Maglanque of Candaba, Pampanga and former president of Globalcrete Builders, a construction company that secured Php2.195 billion worth of flood control projects from 2018 to 2024 in Bulacan alone, said Lacson.

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Together with the daughters of Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan and Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, the younger Maglanque is said to have formed MBB Global Properties Corp, which now owns Wyndham Garden Hotel in Clark, Pampanga.

Lacson said the initials MBB stand for Maglanque, Bonoan and Bernardo, signifying an unholy alliance between the powerful contractor and the two DPWH officials.

The MBB company is said to stand for the mayor and the two top DPWH officials

Labatt Maglanque is said to be the president of the MBB group, while Sunshine M. Bernardo, the daughter of the former USec, is corporate secretary; and Fatima Bonoan dela Cruz is treasurer.

Following Lacson’s expose, new DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon has requested that Bonoan and the three executives of the MBB Group be put on the immigration lookout bulletin

Labatt Maglanque’s Facebook profile indicates she became a labor attaché in 2017, and was initially posted in Singapore before being moved to LA four years later.

She holds a bachelor of science degree in management of financial institutions from De La Salle University, and a master in business administration from the University of London.

Flood control probe widens; million-people protest set

 

EDSA Shrine rally (GMA News photo)

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has added a third front in the investigation of failed and ghost flood control projects, while the Department of Public Works and Highways has begun filing criminal complaints against the first batch of erring employees.

Amid these government moves, a million-people rally is being planned at the Luneta on Sept. 21 to express outrage for the “large-scale thievery”, capping off a series of protests in streets and schools. 

The latest of these were Friday’s protest by students at the University of the Philippines in Diliman and Saturday's march from the EDSA Shrine to the People Power Monument in Quezon City.

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“Let us call out and condemn the politicians and contractors who wear different colors but worship the color of money, who steal our people’s money,” declared a statement by the convenors, which included the Taumbayan Ayaw sa Magnanakaw at Abusado Network Alliance (TAMA NA) and the Panatang Luntian Coalition.

Another protest, dubbed the “Trillion Peso March,” led by the Clergy for Good Governance, will take place at the People Power Monument on EDSA the same day.

Both events were timed for the 53rd anniversary of the declaration of martial law by the president’s father, Ferdinand Sr., in 1972.

It is not yet certain when the three-member Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), created by Marcos under Executive Order No. 94, will begin to “hear, investigate, receive, gather, and evaluate evidence, intelligence reports, and information, against all government officials and employees, and any other individual, involved in anomalies, irregularities, and misuse of fSunds in the planning, financing, and implementation of government flood control and other infrastructure projects nationwide.”

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Malacañang has named former DPWH Secretary Rogelio “Babes” Singson, who cleaned the agency during the term of President Benigno Aquino Jr., and SGV and Co. country managing partner Rossana Fajardo, as the first two of ICI’s three members. Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong will act as special adviser and investigator. 

The chairperson is expected to be appointed next week.

“The President has appointed individuals of proven competence, integrity, and deep familiarity with infrastructure, finance, and institutional reform,” presidential spokesperson Claire Castro said.

“As the President has repeatedly said: no one will be spared. Even relatives, friends, or allies — there will be no sacred cows [in the ICI investigation],” Castro said.

Even if ICI starts its investigation, the ongoing inquiries by the Senate and the House of Representatives will continue, according to Sen. Panfilo Lacson, chairman of the Senate Blue ribbon Committee.

“The Senate Blue Ribbon probe and the work of the independent commission are complementary. They won’t compete with each other,” he said.

Lacson said the first hearing next Thursday in which he will be chairman, will not only generate evidence that could be used by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), but also help in crafting anti-corruption laws.

He said he found evidence that could confirm revelations in Congress last week that Senator Jinggoy Estrada received a 30 per cent commission from P355 million paid for flood control projects that were never built. 

Estrada and Joel Villanueva, who was alleged to have gotten a 30 per ent cut of $600 million in ghost projects, have denied the allegations.

For his part, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon will aim for DPWH personnel responsible for anomalous flood control projects to return the money they stole. “It is not enough to go to jail. It is not enough to be held accountable. We need to return the people’s money,” he said.

Among the measures he would explore is to freeze and forfeit in favor of the government the assets of persons named in cases that result from these projects, with the help of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

Last Thursday, the DPWH filed the first batch of graft charges against 20 government engineers and employees from Bulacan, and four private contractors and their owners, including the Discaya couple. He said the DPWH would file a second batch next week against those involved in Oriental Mindoro projects.

