10 people arrested for illegal work, overstaying

 

5 women, 5 men were arrested in the anti-illegal work operations

Three consecutive days of anti-illegal work operations have resulted in 10 people being arrested across Hong Kong.

A statement released by the Immigration Department today said eight of those arrested were suspected of doing illegal work while two were found to have overstayed their visas.

The suspected illegal workers comprised four men and four women, aged 29 to 55. The arrested overstayers were a man aged 46 and a woman aged 49.

The operations, part of which were carried out jointly with the Hong Kong Police, were conducted from Apr 14 to yesterday, Apr 16.

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In the first phase, 17  locations were targeted, including commercial buildings, residential buildings and restaurants. Enforcers arrested two suspected illegal workers, both women.

In separate operations 55 locations in Central, Eastern and Western districts were raided. Those arrested were six illegal workers comprising four men and two women, as well as the two overstayers.

Immigration again warned that illegal work is a serious offence in Hong Kong, for which custodial sentence is prescribed.

Visitors are not allowed to take up any work, whether paid or unpaid. Violators can be jailed for up to two years and fined a maximum of $50,000.

Recognizance paper holders or asylum seekers, illegal immigrants and overstayers who are found to be working illegally face a maximum of three years in prison and $50,000 fine.

In addition, an immigrant found guilty in Hong Kong of an offence punishable by imprisonment can be issued with an outright deportation order by the Chief Executive as stipulated in section 20(1)(a) of the Immigration Ordinance.

Employers face more severe penalty, with up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of $500,000.

Filipina slashes wrists, then hangs self over debt problems

 

The Filipina was found dead inside her room at her employer's flat in Discovery Bay

A 44-year-old Filipina domestic helper was found dead inside her room in her employer’s Discovery Bay flat, after apparently hanging herself with a long piece of fabric.

The Filipina, who was reportedly single, was also found to have slit her wrists earlier.

Police said a suicide note was found near her body, but the exact cause of death has yet to be investigated.

Basahin ang detalye!

Initial investigations reportedly revealed she had been struggling with money problems.

Police records show the employer had called them at about 7:30pm Wednesday, saying the helper was found injured in their flat at Seahorse Lane at Discovery Bay Phase 1.

But rescuers who rushed to the unit pronounced the Filipina dead on site.

The Migrant Workers Office of the Philippine Consulate confirmed the reported suicide, and said they had already contacted the victim’s family in the Philippines.

The sorry incident comes just nine days after another Filipina domestic helper cut her wrists and overdosed on medicines in an attempt to kill herself inside her employer’s flat in Wu Kai Sha.

The 33-year-old Filipina who survived the suicide attempt, had left a note indicating financial problems.

One of her neighbors said the helper had been despondent because a friend for whom she had borrowed a large sum had stopped communicating with her.

Anyone with suicidal thoughts or undergoing depression could call any of the following hotlines, at any time of the day:

The Samaritans at 2896 0000,  the Suicide Prevention Services at 2382 0000, The Care Health Project at 2827 2525 or CEASE Crisis Centre of Tung Wah Groups of Hospitals at 18281.

Filipino domestic workers may also call the Migrant Workers Office hotline at 6345 9324 or the Mission for Migrant Workers at 9529 2326.

In addition, the HK government’s hotline 18111 can provide support for residents with mental health needs.

 

Pinay to appeal 10-week sentence for theft

 

Place where alleged theft happened (Google Maps photo)

by Leo A. Deocadiz

A Filipina was sentenced to 10 weeks in jail today for theft after an Eastern Court magistrate rejected her defense that she actually owned the gold ring and gold necklace worth $1,000 in total that she was alleged to have stolen from her employer.

But Lilibeth Fabros, 51 years old, indicated through her duty lawyer that she would appeal the decision to the High Court, on the ground that Magistrate Frances Leung did not give proper weight to her testimony.

The lawyer explained that Magistrate Leung instead gave more weight to the testimony of her alleged victim, Linda Chan, who claimed ownership of the two items but testified that the last time she saw them was in 1982 or 43 years ago.

