2 Filipinas convicted of assault on another, put on probation

Two young Filipinas were given a one-year probation order by the Kwun Tong Court for common assault on a fellow Filipina.

H. R. Gacad, 19 years old, and L.P. del Rosario, 21, had pleaded guilty in a hearing last Feb. 7 but were set free after their bail of $1,000 each was extended..

Acting Principal Magistrate Winnie Lau placed the two under probation for 12 months after receiving probation officer and community service officers’ reports that were ordered after they were convicted as guide for their penalty..

During the probation period, Gacad and del Rosario need to maintain good behaviour, report to a probation officer regularly and ensure they do not reoffend.

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Youth CLIC, a community legal information website established by the Community Legal Information Centre of the Law and Technology Centre of The University of Hong Kong to provide Hong Kong youngsters with basic information about the law, crimes, and legal issues, defines probation as a form of punishment primarily aimed at the rehabilitation of offenders of minor crimes.

If a probationer re-offends while on probation, or breaches the conditions of the probation order, that person may be re-sentenced for the original offense, it said.

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Gacad and del Rosario both faced a charge of assaulting N. G. Respicio on February 6, 2023, inside the parking lot of Tsui Ping South Estate in Kwun Tong, causing her actual bodily harm.

Respicio, 17 years old at the time, went to the police and reported being attacked by several girls in the parking lot of the public estate. She reportedly suffered bruises on her face, waist and upper arm, and sought treatment at United Christian Hospital by herself.

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Following her complaint, the police arrested Gacad in her home in Yau Ma Tei and Del Rosario in Kowloon City. They were released on bail after an investigation.

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HK in another cold snap

 

Time to get bundled up again, with temperatures dropping to single digits over the weekend

Cold days are back in Hong Kong, with temperatures dropping in the urban areas to as low as nine degrees Friday night and early Saturday morning. It will be even colder in the New Territories.

On Sunday, the mercury will rise slightly to between 14 and 19 degrees, before gradually rising to above 20 degrees for the rest of the week.

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The Observatory issued the cold weather warning on Thursday afternoon, and reminded the public to keep warm and take care of the elderlies and those with chronic medical conditions.

The return of the cold weather in Hong Kong is said to be due to the influence of the northeast monsoon and a broad band of rain and clouds.

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The monsoon is forecast to be gradually replaced by a relatively humid southerly airstream on Monday and Tuesday, when the temperatures are expected to rise  to between 23 and 26 degrees at mid-day.

But another surge of the northeast monsoon is expected to affect Guangdong in the middle and latter parts of next week, bringing back cooler weather.

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Another DH jailed 8 months for money laundering

 

Another domestic helper was jailed for eight months Thursday after she pleaded guilty at Eastern Court to dealing with proceeds of a crime, because her bank account had been used for money laundering.

Nerivy Toledo, 35 years old, made the plea at Eastern Court after listening to the charge.

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Principal Magistrate Ivy Chui chose a 12-month starting point for Toledo’s sentence and gave her a four-month discount for her guilty plea            

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Toledo was charged with “dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offense.”

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Under the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance, this offense is punishable by a fine of $5,000,000 and imprisonment for 14 years on conviction upon indictment, or a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for 3 years on summary conviction.

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The case arose from deposits that amounted to $577,933 in her bank account and corresponding withdrawals between July 11, 2019 and July 29, 2019.

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Trial set for accused in indecent assault of girl, 10

The trial will be held at the District Court in Wanchai

Four Filipinos and one Bangladeshi accused of indecently assaulting and hurting a 10-year-old girl in Yuen Long were returned to jail yesterday to await trial at the District Court which will start on March 17 next year.

Jimwoel Macaraig, 53 years old; Julie Arcega, 32; Gina Villanueva, 51; Benjur Macaraig, 46; and MD Moazzim-hossain, 42, were arrested after the incident which allegedly happened inside a hut on Kung Om Road in Yuen Long on Jan. 3, 2023.

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Judge Pang Chung Ping adjourned Thursday's hearing to February 17 next year for pre-trial review.

The two-week trial will be held from March 17 to April 3 next year.

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The five, who were neighbors of the victim's family in Yuen Long, are accused of committing “an act of gross indecency with or toward X, a girl of the age of 10 years” in a hut in Yuen Long.

An “indecent act towards a child under 16 years” is punishable with imprisonment of up to 10 years under the Crimes Ordinance.

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In the second charge, common assault, the five are accused of assaulting the girl on the same date and place.

The offense is punishable with up to a year in prison under the Offenses Against the Person Ordinance.

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Bed bugs found at NAIA

 

Chairs at NAIA are disinfected after bed bug bites were reported by passengers

Disinfection was carried out at Terminals 2 and 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport yesterday, after departing passengers reported being bitten by bed bugs there.

The passengers posted photos of their buttocks and thighs filled with red rashes from the bites on the Facebook group DIY Travel Philippines, and told fellow travellers to take care.

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One complainant said she was bitten after she sat on a rattan chair at Terminal 2 on Feb. 23.

However, videos uploaded yesterday by some media outlets showed the tiny bugs swarming on the metal chairs at the terminals as well.

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The Manila International Airport Authority which manages NAIA’s three terminals admitted receiving complaints about the bed bug infestation, and said it provided medical treatment to those affected.

In a statement, MIAA also said all the seats identified in the reports had been pulled out permanently while disinfection at the airport will continue to be undertaken.