 

Pia Wurtzbach recalls life as OFW during HK visit

 

As OWWA's ambassador, Pia helps promote health and wellness among OFWs

“Confidently beautiful with a heart” is a mindset that Pia Wurtzbach-Jauncey has embraced since she was crowned Miss Universe in 2015, and is what she now espouses as an advocate of health and wellness for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Wurtzbach was in Hong Kong last Sunday, Sept. 7, as part of her volunteer work as an ambassador for the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). 

According to OWWA administrator PY Caunan, the beauty queen does not get paid for what she does for OFWs, and even pays for her own airfare when they go abroad together.

Coinciding with their visit was a health and wellness event at the OFW Global Centre, and the launch of virtual hub of LoveYourself, an advocacy group for HIV prevention and mental health for Filipinos, particularly OFWs.

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Through the online hub, OFWs can ask questions about sexual and mental health issues, which Wurtzbach said is now particularly relevant because of a sudden spike in the number of Filipino migrants getting infected with HIV.

Latest government figures show that HIV infections jumped 500% in the first three months of this year, compared to the same period last year, prompting the Department of Health to recommend a declaration of national public health emergency.

An OFW fan took the chance to ask Pia for an autograph

Wurtzbach was accompanied in her visit by Love Yourself founder and executive director Ronivin “Vinn” G. Pagtakhan, who evoked a lot of laughter from the audience with his quips on how OFWs can practice self-love, including indulging in sexual pleasures.

“Importante na alam ninyong pasayahin ang sarili ninyo,” he said, to the delight of the mainly female audience. (It’s important that you know how to pleasure yourselves).

Pagtakhan told the OFWs HIV is no longer the dreaded disease it used to be, as there are now at least two cases of patients who have been declared virus-free after treatment. But prevention is still the key to preventing its spread.

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Wurtzbach took the chance to relate her experiences as an OFW herself. She said her mother worked as a caregiver in the United Kingdom for 10 years. When her mother got married to a foreigner, Wurtzbach who was then still a minor and a struggling actress, was forced to follow her.

That was when she experienced “yung hirap, yung pagod” (the hardship and physically tiring life) of a Filipino migrant worker.

She said she waited on tables at a hotel and did odd jobs, like working as receptionist in a realty company and distributing flyers. It was while working at the hotel that she decided to enroll in a culinary course.

All the while, she said she was longing to go back home, so that when she had saved up enough, she decided to fly back to Manila, and began joining beauty contests. The rest, as they now say, is history.

Laundry factory raid nets 8 suspected illegal workers, employer

 

Those arrested in the laundry raid are led away

A total of nine people were arrested in an anti-illegal work operation by the Immigration Department that targeted a laundry factory, according to a statement released by the government today.

Those arrested included eight suspected illegal workers and the person who hired them.

Those reportedly found working illegally at the laundry comprised three men and five women aged 29 to 48. The suspected employer is a woman aged 52.

The raid was one of several conducted by immigration officers from Sept 9 to 11.

Apart from the laundry factory, operatives from Immigration and the HK Police force also raided 102 target locations in Hung Hom, Kowloon City and Western districts.

In these separate raids, two suspected illegal workers, both men aged 48 and 52, were arrested. A 49-year-old woman was also detained after she was found to have overstayed her visa.

According to the statement, an investigation into the suspected employers of the illegal workers is ongoing, and the possibility of further arrests is likely.

Immigration again warned that working illegally, whether paid or unpaid, is an offence under Hong Kong law.

The prohibition applies to tourists and recognizance paper holders who are not allowed to work  without permission from the Immigration director. Foreign domestic workers are also prohibited from working outside the home of their contract employers.

Those found violating their visa conditions by engaging in illegal work could be jailed for up to two years and fined a maximum of $50,000.

Overstayers, illegal immigrants or those subject of a removal or deportation order could be jailed for a maximum of three years and fined $50,000.

In addition, the Chief Executive may issue a deportation order against such illegal workers. Under Hong Kong laws, deportation could be ordered against an immigrant who has been found guilty of an offence punishable by imprisonment for not less than two years.

Employers of illegal workers face the more severe penalty of a maximum fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for up to 10 years. The director, manager or any officer of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability.

Under sentencing guidelines issued by the High Court, the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.

 

Bail hearing for Pinoy in $10B fake bank docs case reset

 

HSBC branch where incident was reported (Google Maps photo)  

An elderly Filipino facing a charge of “using a false instrument” after allegedly presenting fake documents purporting to show he had US$10 billion in deposits at the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp., was told he could apply for free lawyer’s services after he appeared unrepresented at the Eastern Court on Thursday, Sept. 11.