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Fabros is accused of stealing the ring and necklace from her employer at the latter’s flat in Dragon Garden, Tai Hang, on Nov. 15, 2021.

In the trial, Chan testified for the prosecution, along with a policeman and the owner of a pawnshop in North Point, where the two items were recovered by police.

“Her evidence is direct and fair. She has told us when and where she put her jewelry,” Magistrate Leung said in her ruling. “I cannot imagine why she would invent a story.”

She also found the two other witnesses honest and reliable.

On the other hand, Leung said she does not believe that Fabros was telling the truth when she claimed that she bought the two items at a bargain from a Filipino reseller in Central, packed in a resealable plastic bag, and had no receipt.

She noted that Fabros, who had a salary of $5,200 a month, testified that she was in financial difficulty at that time and could not explain during the trial how she could afford such a purchase.

With the appeal, Miss Leung allowed Fabros to post a bail of $4,000, with conditions such as to stay in Hong Kong while the case is pending, report to police regularly, stay in her present address and notify police in advance if she is moving to a new address.

Filipino gets life for killing his domestic-helper girlfriend

 By Daisy CL Mandap

 

Quiabang during happier times in Hong Kong

A lover’s quarrel that turned violent today led to the conviction for murder of a Filipino domestic helper over the killing of his domestic helper-girlfriend, also a Filipino, more than three years ago.

In imposing the mandatory life sentence on 45-year-old Bernie Macatangay Valencia, High Court Judge William Tam said the seven-man jury who voted 6-1 for conviction must have decided that the defendant had intent to kill when he assaulted his girlfriend, Ivy Villaluz-Quiabang, on the night of Dec. 22, 2021.

Quiabang lost consciousness on that night, but was not taken to hospital until more than 24 hours later.

Despite undergoing brain surgery she never regained consciousness, and was declared dead on Jan. 2, 2022.

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“Your vicious attack on her resulted to traumatic injuries that led to her death,” Judge Lam told Valencia. 

Valencia had earlier told the court that he did not want to plead guilty to murder but only to manslaughter. 

He admitted repeatedly punching Quiabang, then 37, but did not intend to kill her.

On hearing the verdict, Valencia looked momentarily shocked, but was otherwise calm. 

His elder sister, Susan, who was in court, was the one who broke down and cried out to him in anguish after the judge ordered a few minutes’ break so defense counsel Michael Arthur could confer with him.

Susan had earlier told the court it was she who had stopped her brother from taking the unconscious Quiabang to the hospital, saying doctors there might say she had Covid-19 and "would ask a lot of questions."

It was only after two of Valencia’s male friends checked in on them that police were called at about 9:20 pm on Dec. 23, 2021.

Following today’s verdict, Arthur said he had nothing to say in mitigation as there was only one sentence prescribed for the crime of murder. 

After conferring with his client, Arthur said Valencia did not want to address the court. 

Arthur did give a brief background on Valencia’s personal details, saying the Filipino had secondary-level education, and first came to Hong Kong to work as a domestic helper from 2016 to 2020. He has seven children.

In September 2021 he returned to Hong Kong again for work, but was dismissed a month after. As it was the height of the pandemic he managed to stay on to look for work, and lived with Quiabang in a subdivided flat on Stone Nullah Lane in Wanchai.

Prosecutor Human Lam told the jury earlier that Valencia who had a wife in the Philippines, developed a romantic relationship with Quiabang after they met at an outing in 2017 or 2018.

Arthur had suggested that Quiabang often got jealous after getting drunk. But this was disproved by a friend of Quiabang who told the court the deceased had bonded with Valencia through drinking but never became violent while drunk.

According to the evidence, Valencia and Quiabang had attended a Christmas party together on the night of the incident.  They were initially in good spirits but after they both consumed alcohol they started to fight, so friends asked them to leave.

One witness said during trial that Quiabang got upset when she saw Valencia offering an e-cigarette to another woman, and this led to a heated argument between the two. 

