Emry’s owner to stand trial next year in $5.7 million laundering case

 

Ylagan outside the District Court in earlier hearing (File)

After seven years of investigation and court hearings, 70-year-old former employment agency owner Ester Ylagan will be tried at the District Court between January and February next year, on charges of laundering a total of $5.7 million over a seven-month period in 2016.

The 15-day trial from January 15 to February 2, 2024 was set after a pre-trial hearing held in chambers today at the District Court.

Ylagan pleaded not guilty to all four charges of money laundering nearly a year ago, or on Sept. 20, 2022.

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The trial date was originally set for January this year but Ylagan’s counsel had asked for more time to review the documents in the case which include 4,000 depositions of 43 witnesses, including 25 listed as victims.

Ylagan’s bail of $40,000 was renewed until the trial, set before Deputy District Court Judge Katherine Lo.

According to the charge sheet read out to Ylagan in court on August 11 last year, the alleged offences took place between Jan 29 to Jul 8, 2016, and involved a series of transactions, all in violation of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.

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In the first charge, Ylagan is accused of “dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence” on Jan 29 and May 5, 2016, in the sum of HK$2,633,181.52 and US$44,658 (HK$347,439).

The total sum of HK$2,980,620 was dealt with in cash.

The second count allegedly happened between May 12 to 23, 2016, during which the total sum of USD300,00 (HK2,334,000) was moved by Ylagan from an account with Standard Chartered Bank.

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In the third count, Ylagan is accused with dealing with money believed to be proceeds from a crime, amounting to US$10,055 (HK$78,227) between May 25 and 26, 2016.

The last charge accuses Ylagan of handling a total amount of US$50,000 (HK$389,000), knowing it to be proceeds of a crime, on Jul 8, 2016.

The last two transactions were made using an account Ylagan held at HSBC.

OFWs line up to snap overseas jobs offered by Ylagan in 2016 (File)

The dates of the alleged offenses coincided with a job recruitment to Canada and the United Kingdom which Ylagan conducted at Emry’s office in WorldWide Plaza. At the time, Emry’s was the biggest recruitment firm for Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong.

Relying on Emry’s solid reputation in the business, about 200 Filipino migrant workers said they were enticed to apply for the jobs advertised by Ylagan, purportedly in the United Kingdom and Canada, for which each applicant was charged $10,000 or $15,000.

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The jobs all turned out to be bogus, and Ylagan jumped the gun on the applicants by going to the police and complaining about an online business partner she named as William Clinton Evans who allegedly duped her of $4.19 million before disappearing.

Ylagan also told police in a statement that it was Evans, whom she met only online, who offered to place her applicants in the UK or Canada. But after signing up about 400 applicants, she said she stopped because Evans wanted her to double the number.

Her unseen partner then stopped communicating with her, and Ylagan fled to the Philippines. She returned to Hong Kong in June 2018 and was promptly arrested.

Lawyers acting for the complainants at the time claimed they uncovered documents showing Ylagan and several other people close to her had sent a total of around $10 million to several countries as far apart as Malaysia and Burkina Faso.

The documents were turned over to the police, along with the names of the others involved in the apparent money laundering scam, but only Ylagan was arrested and charged.

Of the more than 200 Filipino applicants who sought police help, about 150 have filed claims to recover their money from Ylagan.

Some of the claims were upheld at the Small Claims Tribunal in Ylagan’s absence while the rest were moved to the District Court where they remain undecided.

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Police, PCG confirm death of OFW reported missing last week

 

Gonayon was found dead on Stanley Beach last Friday (Frontline Tabuk photo)

The police and the Migrant Workers Office at the Consulate have both confirmed the death of 49-year-old Georgia Walis Gonayon, a Filipino domestic helper who was reported missing by her employers on Tuesday, September 12.

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According to the police, Gonayon was found lifeless, wedged among rocks on Stanley Beach on September 15. Her clothes were found strewn about.

No suicide note was found at the scene and an autopsy will be performed to find the cause of death.

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Separately, Assistant Labor Attache Tony Villafuerte also confirmed the news, and said they have been in touch with Gonayon’s husband, who earlier sought help from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in Kalinga where they reside.

No schedule has yet been set for repatriating her remains, which should be covered by her employer's insurance.

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Gonayon had worked in Hong Kong since 2009. She had five children.

Earlier, the police posted a notice about Gonayon’s disappearance, saying she was last seen leaving her employer’s house in Pokfulam on Tuesday afternoon.

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Not a few netizens said she must have gone on to another country, as has what happened to a number of Filipinas reported as missing in Hong Kong. 

But this was immediately rejected by Gonayon’s relatives, who said her passport was still in her employer’s house, a revelation that sparked concern.

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Biktima ng illegal recruitment, nanawagan ng aksyon sa Konsulado

 

Si Mercy sa rally: 'Nagmakaawa ako noon pero pinahiya ninyo ako'

“Lumuhod ako noon sa inyo at nagmakaawa, pero di ninyo ako pinagbigyan.”