Acting Principal Magistrate David Cheung told Ramon Revillosa Jr., 69, to go to the Duty Lawyers Service at the court building after he failed to respond to a question of whether he wished to make a bail application. The elderly defendant has been in jail since his arrest last Feb. 10.

When Revillosa accepted the offer to avail of the services of a free counsel, the magistrate assumed that the defendant had reserved the right to a bail review and set a hearing on Sept. 19. By then, his  new lawyer could make a new application for bail on his behalf, and cite the reasons why the court should allow him temporary liberty.

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Magistrate Cheung also adjourned the case to Nov. 6, as requested by the prosecutor, for further investigation.

He earlier noted that Revillosa was represented in previous hearings by a private lawyer, apparently hired by the Philippine Consulate..

A routine auditing procedure, however, resulted in payments to the solicitor firm beng suspended by the Consulate, according to a source. Under Hong Kong law, legal services can be cut off if bills are not paid.

Revillosa is alleged to have presented a bank capability letter, guarantee letter and a certificate of balance, all purporting to have a value of US$10 billion and issued by HSBC, which he “knew, or believed to be, false”.

Using a false instrument is punishable under section 73 of the Crimes Ordinance with up to 14 years in jail.

He was the only one charged, although he was arrested with a Filipina woman lawyer, a Malaysian man, a Taiwanese man and a woman who used a Hong Kong and Macau Travel Permit to enter Hong Kong.

Last June 28, the same magistrate ordered psychiatric tests to be conducted on him in Siu Lam Hospital in Tuen Mun, which specializes in psychiatric care, to find out if he was fit to plead or needed to be hospitalized.

Filipina DH injured after failed suicide attempt

 

The helper climbed down from the 8th floor of this building 
(Photo by Czhiuom Grogdme, Wikimedia Commons)

A Filipina domestic worker said to be grappling with distress due to her involvement in a theft case has been taken to Queen Mary Hospital with bruises to her limbs,  after apparently trying to jump off a building in Sai Ying Pun.  

Police received a report at about 6:45 am today about a woman being seen climbing out of the 8^th floor of Wing Cheung Court on Bonham Road and descending to the fourth floor. 

Residents immediately called for help when she was seen standing precariously on an exterior wall, suspecting suicide. 

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Another resident then called to say the woman had fallen to the platform on the first floor. 

However, when paramedics arrived at the scene, the woman could no longer be found within the building premises. 

She was later found near the junction of High Street and Western Street, having apparently  climbed down to the ground floor after falling almost unscathed to the first-floor podium. 

She was taken to hospital with abrasions to her arms and legs.

An officer at the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) has confirmed visiting the Filipina at the hospital at the instruction of Officer-in-Charge Tony Villafuerte. They assured her that she would be provided with “appropriate services” when she gets discharged.

The Filipina reportedly told the MWO officers that she had thought of jumping off the building because there were so many things on her mind.

An initial investigation by the police found that the worker had been struggling with emotional issues and recently felt even more distressed after being linked to a theft case.

They have categorized the case as involving a “mentally disturbed person”.

(Filipinos who are grappling with emotional problems or stress may call the hotline of the MWO at 6345 9324 or the Assistance to Nationals Section of the Philippine Consulate at 9155 4023; or the Mission for Migrant Workers at 9529 2326)

Pinay avoids jail in $7k theft case

 

Google Map shows where theft was committed

A Filipina domestic helper has avoided getting jailed after pleading guilty to theft of $7,158 in cash and household item from her employer.

Instead, J. Sanchez, 44 years old, received a sentence of two months in jail, suspended for 33 months.

With the sentence, handed down by Magistrate Andrew Mok on Tuesday (Sept. 9) at Shatin Court, Sanchez need not spend a day in court if she does not commit any criminal offense in the next 33 months.

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She was charged with violating section 9 of the theft Ordinance for having stolen $6,268 in cash, 15 red packet envelopes, one red pouch, one Alexandre Zouari hair clip, one Yuen Bao ornament, and two plastic coins owned by Wu Yuen Ting.

The theft was committed between Feb. 2 and May 31 this year in her employer’s home at  Dragon’s Range in Kau To Shan.

Mysterious images show up on Filipina driver’s car monitor

 

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

(Contributed by Ramon Dizon, Jr.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mercy is  no longer spooked by 'haunted' car

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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