Valencia hit Quiabang on the face, so she left and proceeded to their rented room in Wanchai.

At about 8:45 that night, Valencia went home, and a neighbor testified hearing him demand from Quiabang why she had left the party without him. 

The fight ended with Valencia punching the victim repeatedly in the head, causing extensive injuries and rendering her unconscious. She was also later found to have bruises on her limbs and other parts of the body.

Despite this, Valencia did not seek medical help for her, even though her condition had worsened that she was unable to get up or eat. She also became incontinent.

The couple lived in a subdivided flat on this street in Wan Chai

A neuro surgeon who testified for the prosecution said Quiabang’s brain had swelled from the repeated and forceful punching, that she would not have likely survived even if she was taken to the hospital earlier.

However, her condition had gotten a lot worse from the delay that she stood no chance of recovering.

During questioning by the police, Valencia insisted his girlfriend had slipped in the bathroom, which caused the injuries to her face and limbs. 

Quiabang was already in a coma when she was rushed to Ruttonjee Hospital, and later moved to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital after she was found to have suffered a brain hemorrhage.

She was immediately operated on but never regained consciousness. The single mother of two teenagers passed on at 7:52 am on Jan. 2, 2022, the day she was supposed to move in with a new employer.

EOC thanks community partners in advancing race equality in HK

By The SUN

Secretary Erick Tsang joins EOC officers led by Chairperson Linda Lam at the event

The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) hosted an appreciation ceremony on Saturday, Apr 12, for about 100 community stakeholders who have helped advance racial equality in Hong Kong.

The event held at Eaton Hotel in Jordan commemorated both the 2025 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the 15th anniversary of the implementation of the Race Discrimination Ordinance (RDO).

As a token of its appreciation, the EOC presented plaques to the guests from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities, representing 80 non-government organizations serving various ethnic groups and migrant domestic workers.

The community leaders honored at the gathering and their hosts (EOC photo)

Among them were a number of Filipino community leaders, including Cynthia Tellez of the Migrant Workers, Lito Castillo of the Hong Kong Musicians Union and Daisy CL Mandap of The SUN.

“Today we are all gathered here, in this room, to acknowledge those individuals and organizations who have worked tirelessly over the years for people from Hong Kong’s less represented communities by empowering them, educating them and giving them visibility,” said EOC chairperson Linda Lam.

“The EOC’s work would not have been possible without the collaboration and support of frontline organizations and community leaders.”

Basahin ang detalye!

Lam officiated the event’s opening ceremony along with Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Erick Tsang, who spoke of the government’s own effort to ensure people from various ethnic backgrounds enjoy equal opportunities, including within the civil service.

“First and foremost, the government leads by example. As the largest employer in Hong Kong, the civil service has strived to enhance employment opportunities for ethnic minorities; over fifty civil service grades have reviewed and adjusted their Chinese-language proficiency requirements to give more opportunities to non-ethnic Chinese applicants to join the civil service,” he said.

A big 'thank you' flashes after VIP guests pressed the screen

“The government also strives to promote equal opportunities in the private sectors and the community. All these underline the government’s commitment to building an equal, inclusive, and harmonious society."

Both officials lauded the implementation of the RDO 15 years ago, with Lam saying it “significantly transformed the racial equality landscape in Hong Kong” and gave it the distinction of being one of a few places in Asia with an anti-discrimination legislation.

She added, “The anti-discrimination protections have positioned Hong Kong well in international exchange and collaboration and in the integration into the broader national development.”

The event closed with a networking among guests.

7 months’ jail for DH who had been in HK for 35 years

 

by Leo A. Deocadiz

A Filipina who has worked as a domestic helper in Hong Kong for 35 years finally understood how she got involved in a $533,000 money-laundering case, to which she pleaded guilty last April 1 and for which she was sentenced today to seven months’ imprisonment.

Susana Echevaria, 57 years old, told the Eastern Court principal magistrate, Don So, in the earlier hearing that she did not know why she was charged on two counts of “dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable crime,” in violation of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.