One of the bitten passengers posted photos of her backside, along with a warning

“The MIAA apologizes to the victims and assures them that a speedy resolution to this can be expected,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, MIAA General Manager Eric Ines directed the terminal managers to investigate the infestation, and provide a report with recommendations on how to resolve the issue.

The managers were also told to conduct thorough facility inspections and enhance sanitation at the terminals.

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\Manila’s airport is not the only one grappling with bed bug scare. Last November, Hong Kong authorities were alerted to an online photo that showed what appeared to be a bedbug on an Airport Express train.

The bedbug photo prompted immediate deep cleaning of the airport train in question

The MTR Corporation immediately carried out deep cleaning of the train after receiving a report from a passenger, but said no insects similar to the one in the photo was found.

Bedbug problems at airports have previously been reported in Seoul, Paris and London, sparking concerns that they could reach Hong Kong, too.

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May 50% Discount sa SIM na may Unlimited Internet pang OFW!

 

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Kung gusto mo ng mas mabilis, mag Superior Data Plan na 60Mbps speed na may Free 1 day data roaming sa China/Macau kada buwan at 500 Local SmarTone Call Minutes.

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Job-hopping legislation still in the cards

 

The revised Code will have anti-job hopping provisions

A revised Code of Practice (CoP) for employment agencies that will incorporate provisions related to the so-called job hopping practice of some foreign domestic helpers will come into force by April this year.

This was according to Labour Secretary Chris Sun who spoke at the Legislative Council meeting yesterday, Feb. 28 in response to queries from legislator Doreen Kong of  the Election Committee constituency.

“After concluding the consultation exercise on the preliminary proposals for revising the Code of Practice for Employment Agencies (CoP) in the first half of 2023, the LD has analysed and examined the feedback received,” he said.

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“Currently, the LD is finalising the revised content of the CoP taking into account the suggestions and concerns raised by different stakeholders, as well as formulating the mechanism for enforcing the revised CoP. The LD will promulgate the revised CoP in the second quarter of this year."

Sun said that the new rules will require EAs to request employers and FDHs to acknowledge in writing that they have been briefed on the standard employment contract for FDHs and the Labour Ordinance.

Agencies must also explain to FDHs the requirements for changing employers, and get them to sign a written acknowledgment that this has been done.

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However, audio or video recordings of EAs making such explanations will not be required, contrary to proposals made by some employers and legislators.

The revised CoPs will also expressly prohibit EAs from providing incentives to FDHs to entice them to switch employers. Violators may be meted sanctions.

But Secretary Sun declined to give in to suggestions that employers be exempted from providing a return air ticket to FDHs who terminate their employment contracts.

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Kong has suggested that Labor strengthen its cooperation with source countries for FDHs so that “immoral EAs and FDHs” cannot obtain by deception agency fees and contract benefits such as free return air tickets.

Sun said that employers are obliged to provide their FDH with free return passage to his/her place of origin upon termination or expiry of the contract, to ensure the FDH’s smooth return to their place of origin and prevent them being stranded in HK due to a lack of travel expenses.

As for the agency fees, the revised CoP will require EAs to specify in a written agreement with employers, whether they will provide a refund or an alternative arrangement to replace FDHs who terminate their contracts. A sample service agreement with this clause will be appended to the CoP, but it will not make refund arrangements mandatory.

According to Kong, job-hopping or the premature termination of contracts to change employers has not abated, despite the short supply of FDHs in Hong Kong.

But Sun denied this, saying that there has been an 80 percent decline in the number of visa applications from FDHs that were rejected due to suspected “job-hopping” over the past two years.

In 2023, the number of visa rejections fell to 502 from the 2,833 recording during the pandemic in 2021.

Migrant support organizations like the Mission for Migrant Workers and the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body have called the job-hopping allegations a “myth,” saying FDHs will not give up on a whim jobs they had spent money on, or if their employers have been good to them.

Besides, they said all FDHs are aware that if they terminate their contract they will be sent back home within 14 days, and if they want to work in Hong Kong again they will have to apply for a new contract from their home country, at great cost.

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Warnings issued against lending/selling bank accounts & scams

 

Police post warns how lending one's ATM can lead to money laundering 

The Migrant Workers Office in Hong Kong has posted a warning on its Facebook page against lending or selling bank accounts, as this often leads to money laundering.

“Huwag pumayag sa pagpapahiram o pagbebenta ng bank account, iwasang gumawa ng mga krimen,” said the advisory. (Do not agree to lending or selling your bank account, avoid getting involved in crimes).\

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In cases where someone’s ATM card was lent or surrendered to another person who then used it to launder money, the account owner is oftentimes left to face a charge of “dealing with property knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe” that such property represents proceeds from a crime.

The maximum penalty for money laundering is 14 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $5 million.

Soriano (in suit) joins police in promoting the campaign against online scams

The warning came as the new head of the Consulate’s assistance to nationals section, Vice Consul George A. Soriano met with representatives of the Hong Kong Police Regional Crime Prevention Office - Hong Kong Island to discuss collaboration to intensify the campaign against deception crimes or fraud. 

The campaign aims to provide the public with information on how to avoid falling prey to deception, particularly those committed through phones or the internet.

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The police reported earlier that there has been a 42.6% increase in deception crimes in Hong Kong.

Vice Consul Soriano pledged to take an active role in encouraging Filipinos in Hong Kong to take part in the campaign.

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He also thanked the police for continually providing a safe environment for the more than 221,000 Filipinos living and working in the city.

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