Next month, Helen Pelarios would have finished her first two-year
contract as a domestic helper in Hong Kong .
On Aug. 16, however, her employer accused Pelarios of
stealing her jade bracelet and called the police. The officers arrested the
Filipina and charged her with theft at Tsuen Wan Court .
Pelarios, who came to Hong Kong
in October 2014, pleaded guilty to the charge on Sept 5 and was sentenced by
Magistrate Wong Ching-yu to a 14-day jail term, suspended for a year.
Despite pleading guilty, Pelarios told staff at the
Consulate’s assistance to nationals section that her employer’s charge was a
lie. "Inamin ko lang po dahil sa aking kalituhan at para makauwi
na ako,” she said.
ATN officers were helping her on Sept 6 to purchase a ticket
for her flight home.
With her jail sentence suspended, Pelarios did not have to
be imprisoned. But she decided to wait a few more days before going home so she
could get her unpaid salary from her employer. - VBL