In response, Magistrate So put off her sentencing and ordered a background check to find out how her two bank accounts ended up being used for laundering a total of $533,000.

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Her defense lawyer, in mitigation, sought leniency, noting that in her 35 years in Hong Kong, she had managed to have a clean record, providing for her family and elderly parents.

He explained in today’s hearing that her Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. and Hang Seng Bank accounts became involved in money laundering when she obtained a loan of $10,000 and was required to leave her ATM cards and PIN as collaterals.

Her HSBC account subsequently ended up receiving $413,000.21 in deposits of crime money that became “clean” money when withdrawn between the 16th and 29th of August 2019, for which she was sentenced to seven months in prison.

She was sentenced to six months fo the second charge, in which her Hang Seng Bank account had deposits and withdrawals totalling  $120,000 between the 4th and 13th of September 2019.

But since Magistate So ordered that the two sentences run at the same tine, the total sentence was seven months.

Comelec rejects allegations of fraud in online voting

 

The page that caused the ruckus

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has disputed claims made on social media by several overseas Filipino voters that the ongoing internet-based voting is rigged as a review of the ballots they cast showed names of candidates they did not vote for.

Many of the complainants showed as proof screen shots of a box with jumbled letters and numbers underneath the sign “This is your ballot content”. A few names of actual candidates in the 2025 mid-term elections showed up amid the mostly unreadable content. 

The page is accessed through a QR code given to them after they cast their ballot.

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One of the complainants, Jefferson Bonoan, a Filipino worker based in Singapore, posted on his Facebook account screenshots of the ballot he cast on Monday, and the contents of the landing page of the QR code sent him.

While the screen shot of his ballot showed him voting for 10 candidates of the PDP-Laban party and two from the administration’s slate, his scanned QR code revealed names of those he did not vote for, including Manny Pacquiao of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas and Mimi Doringo of Makabayan.

Other voters in South Korea and United Arab Emirates who publicly declared voting for senatorial candidates endorsed by former President Rodrigo Duterte made the same allegation.

The posts prompted widespread calls by other overseas Filipinos for their cast ballots to show the actual names of candidates they voted for.

Garcia explains the apparent glitch to reporters

But in a talk with reporters on Monday, the second day of internet voting, Comelec Chair George Garcia said the full lineup of candidates chosen can be viewed and reviewed by the voter before the vote is cast. This will disappear once the “cast” button is pressed to prevent vote-buying.

 “Hindi namin talaga ibibigay ang mga pangalan (ng mga binoto) pagkatapos mai-cast kasi pwedeng gamitin sa vote buying,” Garcia said. (We really cannot give the names of the candidates chosen after the ballot is cast because this can be used for vote buying).

He explained that the random letters and numbers, and names of candidates that show up after the QR code is scanned is a security feature of the system, and does not reflect the actual ballot that was cast.

“Once these encrypted codes are translated into human-readable language after the end of election hours on May 12, that’s when they will confirm that the votes they cast are for the correct candidates. This is our way to secure your votes,” he pointed out.

Comelec, he said, is the only one with the capability to translate the encrypted script on QR codes to reveal the actual votes cast.

He assured the public that the internet voting system is “verifiable and auditable” and was rigorously checked before poll watchers National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting and other stakeholders.

Garcis lamented that there appeared to be an effort by some Filipinos to spread misinformation to discredit online voting.

Some technology experts, however, laid the blame squarely on the Comelec for the confusion that resulted from the unreadable script which was supposed to contain the ballot that was cast by the voter.

“That kind of information is not meant for end users or the general public but for IT developers,” said an expert.

“They should have thought of masking the information and turning it into something more understandable for everyone, without comprising the security of the vote as they mentioned,” said the expert.

Another who posted online said the code did not appear to be fully encrypted because it showed the full names of some candidates. In any case, he and several other IT practitioners said the encryption process should have been done in the back end, so nothing would be visible to the public for data privacy and security.

Overseas voting for Filipinos will run for 30 days until 7 p.m. on May 12 Manila time, which coincides with the closing of the day-long election in the Philippines.