Ito ang lahad ng isa sa mga biktima diumano ng kumpanyang Opportunities Abroad na idineklara kamakailan ng Department of Migrant Workers na sangkot sa illegal recruitment, sa isang kilos-protesta sa labas ng Konsulado nitong Linggo na itinatag ng United Filipinos (Unifil-Migrante) Hong Kong.

Ayon kay Mercy, nakiusap siya noong April 2 sa pinuno ng PCVC-Opportunities Abroad na si Nina Mabatid at partner niyang si Russ Mark Gamallo na ibalik ang ibinayad niyang $18,731 (P131,000) sa kanila dahil kailangan ng mga anak niya, pero hindi siya pinagbigyan at ininsulto pa.

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Isa si Mercy sa 14 na overseas Filipino workers sa Hong Kong na nagreklamo sa DMW para papanagutin ang grupo ni Mabatid at ibalik ang halos P2 milyon na kinuha sa kanila noong Pebrero, kapalit ng pekeng pangako na tutulungan silang makakuha ng student visa sa Canada.

Bumalik sina Mabatid at Gamallo noong April 2 para sa pagpapalabas ng pelikulang “Martyr or Murderer” na itinatag ng isang grupong sumusuporta sa administrasyon, pero hindi nakisalamuha sa mga aplikante.

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Sa kanilang muling pagbabalik noong June 18 para sa isa na namang recruitment seminar ay pinapulis na sila ng mga aplikante para maibalik ang kanilang pera dahil hindi naman daw sila natulungan na makamit ang student visa sa loob ng ipinangako nilang tatlong buwan.

Hamon ni Che, harapin sila ng OFW blogger na si Calagui na sangkot din daw sa 'scam'

Kabilang din sa dumalo sa rally si Che, na sinabing nangako si Mabatid sa harap ng mga pulis noong June 18 na ibabalik ang pera nila sa Konsulado pagkatapos ng isang linggo, pero hindi siya tumupad sa usapan.

“Isa kang sinungaling,” sabi ni Che kay Mabatid.

Nanawagan siya sa Konsulado, lalo na kay Consul Paul Saret na humarap sa kanila para sa itinakdang solian sana ng kanilang pera, na gumawa ng agarang aksyon para mapanagot ang grupo ni Mabatid sa kanilang ginawang panloloko sa kanila, na mismong ang Konsulado ay naging saksi.

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Sa gitna ng masigabong palakpakan ay hinamon din ni Che na harapin sila ng personal ng kapwa OFW at blogger na si Bryan Calagui at tigilan ang paninira sa kanila sampu ng kanilang mga taga suporta sa kanyang blog, lalo na ngayong mismong ang DMW at POEA na ang nagsabing ilegal ang ginawang recruitment ng grupong ito.

Si Calagui ang tinuturo ng 14 na biktima na nagkumbinsi sa kanila sa pamamagitan ng kanyang blog na dumalo sa isinagawang recruitment ni Mabatid  sa Hong Kong noong February 19 at June 18. Personal din daw niyang siniguro sa ilan sa kanila na legal ang inaalok na student visa ng grupo.

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Ilang beses na kasing naimbita si Calagui sa mga online interview para harapin silang mga biktima pero hindi siya nagpapaunlak, at ang idinadahilan ay iyon daw kasi ang payo sa kanya ng “solicitor general.”

Umaksyon ang gobyerno at ipakulong ang mga maysala, sabi naman ni Balladares

Sinusugan din ni Dolores Balladares, chairperson ng Unifil-Migrante, ang panawagan na kumilos na ang gobyerno para mabigyan ng hustisya ang mga biktima ng illegal recruitment at human trafficking sa Hong Kong.

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Sa kaso ng mga nagreklamo laban kay Mabatid at sa Opportunities Abroad, sinabi niya na Pebrero pa nangyari ang panloloko, Hunyo nang pormal nilang ihain ang kanilang reklamo sa Konsulado, at kalagitnaan naman ng Agosto nang pumunta ang dalawang opisyal ng DMW dito para mangalap ng ebidensya, pero hanggang ngayon ay wala pa ring “ni ha ni ho” mula sa gobyerno.

Hindi lang daw pagsosoli ng pera ng mga biktima ang kailangang iutos ng pamahalaan sa kasong ito,kundi ang pagpaparusa ng kulong sa mga taong nanloko sa kanila.

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Huwag din daw sisihin ang mga biktima dahil katulad ng maraming OFW ay naghangad lang sila ng mas magandang kinabukasan para sa kanilang mga pamilya dahil sa kahirapan at kakulangan ng trabaho sa Pilipinas.

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Opportunities Abroad named in POEA warning against illegal recruitment

 

DMW's warning against illegal recruitment by Opportunities Abroad and other visa consulting firms

A visa consultancy firm at the center of a complaint of 14 foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong for alleged fraud in offering them student visas to Canada has been named in a warning against illegal recruitment by the Department of Migrant Workers.