2 Pinoys charged with fighting in public get differrent results

 

Scene of the fight (Google Maps photo)

Two Filipino residents found themselves being charged at Eastern Court today with fighting in public as a result of taking part in fisticuffs last September in Wanchai.

When the hearing ended, however, G. Dellomos, 52 years old, found himself the subject of an arrest warrant and his bail of $2,000 subject to possible forfeiture, while J. de Guzman, 36 years old, had his charge dropped.

The difference was that Dellomos, a goods vehicle driver, did not show up for the hearing on the charge of violation the Public Order Ordinance, having allegedly taken part in an unlawful fight on Sept. 28 last year in front of the Centre Point on Jaffe Road, Wanchai.

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As a result, Principal Magistrate Don So issued a warrant for his arrest, and reserved his decision on whether to forfeit the bail money, depending on Dellomos’ reason fo his absence.

On the other hand, de Guzman, a security personnel, agreed to a bind over under which he would keep the peace and not reoffend for 12 months, or he would be fined $1,000, in addition to being meted the penalties for the new offense.

Prosecutors then withdrew the charge filed against him by Wanchai Police last March 28.

“Get your bail (from the court cashier) and go home,” Magistrate So told de Guzman after closing his portion of the case.

“Next time, call the police” (instead of getting into a fight), he added.

Slow first day of overseas voting in HK

 

Queuing for voters who needed help with enrolling to vote was fast

The first day of overseas voting for Filipinos in Hong Kong was off to a slow and quiet start on Sunday, Apr 13, with no formal opening ceremony, or hundreds, if not thousands, of people lining up to be among the first to cast their ballots for a national election in the Philippines.

This is the first time that overseas voting is being done fully via the internet, and many of the more than 83,300 registered voters in Hong Kong appeared hesitant to take part in the new system, at least initially.

Not a few were still insisting on voting in person at the Bayanihan Centre in Kennedy Town, which was designated as the sole polling station in Hong Kong until the last presidential election in 2022.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

One migrant worker even posted on Facebook that there was still manual voting at Bayanihan Centre, and rallied all online naysayers to vote there instead.

“Doon na tayo bumoto para siguradong wag mag online vote,” she said. (Let us just go there to vote so we won’t be forced to do online voting).

In a separate post, she also urged her fellow OFWs to take screen shots of their completed ballots which she vaguely said could be used as evidence in case of cheating. 

Basahin ang detalye!

Vice Consul Jose Angelo Manuel who is overseeing the OV in Hong Kong said he is aware that such misinformation continues to spread, despite repeated announcements by the Consulate, and even by the Philippines’ Commission on Elections, that most overseas Filipinos will now have to vote online.

VC Manuel said the Consulate has already advised staff and volunteers at the Bayanihan Centre to inform misled voters that they could instead go to the OFW Global Center on the 18^th floor of United Centre in Admiralty if they needed help in enrolling to vote.

VC Manuel personally attends to some voters who need help with enrollment   

He also reiterated the assurance that there are sufficient measures in place to ensure that internet voting is safe and secure. Apart from this, it is a lot more convenient for voters than manual voting.

But on this first day at least, that message did not seem to have hit home yet.

Only a handful of Filipinos could be seen entering the designated OV wing of the OFW Center to ask for help in registering to vote that, except for a few who failed to make the 15-minute cut-off to finish casting their ballot, everything seemed to go smoothly.

One voter who completed his ballot on his mobile phone unassisted, expressed satisfaction at the process, saying it took him less than five minutes to cast his vote. He said that after logging on to the designated portal set up by the Commission on Elections using the registered email and password, a one-time password was sent, which he then used to access his online ballot.

But one poll watcher said one would-be voter who had lined up as early as 9am failed to cast her ballot as she couldn't get through the enrolment phase even if she was supposed to be still in the certified list of overseas voters. She said she would just ask another group to help her enroll. 