The warning posted on Friday, September 15, named Opportunities Abroad among eight visa consultancies that have been recruiting Filipinos for overseas employment without a license from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

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The others are Triumph Global Recruitment Services, JM International Services, PWG, Cis Group Manpower Sp, Gateway Visa Solution, Mars Immigration Inc. and Maplekraft Management Consultancies.

The warning said: “Ang mga visa consultancy firm ay walang lisensya o authority mula sa Department of Migrant Workers na mag-recruit ng mga OFW para magtrabaho sa ibang bansa.” (Visa consultancy firms do not have a license or authority from the Department of Migrant Workers to recruit OFWs to work abroad  

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A separate advisory said offering overseas jobs to Filipinos without a license from the DMW is “ILLEGAL”.

Anyone promised a job abroad by a visa or migration consultancy firm is advised to report to DMW so a case can be filed against the company and any of its staff or agency that conducted the illegal recruitment.

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The advisory came in the wake of an appeal for immediate action by the DMW from 14 HK OFWs who had filed complaints against Opportunities Abroad and its officers led by former Cebu City Councillor Prisca Nina Mabatid who offered them student visas to Canada for which they were made to pay HK$18,700 (P131,000) in processing fees.

Mabatid and her group promised a visa processing time of only three months, but after they paid the fee in February this year, not a single one of them had even gone as far as getting their applications submitted to Canadian immigration authorities.

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After the OFWs filed complaints and sought a refund of their money, a lawyer claiming to represent Opportunities Abroad sent letters to several of them, reminding them about an alleged breach of the memorandum of agreement they signed when they applied for the student visa.

The lawyer, Taunino Jillandro G. Neri said that their act of seeking a refund which is prohibited by the agreement under any condition, made them liable to pay the company P500,000 plus costs. He gave them five days to respond and settle with the group or face legal action.

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But according to the complainants who asked the DMW to intervene, they were made to sign the agreement after they paid the processing fee so they were left with no choice but to do as they were told. The details of the agreement were not discussed with them, and they were not given copies afterwards.

They added that even granting that they were compelled to sign the agreement it should be held illegal for being morally wrong and unjust.

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The complainants are due to join a rally today, organized by Unifil-Migrante HK, today to call on DMW to speed up its resolution on the case they filed against Opportunities Abroad, Nina Mabatid and her partner, Russ Mark Gamallo, and OFW blogger Bryan A. Calagui who allegedly took an active role in the recruitment.

To support their claim, the OFWs submitted video recordings of the recruitment seminar that the group held at Sunbeam Theater in North Point on February 19 and June 18 this year.

In the videos, Mabatid could be seen telling the crowd that the student visa pathway is the quickest way to get into Canada. But she assured them that they will be going there on a work and study program, which would allow them to earn enough to pay for their school fees and other expenses in Canada.

She also promised to lend each of them P1million as show money to convince Canadian authorities of their capacity to finance their studies in the country.

But to be able to join the September batch of new entries to Canada, they should pay a processing fee of $18,000 plus $700 for "LCIC" on the spot, or within three days.

On June 18, when Mabatid and her group conducted another recruitment drive, the complainants asked help from the Hong Kong Police in getting their money back from them. To appease them, Mabatid agreed to return their money, but left Hong Kong days before the appointed date.

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Pilipinang DH na nagtrabaho diumano sa isang tindahan, nakatakdang litisin

 

Ang paglilitis ay nakatakdang isagawa sa Shatin Court

Magsisimula sa Sept. 29 ang paglilitis sa isang Pilipinang domestic helper na inakusahang lumabag sa kondisyon ng kanyang pamamalagi sa Hong Kong dahil nagtrabaho nang ilegal.

Nauna rito, itinanggi ni Hazel Faith Necesario, 36 taong gulang, ang kasong unang inihain sa Fan Ling Courts at inilipat sa Shatin Courts, na sentro ng mga kasong may kinalaman sa Immigration.

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Pagkatapos tanungin ni Deputy Magistrate Melvin Ho ang mga paghahanda ng taga-usig at abogadong nagtatanggol kay Necesario, pinakawalan siya sa piyansang $800.

Isa si Necesario sa 10 manggagawa at dalawang employer na nahuli sa dalawang operasyon na isinagawa ng Immigration Department noong May 2-4, at kinasuhan ng pagtatrabaho kahit bawal.

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Nag-raid ang mga operatiba ng Immigration sa 22 target na lugar, gaya ng mga restaurant,mga  tindahan, isang dance studio, at isang tindahan ng gulay.

Sinabi ng Immigration Department na ang pagtatrabaho nang ilegal ay may parusang multa na aabot sa $50,000 at pagkabilanggo ng hanggang dalawang taon.

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Ayon sa taga-usig, si Necesario ay nahuli noong May 4 habang nagtatrabaho sa isang tindahan sa Hung Hom nang walang permiso ng Immigration

Labag ito sa kondisyon sa paglalagi niya sa Hong Kong bilang domestic helper, na nagsasabing magtatrabaho lamang siya sa bahay ng among pinangalanan sa kontratang inaprobahan ng Immigration noong Jan. 7, 2023, na si Shiu Kwan Sherran.

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