Throwback Sunday- the long queue outside Bayanihan Centre on first day of OV 2022

The scene this year was in stark contrast to previous elections, when thousands of people would troop to Bayanihan Centre to vote or solicit votes, especially on the first day of voting, or on Sundays when most Filipino migrant workers were off work.

A number would even camp overnight outside the lone polling station so they could be the first to cast their ballot.

Foremost among them was Baneng Mendez, who takes pride in being the first to vote in all five previous OV in Hong Kong. This time, Baneng said she logged in on the first hour of Apr 13, but was allowed to vote only on her fourth try.

“Kinakarir ko talaga ang pagiging first voter for the past 5 elections, gusto ko sanang panindigan ang panata kong ito. Kaya lang ay hindi ako tiyak kung ako pa rin ang first voter dahil 4x akong disapproved,” said Baneng. (I have made a career out of being the first to vote in the past 5 elections. I really wanted to keep this up but I am not sure if I am still the first voter this time because I was disapproved four times).

She added that all she’s sure of now is that for this election, her vote was for Bayan Muna party-list and the senatorial candidates under the Makabayan bloc.

Baneng spent the night outside Bayanihan Centre in 5 previous OVs to be the first to vote

Given the promised anonymity to online voters it is not likely that determining who voted first in Hong Kong would now be known.

Even ascertaining the daily turnout could be a challenge as the number of people who show up at the OV center could just be a fraction of those who have decided to cast their votes silently, in the comfort of their homes. Neither is Comelec willing to spew out numbers while the vote is ongoing.

But what is important now is to get Filipinos to trust the process and take part in the historic vote. If it is as sound and safe as promised, there would be no better way than this to know the true will of the people.

(Online voting for overseas Filipinos will continue until May 12 at 7pm. The OV help center at the OFW Center will be open daily, including public holidays, from 9am to 4pm).

 

 

 

Pinoy gets 4-month suspended sentence for shoplifting

 

The North Point store where items were stolen (Google Maps photo)

A Filipino construction worker avoided getting jailed after pleading guilty to shoplifting in North Point, but has found himself obligated to avoid reoffending for three years, or he will have to serve his four-month jail sentence.

C. de Vera, 41 years old, pleaded guilty to theft on Wednesday (April 9), after being accused by police of stealing five packs of chocolate with a total value of $978 from a Best Mart 360 store on King’s Road in North Point last March 11.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

This resulted in another court hearing previously scheduled for May 5 being cancelled.

After his guilty plea, Principal Magistate Don So told De Vera, who had been detained since March 14, “I’ll give you a chance.”

Magistrate So sentenced him to four months’ jail, suspended for three years.

Basahin ang detalye!

As explained to him, de Vera does not have to be detained in jail if he keeps the peace and avoids committing any offense during the three-year period. If he does, he will have to serve not just his four-month sentence but also the new penalty that may be handed to him for the new offense.

Meanwhile, at Kowloon City Court, domestic helper E. Enriquez was given a two-month sentence, suspended for 12 months, after she pleaded guilty to stealing one i-Pad worth $7,999 inside the Marketplace by Jason’s store on Austin Road in Tsim Sha Tsui last Feb. 4.

Pinay accused of stealing 17 jewelry items remanded in jail

 

The theft was allegedly committed in a unit in this compound (Google Maps photo)

A Filipina domestic helper accused of stealing 17 jewelry items from her employer, has been returned to jail after her theft case was adjourned at Eastern Court.

Sherelle Lyn Dajay, 40 years old, was told to appear again on April 16 by Principal Magistrate Don So.

PINDUTIN DITO

Dajay is accused of violating the Theft Ordinance for allegedly taking two watches, eight rings, two pairs of earrings, three necklaces and two pendants.

The theft allegedly happened between Feb.1 ,2024 and Oct. 13, 2024 at the empoye’s hoouse at Black’s Link in Happy Valley.

Basahin ang detalye!

Meanwhile, another domestic helper was freed on bail of $500 also on Friday (April 11) after her case of assault occasioning actual bodily harm was adjourned to May 16.

Michel Uma, 37 yeas old, is accused of assaulting another woman on April 6 last year inside a flat in Warrenwoods, Happy Valley.

Internet voting safe and fast says PCG, on eve of historic vote

PCG's election board headed by VC Manuel (center) at sealing of election paraphernalia

 There is no reason why registered Filipino voters overseas should hesitate to cast their votes in the first ever internet voting in the Philippines, says the Philippine consulate officer in-charge of administering the vote in Hong Kong.

Vice Consul Jose Angelo Manuel, chairman of the Consulate’s Resident Election Registration Board (RERB) in Hong Kong said internet voting is secure and a lot faster than the previous in-person mode.

“Maraming layers of checks, maraming layers of security, so don’t worry. So, please cast your vote during this election,” Manuel said, after supervising the final sealing and lockdown of the overseas voting and counting system in Hong Kong, ahead of Sunday’s historic election.

PINDUTIN DITO

He also said voting through the internet is a lot faster and easier than when voters had to line up for hours at the Bayanihan Centre, designated as the sole polling place for overseas Filipinos, until the last presidential election in 2022.

“So now you have this system in place. Mas madali pa (it’s even easier) since you can vote anytime, anywhere in Hong Kong,” he said.

“Even if you encounter any difficulties…the Consulate is ready to assist you. Kung hindi po tayo techie, wala tayong email, wala tayong passport, ok lang po yan. (if you are not techie, you don’t have email or passport, that’s OK). Just come to us, kami na po ang bahala (we’ll take care of it).

Board shows a total of 83,330 Filipinos in HK are qualified to vote in this year's election

Among the documents that were sealed was one that indicated that Hong Kong has a total of 83,330 eligible overseas voters for this year’s mid-term elections in the Philippines, when they get to choose a maximum of 12 senators and one party-list.

This marked a sharp decrease in the number of registered voters in Hong Kong, which came up to 93,265 in total for the 2022 presidential election, held amid the pandemic. Just before the registration ended on Sept 30 last year, Manuel himself said the Consulate expected a total registration figure of between 90,000 and 95,000.

This could be due to several factors, including the absence of clearer guidelines and effort on the part of the Commission on Elections to stoke voters’ interest in the landmark vote, the fact that it is primarily a senatorial and not a presidential election, and an apparently widespread perception that internet voting would require one to be a tech wizard.

Basahin ang detalye!

And initially at least, the process of pre-enrollment as a voter did come with a number of bugs, like voters failing to access the link to the Comelec portal, not getting the one-time password to complete the process, failing to make it to the 5-minute cutoff, and many others.

It was also during this time that the Consulate itself learned that pre-enrolment could not be done in the Philippines, with voters getting the ominous message that they had been “blocked” from the system.

Comelec seal that ensures the election results are not tampered with

But this time around, Manuel said they are confident pre-enrolment could be done well within the 5-minute time limit, and the voting, within the 15-minute allowance. 

Nevertheless, if one gets timed out, he said they can always go back to the portal, although they may have to start all over again.

While voters are encouraged to do the pre-enrolment and voting inside their homes where the internet connection is presumably stronger and more stable, Manuel said they should not hesitate to ask help from the Consulate if they encounter any problems, or feel overwhelmed by the new process.

Eight desks have been set up at the OWWA OFW Centre on the 18^th floor of United Centre Building in Admiralty for this purpose. The centre will be open every day, including public holidays, from tomorrow, Apr 13 until May 12, from 9am to 4pm.

A word of caution: while voters are no longer required to fill their ballots in a confined and regulated space, they should still not take live videos or selfies of themselves voting, and share these on social media as these violate the law on ballot secrecy.

“We discourage anyone from sharing the contents of their ballot because the ballot is sacred, it’s for you, it’s your choice. Please avoid sharing or informing others about your vote. It’s your responsibility as a voter to maintain the security of your vote,” Manuel said.

Comelec outlaws the taking of photos or making copies of one’s ballot during or after voting since this could be used for vote-buying or vote-selling.